Originally Posted by
aSiAnRiCk
TN = AKL/SYD-PPT-LAX-DTW or AKL/SYD-PPT-NRT-DTW
TN is out of the SYD market from March -- they claim they'll resume in October, but who knows -- so that's one less option for you.
Your homebound options are as follows:
DL SYD-LAX-DTW
HA SYD-HNL-XXX-DTW
KE SYD/BNE/MEL/AKL-ICN-XXX-DTW
MH SYD/MEL/BNE/ADL/PER/AKL-KUL-TPE-LAX-DTW or SYD/MEL/ BNE/ADL/PER/AKL-KUL-ARN-EWR-DTW
TN AKL-PPT-LAX-DTW
MU SYD/MEL-PVG-LAX/YVR
KE blackout dates are pretty restrictive, especially in the northern hemisphere summer, but business class availability is not bad -- I have actually scored three seats on one flight. They use 772s to Oceania and it's only a 28-seat J cabin. MH frequencies to the US are being cut back (3x/wk to LAX, 2x/wk to EWR). I have found MH award availability from Australia stations to KUL to be pretty good, but it's difficult to get home from KUL. Air Tahiti Nui availability is pretty good -- you can check for I class seats on ExpertFlyer -- but they're in terrible financial shape and not a sure bet for sticking around. Can't tell you a thing about China Eastern except that big blackout periods always make them a non-starter for me.
The other strategy is to mix metal and use KE or MH to get to ICN or NRT and then try for NW/DL metal home from there. Neither NW nor DL serve KUL.
It's a very tough ticket I'm afraid.