Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Airfare to the outback

Hi everyone,

I've got reservations booked for a tour of the outback. It starts in Alice Springs and ends in Broome. The problem is, the trip is not guranteed until 45 days prior to departure. Even with the 45 day gurantee, there is still a small chance (10%) that the tour might get cancelled. Since I'm geting to OZ courtesy of FF miles, the tour company will not help with my airfare to/from the outback. Do any of you have recommendations on how to get the cheapest refundable airfare on an open jaw ticket? Or any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm not traveling on qantas so I don't qualify for the boomerang pass. My award ticket is courtesy of UA. My trip begins on June 7th, and ends on the 13th. Any help or advice would mean alot. Thanks! Cheers!

If you're flying in to SYD, there are 2 airlines from there to ASP and BME:

1. Qantas (http://www.qantas.com.au) (QF)
2. Virgin Blue (http://www.virginblue.com.au) (DJ)

DJ doesn't have refundable fares, but once you can confirm your trip (or otherwise), keep that site in mind. DJ has a separate check in area at SYD for UA pax, BTW.

QF has refundable fares, and the cheapest (one-way) is usually "K" class, which you can book with a TA. "K" class fares compare with the DJ "Fully Flexible" fare.

I would suggest you keep an eye on QF's K, N and O class fares at ITN (http://www.flyaow.com/classamex.htm). The N and O class fares are the "use it or lose" type, but they may still be available once you confirm your ASP-BME trip. Of course, if the K fares start running low, it would be worth your while to book one. If your trip is confirmed, and you can get a cheaper fare, then it's easy to cancel the "K" fare.

www.travel.com.au (http://www.travel.com.au) has an excellent "fare rules" section, which you can use to pick and choose your options.

[This message has been edited by willyroo (edited 03-19-2003).]