If your fare earns Aadvantage then use that, otherwise open QFF account. Some consolidator/very deep discount fares don't earn on Aadvantage, but most earn at least 50%. For hotels, http://wotif.com is a good start, usually you can match or even do better by contacting the hotel directly. Sometimes Expedia has very cheap flight+hotel combo prices, even for hotel for part of the trip, might be helpful in Perth (which has some of the highest hotel prices in the world ). I recently stayed at the Crown Metropole in Perth, double the price of the same hotel in Melbourne (where there is also a Crown Metropole with same ownership and nicer).