So you want to go to the land down under? Well first brace yourself for the—no not the cost—the flight duration. Even from LAX to Brisbane it will be around 14 hours. When you add your origin flight-in my case Seattle–that’s adding an additional 3 to 4 hours to your total trip time. So realistically you’re looking at 17+ hours.

This means that just like a trip to Asia–like Bali or Taiwan–you should plan to spend a minimum of two weeks at your destination to make up for 34 hours of travel. This does not include any transit time. Better yet, let’s round that number to 48 hours.

Why? Well let’s do some back of the napkin math. If you plan a 7-day trip, you now have to shave off 2 days for transit including any additional time for packing and getting to and from the airport. And let’s not forget any “pre-travel stress” from “having to” or “wanting to”
pack and getting into the mindset of starting your job back on Monday. 

But we’re forgetting one thing: the time zone. Be prepared to have the time zone shifted by 18 hours (not factoring in daylight savings time). 

So, not only do you have to get adjusted for time zone differences (you will also have jet lag), but the other thing the time zone does is shorten your trip. 

For instance, let’s say you planned for a 5-day trip to Australia. Well, now your trip is automatically reduced by 24 hours–essentially you’re now losing out on an extra day. The reason for the loss is because Australia, time-zone wise, is a day ahead. Your five-day Australia trip? Well, it’s now a four day Australia trip. Talk about unnecessary stress. 

My advice? Since I’ve made this mistake myself, I advise you to give yourself grace and give yourself the extra comfort of a more extended stay in Australia. You’re already traveling to the bottom of the earth–why not enjoy it? 

Ok, so now that we’ve settled the time zone differences and flight duration, let’s book our trip to Australia. The question is: What airline do we book to fly to Australia?

What’s the Best Airline to Australia from the USA?

There are several airlines that fly to Australia. And this includes many international airlines. But, ask yourself, which airline do you prefer? Better yet, which one fits your points flywheel? 

Note: If you don’t have a points flywheel—where you have points feeding into each other—then you should definitely consider that before booking a long distance trip. This allows you the chance to rapidly stack up points and earn mileage and status for your next trip whether it’s domestic or international. 

To travel to Australia, you will most likely be flying out of LAX. But here’s a system that might work.

Short note: If money isn’t the issue, simply book with whatever airline you want and call it a day.

Now, if you are someone that wants to make the most of your dollar. Here’s how I would go about planning this trip. 

First, I would see how to get to LAX, depending on how far I am from LAX.

• If you’re close to LAX: Just burn through Delta SkyMiles to go to LAX. Then select Delta going to Australia–Brisbane.

• If you’re further away from LAX

• • Use reward points from Southwest or JetBlue to get to LAX
  • Then select from either Delta, United or New Zealand airlines to go to Australia.

Alternative Airline Alliances

You can also consider other airlines—if you have other credit card partnerships.

JetBlue / United

JetBlue has continued to punch above its weight. A constant theme you will hear from me is the benefit of having a backup rewards partner and flywheel. For me, that’s JetBlue.

I consider JetBlue a no-frills airline that offers additional routes, if I need them. And it continues to deliver value. That happens either through new partnerships or even perks like if you book with rewards, you get a percentage back. 

But like any no-frills airline, there are few things you have to watch out for. You might have just to plan ahead in some cases so you don’t end up stranded due to limited flight availability or service related issues (like baggage claim delays at BOS). This is a little different than Delta or other SkyTeam partners–especially the European ones–which operate on strict schedules.

Can you use JetBlue points to fly internationally?

As I mentioned previously, JetBlue’s continued partnerships have allowed it to have an increased global presence, thereby creating more routes. 

That means more reward miles to earn JetBlue award travel. And that’s not something to toss aside, JetBlue’s rewards program that offers better redemption compared to the bigger airlines. 

For example: A JetBlue flight from Boston (BOS) to Chicago (ORD) can be redeemed for as low as 4,200 points round trip on a non-stop flight. You can’t find a redemption that low on Delta. For the same time period on Delta, it’s a 22,000-mile minimum. However, if you change the dates, it can go as low as 13,000 miles—but that’s a different month.

