Matt -

If you want Star Alliance, IMO the best coach seat on the planet is Singapore airlines. You have PTV with pause feature. I ran out of flight before I ran out of stuff to watch. You can get to SIN cheap in UA, then take Singapore to Australia. If you buy your tickets off the Singapore website and originate from SIN, the fares will be less. Once inside Australia, use either Qantas CityFlyer or Virgin Blue, but book early.

Rb911