Originally Posted by
young707
...
compare over $2200 RT SFO > SYD, we found SFO > HKG > SYD RT for much less,...
I find USD 1129 non-stop SFO-SYD-SFO on QF for a random date in Feb 2016, Is your $2200 for 2 people by any chance? Some web sites quote per person, others for total trip (so double if you search for 2 pax). Via HKG on CX is USD 1492 on the same dates. Try searching with
http://www.momondo.com
Fares do vary a lot on certain dates, with flexibility you should get even lower prices than this.