You can even get your 10% of your award “points back” when using awards through your JetBlue Plus credit card. And this is a smaller airline with some serious partnerships. Some of these partnerships include Qatar, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, and Etihad. JetBlue’s global reach is now further expanded by the new joint JetBlue/United Airlines partnership–which will enable even more routes. 

Alaska Airlines

Another strong alternative to consider–whether you’re close or near LAX or SFO would be Alaska / Qantas. 

The main reason for selecting Alaska Airlines,in my opinion, is if you have the Wells Fargo Bilt Rewards Credit Card. This reward credit card lets you earn transferable reward points from paying for your apartment rent. These points transfer to Alaska and have a different type of flywheel. This could be a good option considering that Alaska Airlines is now expanding their route offerings from the West Coast and in particular from Seattle’s SeaTac airport starting in 2026. 

Gear Used

Beyond SkyTeam (Delta), consider: 

OneWorld Alliance: 

OneWorldAlliance includes American Airlines AAAdvantage. American Airlines is another major U.S. airline, however, its soft product has continued to fall short of Delta’s. But their AAdvantage miles can be redeemed on Australia’s Qantas Airline when booking on AA.com. 

In addition, American might have better flight availability compared to Delta during peak season. Right now, Delta’s Australian routes are seasonal. Some have said that Qantas lounges are superior to Delta’s Sky Clubs. However, I have yet to experience them myself.  

Star Alliance: 

You can also consider United Airlines with their United MileagePlus reward system that ties to either Air New Zealand (mentioned previously), Singapore Airlines, or Eva Air.

This requires booking on United’s website. While Air New Zealand does run some good deals (as cheap as $1,300 USD to Brisbane), their prices can run higher ($3,800 USD+), similar pricing to Qantas—compared to U.S. airlines when booking flights to Oceania. 

Note: United Airlines’ portal is frustratingly awful. Instead of offering award flight alternatives, the website often stalls and simply displays “no flights match the filters you’ve selected.” However, despite this nuisance, you can sometimes find award flights cheaper than Delta SkyMiles—particularly with EVA Air. If you go with EVA Air, I recommend trying to snag a longer layover and experience a night market in Taipei. 

Despite what Heather du Plessis-Allan—a super entertaining radio host on Newstalk ZB—said to Greg Foran, former CEO of Air New Zealand, during an interview: “You do have a monopoly on some routes, so you can’t [increase the price],” after he admitted, “People in New Zealand already find our pricing high,” I heard this live on the radio, while in Auckland and couldn’t help but laugh at her quips with Air New Zealand. Nevertheless, airlines like Air New Zealand could offer better business class availability.

And when you factor in Singapore Airlines, a well-regarded airline, it has excellent Pacific routes and allows you to experience their world-renowned Changi airport, which is currently undergoing renovations to make it even better. 

Why Choose An American-based Airline?

So out of all these airline offerings—why choose an American based airline? It’s pretty simple. It’s just not worth the hassle. 

U.S. travelers and consumers have the benefit of having very strong travel credit cards. As a result, there will be strong loyalty among cardholders to try to eke out as much value as possible from their travel rewards credit cards. 

If you are not fully leveraging your travel credit cards, then you should definitely get on that. Figure out what airline partnerships are available as a card holder. Given this situation, why would you want to go with an international airline that’s not part of your reward flywheel? 

For instance, if you currently book an Airbnb in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, what do you expect to happen after you complete your stay? I’m not talking about damages or anything weird. What do you expect to happen to your financial situation post-checkout?

Have you thought about what if that money you spent on Airbnb gets put to work? Think of it like the stock market–you invest in a stock and get dividends back. A small sum, but at least it’s something.

What if I told you that by simply booking Airbnb, you’re leaving money on the table? Or, what if you just remembered that Airbnb and Delta formed a partnership. And therefore,  that money spent on your Airbnb is now appearing in the form of Delta SkyMiles. Think of it like an investment in your future travel. Now, you’ve just automatically pushed yourself to a potentially pure SkyMiles flight, at least domestically, since it does depend on the valuation of the SkyMiles–which unfortunately is not as strong as the dollar. 

Why Delta?

So the question is why Delta. It’s easy.

There’s no hassle with juggling multiple reward partners. And, Delta’s newly launched LAX-Brisbane route, enhances options for U.S. travelers heading to Australia.

