SkyTeam - Skyteam for Oz-NZ travel?

Folks, I need to fly to from RDU to Auckland, then AkL-MEL and then MEL to RDU in Feb. and I am a Delta FF. Delta can get me to Sydney, but Skyteam falls apart from there. The V. Australia web site is terrible so I am not confident in their service. I did this trip 18 months ago and used Air NZ for the southern legs, but had a baggage nightmare on the flight out (Air NZ would not check my bags all the way through, so I had to reclaim them and clear customs and recheck in the bowels of Sidney airport). Any advice for Oz/NZ travel on Skyteam? Bill

There are no SkyTeam options that will get you around inside Australia and New Zealand. DJ is your best bet. If you've got DL status (GM, PM, or DM), you'll get lounge access at least. Probably what I'd do, however, is look at KE to AKL, then DJ (or whoever is cheapest) for AKL-MEL as a one-way. Open-jaw your way back to RDU with KE. Just check the fare class that you're getting from KE to make sure you'll get miles from DL. (Unfortunately, MEL-ICN and ICN-AKL are not daily flights, so this only works if KE's running those flights on the days you need.) If you're only looking for RDM and not MQM, you might see about Virgin Australia selling you the ticket with stopovers. Lots of folks on the DL forum have flown VA from LAX and given positive reports.

I've flown to Auckland three times and did them all on Korean Air through Seoul. It's not the most direct routing from the USA, but I have to admit that the service is incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed all of my flights on KE. In order to get around NZ or OZ isn't possible if you want Skyteam credit. I simply used Qantas, Air NZ and Jetstar and accrued miles in the appropriate program. I must say that I had good flights on each of those airlines. Enjoy the trip to my favorite country in the world!

Other options:

1. Taking the DL codeshare on VA to BNE, and then connecting to China Airlines BNE-AKL (although I'm not sure how many days a week that is and how good the connection time is)

2. Depending on where Aerolineas Argentinas is in the ST joining process, their SYD-AKL flights may be an option for point accrual on DL by the time you fly in February

3. Booking direct to MEL on DL, and then buying a separate MEL-AKL-MEL ticket on Qantas and crediting to your AA account.