Originally Posted by
hqly2001
Ive checked UA site and it looks like they fly sfo to sydney direct but i didnt see any F seats opened at all even for july of nxt year. Maybe business is the best i could get on this route! I put sfo to mel and got sfo to sidney then sydney to mel after a short layover. Does that mean on an award redemption, i can get a free stay in sydney for a few days then off to mel?
It does not mean you can have a free stay in Sydney unfortunately since SYD-MEL on UA would be cabotage (in most cases, a foreign-flagged carrier cannot fly passengers on domestic itineraries).
The exact same situation (but mirrored) exists within the United States. Qantas flight QF107 actually flies from SYD-LAX-JFK. However, it is illegal for them to sell you a ticket between LAX and JFK alone -- you must fly the whole way.
On the other hand, a foreign carrier can often fly between 2 other countries. This is called a 5th freedom flight. A great one is actually Cathay Pacific flight CX888, which flies JFK-YVR-HKG. Because JFK and YVR are (duh) in different countries and they have the rights, you can actually book Cathay Pacific flights (and awards!) between Vancouver and New York.