To see if Delta’s right for you, find out for yourself. Just answer the following question. If you answer Yes for more than three bullet points, then you should be flying Delta.

• Do you book with Airbnb?
• Do you book with Marriott hotels?
• Do you book Uber rides?
• Do you drink Starbucks?
• Do you use Hertz as a rental car service?

If you answered ”yes,” to three or more bullet points in the previous exercise, then you should use Delta Air Lines to book your trip to Australia.  

A pure awards trip on Delta can range from 70-90K SkyMiles in Economy. And I’m not talking about pure points hacking. No one has time for that. 

If you have a busy job with corporate events and side projects, you just want to know where your money–in this case rewards–will get you. You’re the type of traveler that books when they can. However, do note, that if you do award hacking you could find a way to get that point amount down for less and probably in Business class.

In this post–and site–I’m just focused on trying to make your money work for you, in a normal way, and as scientists would say with results that are reproducible. 

Note: If you want some help with maximizing flight deals, then I suggest setting up alerts in Google Flights. Google will ping you via email when there’s availability or price fluctuation. However, if you want to know in a more general sense when there are flight deals across multiple destinations and when they first arrive, then I would sign up for Going.com, which does some of the guesswork for you. However, it might not always be on your preferred airline. 

Is Delta Sky Club Access worth It for Long-haul Flights?

When booking long distance flights to Oceania or Indonesia you will have to go through a large hub like Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or smaller ones like San Francisco (SFO). 

Since the airline will try to get you there—to LAX–and then to your destination,  your layover time can vary. And that means you can either be extremely irritable before you even start your flight across the Pacific. Or, if you’re prone to back pain either from age or because you decided to go heavy on that deadlift set at F45, then you will have to keep adjusting yourself in those stiff chairs in the main waiting gate area.

What if you could just avoid that experience altogether? What if you could get as much free food and beer as you want, get some rest, and even shower before your next flight–ALL FOR FREE.

Benefits of Delta’s SkyClub

Enter Delta Sky Clubs. Sky Clubs have the ability to give you that experience of having arrived without having arrived. In a way, it’s like a mini-spa for your body and mental psyche before you get on that long flight.

With Delta Air Lines and a premium travel card like American Express Platinum you can take advantage of this preferred partnership. You enter the Sky Club free and get all this experience as a solo traveler. If you’re traveling with your partner, then you will have to pay an entrance fee. But, if you have Delta Air Lines selected as your airline for your American Express Platinum you can get that fee reimbursed as part of your $200 annual travel credit. That means you both essentially get into the lounge for free. 

Note: If you’re on a Delta affiliate overseas—that means an airline that’s part of SkyTeam—like Korean Air or Air France, the second person can enter into the lounge for FREE. 

So again, why would you select another airline? Well, it comes down to cost. If you find the price differential is greater than $300–meaning it costs more on Delta–then I would possibly book with a cheaper airline.

However, you must consider that if you have status with Delta–and your rewards flywheel is working and fully optimized–then there are other potential benefits you might fail to capture. 

For instance, if you are a Delta Platinum Medallion, then you have a high probability of getting upgraded to Comfort+ for you—and sometimes your partner. And, even if you are flying Air France, you have the odd chance that at least one of you will be upgraded to Business Class. 

The potential price valuation between the potential upgrades, the free food, showers, and beer at Sky Club–and with your Delta flywheel working makes this a hard financial decision to ignore. In fact, it’s probably why airlines like Delta focus on improving this flywheel so much. And, this means, for most consumers, it’s hard to find a comparable partner program that can give that yield—unless money is not a concern. 

