Originally Posted by susiesan
Now I'm wondering why any of you Aussies even fly Qantas when they are so much more for these fairly short flights?
Not always. You'll find that DJ & QF actually match fares on plenty of routes. The variables are, of course, the route itself, the dates, demand, etc.
Therefore, as a OneWorld member (Qantas or AA), it's a no-brainer to just stick with Qantas where you have status, mileage-earning, good service, etc etc. Not so stupid now, is it?
Originally Posted by susiesan
...the price is less on Qantas.com if I am willing to forego the miles (which I probably am)...
If you are willing to forego the miles, then book away on Virgin Blue, or Qantas' red e-deals. But, do consider that you are probably travelling some serious distances in Australia - CNS-MEL is 2880 miles round-trip (which would be 5760 miles if you are AA PLAT). SYD-PER is like flying coast to coast across the US, so the extra fare you pay on Qantas may actually be well worth it given the miles you earn. I'm sure that lots of mileage hoarders would agree.