Premium awards USA to Australia are hard to get. Better to look from/to SFO/LAX/DFW to/from BNE/SYD/BNE (SYD is not the only international airport in Australia)

AA threads but many common partners
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...er-thread.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html

Airlines that fly USA/Canada to/from Australia (not from all airports to all airports)
- United UA (LAX SFO – SYD MEL) [Star Alliance]
- American Airlines AA (LAX - SYD) [OneWorld Alliance] (AS partner)
- Qantas QF (LAX SFO JFK DFW HNL – SYD BNE MEL) [OneWorld Alliance] (AS partner)
- Jetstar JQ (HNL – SYD BNE)
- Delta DL (LAX – SYD) (VA & AS partner) [Skyteam Alliance]
- Virgin Australia VA (LAX – SYD BNE) (DL partner)
- Hawaiian (HNL – SYD BNE via Hawaii) (AA & VA partner)
- Air New Zealand NZ (LAX SFO via AKL) [Star Alliance]
- Fiji Airways FJ (LAX via Fiji) (QF, AA & AS partner)
- Air Tahiti Nui (LAX last segments on codeshares) (AA & DL partner)
- Air Canada AC (YYR - SYD, BNE from Jun 2016) [Star Alliance]
And others via Asia & Middle East

For Aust - NZ better to pay cash. Range of Au$250-$350 economy one way, with checked bags (3:25hrs). Can be lower (Au$200) or higher (the sky is the limit). It is usually cheaper the book NZ-Aust separately than as the return leg of Au-NZ-Au. Be careful about seat only fares (no checked baggage).

Airlines that fly Australia (CNS* MCY* BNE OOL SYD CBR MEL ADL PER) to/from New Zealand (AKL WLG CHC DUD ZQN) (not from all airports to all airports)
- Air New Zealand NZ (codeshares with VA) [Star Alliance] {* winter seasonal}
- Virgin Australia VA (codeshares with Air NZ) (Delta partner)
- Jetstar JQ (owned by QF)
- Qantas QF (codeshares with EK) [OneWorld Alliance]
- Emirates EK (codeshares with QF)
- LAN LA (SYD AKL) [OneWorld Alliance]
- China Airlines CI (BNE SYD MEL* – AKL CHC*) [Skyteam Alliance] {* summer seasonal}
- Singapore SQ (CBR WLG) [Star Alliance] from Sept 2016
- Air Asia D7 (OOL - AKL) from March 2016
- Philippines PR (CNS - AKL)