Best Ways To Fly to Australia With Points and Miles

Tips, Tricks, and Logistics

• Expect 17–18 Hours & a Day Lost to Time Zones: U.S.→Australia trips (e.g., SEA→LAX→BNE) take ~17 hours total and an 18 hour “clock jump,” so a 5‑day trip effectively becomes 4 days. Plan at least two weeks in‑country or use jet‑lag hacks (sleep on the plane, use light‑therapy apps).
• Pick a Strong “Points Flywheel”: Use a co‑branded Delta (Airbnb, Uber, Starbucks, Hertz) or JetBlue/United (BOS/ORD redemptions, 10% points back) credit‑card ecosystem to stack miles quickly before booking your Australia award.
• Compare Alliances & Sweet‑Spot Routes: Delta (SkyTeam) vs. JetBlue/United vs. Alaska/Qantas vs. AA/Qantas vs. United/EVA Air—know each alliance’s award charts, routing quirks (e.g., back‑door via Asia), and use award‑alert tools (Google Flights, Going.com) to grab seats before they vanish.
• Crunch the “Delta $300 Value” Math: Value lounge access, free food, and upgrade odds. If Delta’s perks (< $300 value) exceed the incremental fare, book Delta; otherwise grab the cheaper carrier and skip the lounge.
• Nail Down Arrival Essentials: Get your ETA visa at least 72 hours before departure, rent a car in Brisbane (Hertz/National), and download key apps (Delta or JetBlue, Flighty, Australian ETA) so you’re mobile, connected, and ready to explore from touchdown.

Trip Soundtrack

Because every adventure needs a soundtrack, each of my trips comes with a theme song. And for this trip's anthem? Well, it's...

Men At Work - Down Under

Delta vs. Cheaper Airline: Is It Worth the Extra $300?

Here, let me help you out. Use this to compare against the Delta value. And if it’s greater than this–then it might be worth it to book another airline. 

Check It Against Delta 

Let’s assume we have a Check It Against Delta formula. Then, ask yourself, “Does Delta give me at least $300 in extra value?”

Example Scenario
Let’s say you’re looking at two tickets to Australia:

Airline	Price	Perks
Qantas / Jetstar	Cheapest (Assume: $1000 USD)	None (you are booking on Jetstar.com)
Delta	$300 USD more (Assume $1300 USD)	Sky Club access, free bags, upgrade chance (Gold/Platinum), extra miles

The question we’re asking: Is Delta’s “extra stuff” worth that extra $300 USD?

5-Second Rule

• If Delta is less than $300 more than the cheaper airline, it’s probably worth it.
• If it’s more than $300 extra, it’s a toss-up unless:
  • You really value lounge time
  • You pack extra bags
  • You want to build Delta miles/status

OK, you’re wondering, how do I get that value? Let’s do some math below. 

Again, these are just rough estimates that are not factually correct or endorsed by Delta. These are just to get you thinking of a ticket not just as a “ticket,” but as an experience. And that’s important on a long-haul flight. You want to make sure you’re getting the most value out of your ticket from your selected airline.

Let’s Put a Dollar Tag on Each Delta “Freebie”

Use this quick value guide below to help you do some quick mental math for a rough estimate.

Perk	Rough Dollar Estimates
Lounge Access: Sky Club (food, drinks, shower)	$60 (What you’d otherwise spend at LAX: ~$30 meal at Fat Sal’s + $30 shower)
Free checked bags	$70 (round trip; $35 each way × 2 ways)
Upgrade chance (Gold/Plat)	$75 (50 % odds × $150 cash-upgrade price)
Extra miles earned on the fare	$90 (If the fare is $1000 × 9 mi/$ × 1 ¢)

Typical total value: $60 + $70 + $75 + $90 = $295

This is, of course, not counting the amount of miles you would have lost overall, if you are planning to use Uber, Hertz, and Airbnb. Don’t forget Starbucks.

How to Use The Formula

(Lounge $ + Bags $ + Upgrade $ + Miles $) – Delta Price Difference = Your Score

1. Swap in your numbers (maybe you travel heavy and pack two bags ⇒ Bags $ = $140, or you rate lounge time at $80),
2. If your score is positive → Go Delta
3. If your score is zero or negative → Book the cheaper flight

Quick Example with the Numbers Above

• Delta gives me $60 (lounge) + $70 (bags) + $75 (upgrade) + $90 (miles) = $295
• Delta costs $300 more → 295 – 300 = –$5 → Book the cheaper one

In this case Qantas/Jetstar wins. That is, unless you value a calmer lounge or those miles a bit higher.

Visual Comparison: Qantas vs. Delta 

If we look at the flights below, one is with Qantas and its partners Alaska and American ($2,383 USD for Seattle to Brisbane), and the other is Delta ($1,415 USD for Seattle to Brisbane). 

