Deal Alert: Flights to Australia From $530 Round-Trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.
It's time to head Down Under with flights from the US to Sydney (SYD) and Melbourne (MEL) available from $530 round-trip. Cheap fares can be found on United or Qantas from West Coast cities like Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) in addition to cities further inland like Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH), Phoenix (PHX), Denver (DEN) and Salt Lake City (SLC).
We haven't checked all routes, but it's possible you can get decent deals from smaller airports, so plug in your preferred departure city into Google Flights and hope for the best. On many of these routes you'll likely find the best price when booking through Priceline.
Airlines: United, American, Qantas, Fiji Airways
Routes: LAX/ORD/IAH/SFO/DEN/SLC/PHX and likely others to MEL/SYD
Cost: $530+ round-trip
Travel Dates: Some availability in May, August 2019 - December 2020
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD) for $530 round-trip on Fiji Airways via Priceline:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD) for $619 round-trip nonstop on United:
Chicago (ORD) to Melbourne (MEL) for $636 round-trip on Qantas/American via Priceline:
Denver (DEN) to Melbourne (MEL) for $636 round-trip on Qantas/American via Priceline:
San Francisco (SFO) to Sydney (SYD) for $662 round-trip nonstop on United via Priceline:
Houston (IAH) to Melbourne (MEL) for $680 round-trip on Qantas/United:
Maximize Your Purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
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