If you pay attention, the Qantas flight is a “Sale” and the Delta flight is not actually a pure Delta flight. In fact, the return flight is a mix of Jetstar and Delta.

Of course, you can play around with values to figure out which works. But in many cases, aside from October season, Delta is the clear winner.

The only caveat to this is that Qantas has a lot more flights and that could be a better option to avoid being stranded compared to airlines that fly seasonal routes.

Once You Get to Australia 

When you arrive in Australia—consider yourself lucky! You’re finally on Australian soil! Enjoy your time there and make sure to rent a car—especially if you’re going to Brisbane. 

Don’t Forget Your Visa

Before booking any flights, ensure you have your Australian visa sorted out. However, I should note that as a late-to-no planner, I requested my visa (ETA subclass 601)—a 3-month visa —3-hours before I was scheduled to depart at 3:00AM. Luckily, I received my approval within minutes. 

• US citizens need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority); costs about $20. See the step-by-step guide here. It’s not as intuitive as you’d want. 
• Apply online at least 72 hours before travel. You will receive an email from @ivisa.com.au email address with a PDF where it will say “Granted” 
• Valid for 12 months, multiple entries up to 3 months each

Pro tip: Apply before booking flights in case of any issues

Best Times to Visit Australia

Australia’s seasons are opposite to those in the U.S. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun (summer), the Southern Hemisphere tilts away (winter), and vice versa. As a result, I would consider the following information when planning your trip to Australia:

• Peak season (Dec-Feb): Summer, most expensive, book 4-6 months ahead. I booked in October for a December flight. Received decent prices and it was peak summer.
• Shoulder season (Mar-May, Sep-Nov): Best weather and prices
• Low season (Jun-Aug): Winter, cheaper flights, perfect for Queensland

What’s the best time to book award travel to Australia?

For award redemptions, avoid Australian school holidays (December-January, April, July, September). Best award availability is typically in May and August.

Australia is a huge country. It’s a lot easier to move between cities and coasts with a car. 

Note: In terms of transportation modes, I’m sure there are those who have biked across Australia. However, if you want to avoid cars and prefer trains–well, there’s an option for you. There is a train that goes across Australia on the railway, if you really want to see the whole country: the Indian Pacific or the Ghan. Otherwise, keep it simple and book a rental car with a reputable car rental agency. I prefer American rental car agencies like Hertz and National. I tend to prefer Hertz since it ties back into Delta, which means more rewards and building for my future trip. 

App Strategy for Long-Haul Success

Download before departure:

• Your airline’s app: This allows the ability to get real-time updates from the airline directly. 
• Flighty (iPhone only) : Track when your flight changes gate or has delays. You can even see when your inbound aircraft comes in, which lets you eek a few hours before getting to the airport.  
• Australian ETA (iPhone | Android): This app allows you to easily go through the ETA process and get your visa and into Australia. This includes taking a photo of yourself and your passport for your visa application process.. 

Day-of-travel hacks:

• Check upgrade prices 24 hours before (often discounted): In my case, Delta might drop the price for Comfort+.
• Monitor standby lists in-app: With Delta status, you can see who’s ahead of you and estimate if you’re likely for an upgrade or if it’s just worth it to pull the trigger and buy an upgrade with miles or cas. 
• Use your airline’s app to check for better seat selection: I constantly check Delta’s app to see if my preferred seat is available (by the window) or if they’ve moved my seat due to an aircraft change. You can keep changing your seat all the way up until boarding time. 

Conclusion 

Booking a flight to Australia is an easy decision. Just click the “book now” button on your airline’s website. 

However, if you want to fully maximize your reward flywheel, there are a few different strategies to consider. At least start by asking yourself some pertinent questions: 

• Do you want to go with the Delta Air Lines rewards flywheel? 
• Or, would you rather try a different approach and go with the JetBlue and the United Airlines partnership to get you to Australia? 

Either way, you want to make sure that your dollars and hard-earned money are working as much as possible to get you the best flights to Australia with points or dollars.

You’re never going to get 100% of your money back—even when you redeem these points. But, since you’re a thrifty and smart traveler, you’re still capturing something. And, that’s a good feeling. We all like to save. It makes us feel good. And we like to feel good. So why not feel good and make sure you maximize that ticket for your long-distance flight to Australia?

Cheers, mate!