Help for First Time Poster - Flying to Australia/Brisbane
Feb 12, 2015, 9:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 4
Help for First Time Poster - Flying to Australia/Brisbane
Hello everyone!,
I have just recently started traveling for work and trying to do as much reading to be earning points/miles from traveling and I have also been trying to do my best to maximize those points/miles by credit cards that I use.
I have a Delta account that I would like to use to get to Brisbane, Australia. I know that if I book through delta straight-up I can use my miles but what I would really like to do is use my delta points to book with a partner airline that would be not as costly on my mile total.
I have a annoying situation, which is, that I live in Michigan so DTW is my airport. This airport is terrible in the respect that it's super hard to fly internationally out of this airport.
I would really love help with this. I have been doing my best to read sites like thepointsguy and millionmilesecrets but I am coming to the experts on this.
Can anyone help a guy out?
I have just recently started traveling for work and trying to do as much reading to be earning points/miles from traveling and I have also been trying to do my best to maximize those points/miles by credit cards that I use.
I have a Delta account that I would like to use to get to Brisbane, Australia. I know that if I book through delta straight-up I can use my miles but what I would really like to do is use my delta points to book with a partner airline that would be not as costly on my mile total.
I have a annoying situation, which is, that I live in Michigan so DTW is my airport. This airport is terrible in the respect that it's super hard to fly internationally out of this airport.
I would really love help with this. I have been doing my best to read sites like thepointsguy and millionmilesecrets but I am coming to the experts on this.
Can anyone help a guy out?
Feb 12, 2015, 9:44 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: 45° North
Programs: DL DM MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 10,196
Welcome to FT!
If you can get yourself to LA either using miles of money, you can redeem DL miles on Virgin Australia (VA) to BNE (either via SYD or non-stop). VA will be at low and is generally good on availability.
If you post dates or date ranges and whether you are looking for coach or business someone will likely be able to provide more details.
If you can get yourself to LA either using miles of money, you can redeem DL miles on Virgin Australia (VA) to BNE (either via SYD or non-stop). VA will be at low and is generally good on availability.
If you post dates or date ranges and whether you are looking for coach or business someone will likely be able to provide more details.
Feb 12, 2015, 10:21 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 4
I am currently waiting to find out from work if they will pay for my overall flight then I would be taking a week off from work to stay there on my own at a friends house.
I am looking around the 1st week of May 2015, I would love to be able to do business but I really doubt I can afford to do that or have work pay - so coach it is!
I have read that Virgin Australia isn't that bad rewards wise from Delta.
I am looking around the 1st week of May 2015, I would love to be able to do business but I really doubt I can afford to do that or have work pay - so coach it is!
I have read that Virgin Australia isn't that bad rewards wise from Delta.
Feb 12, 2015, 10:31 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
London
Amsterdam
Paris
Frankfurt
Nagoya
Rome (seasonally)
Tokyo Narita
Seoul
Beijing
Shanghai
Sao Paolo
Plus there are non-stops to every other DL hub with international service.
Feb 12, 2015, 11:49 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 4
I guess through all of my international flights I've been researching for work non of them are direct. That's my mistake. I am just used to seeing my need for a change at JFK or LAX or ATL.
Maybe I should try a non stop to an international city near AU then try a different partner to continue through to Brisbane.
Maybe I should try a non stop to an international city near AU then try a different partner to continue through to Brisbane.
Feb 12, 2015, 12:05 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: 45° North
Programs: DL DM MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 10,196
I guess through all of my international flights I've been researching for work non of them are direct. That's my mistake. I am just used to seeing my need for a change at JFK or LAX or ATL.
Maybe I should try a non stop to an international city near AU then try a different partner to continue through to Brisbane.
Maybe I should try a non stop to an international city near AU then try a different partner to continue through to Brisbane.
Saturday May 2 has availability for DTW-LAX-BNE in Low (tier 1) business class for 80,000 miles.
Tuesday May 12 has availability for BNE-LAX in low (tier 1) business class for 80,000 miles. You would then need to buy a ticket to Detroit.
Total is 160,000 round trip.
Feb 12, 2015, 12:10 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Yellow Springs
Programs: AS 75k
Posts: 1,523
There's good availability of DTW-LAX-SYD round-trip coach award flights in May for 100k Skymiles (lowest award level). The LAX-SYD segment would be on VA. [edit: sorry, I meant BNE rather than SYD]
Last edited by flymonthly; Feb 12, 2015 at 2:36 pm Reason: brain freeze
Feb 12, 2015, 12:24 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,949
Your best place to start is by searching just the transpacific segments to see what's available, since those are going to be the greatest constraints on you. Brisbane is a long way away from everything, so you're only ever going to find flights to Australia from the far west coast*. That helps limit the search a bit.
(*Qantas flies from Dallas, but they aren't a Delta partner.)
Your options are pretty much:
LAX-BNE on Virgin Australia
HNL-BNE on Virgin Australia
LAX-SYD on either Virgin Australia or Delta, then SYD-BNE on Virgin Australia
BNE-ICN on Korean Air, then one of many connecting flights from Korea to the US
(Melbourne used to be an option, but I think VA cancelled that route.)
Once you've found the overwater segments, from there, the next step is to piece together the domestic trip...
The flights TTT found are a good starting point. On the return, I'd add that there's Korean Air availability from BNE-ICN on May 12th as well, so you might be able to return to a city closer to DTW via a Korean Air connecting flight. I found at least BNE-ICN-SEA; BNE-LAX-DFW is also an option if you can get a cheap Dallas-Detroit flight to finish piecing the whole thing together.
(*Qantas flies from Dallas, but they aren't a Delta partner.)
Your options are pretty much:
LAX-BNE on Virgin Australia
HNL-BNE on Virgin Australia
LAX-SYD on either Virgin Australia or Delta, then SYD-BNE on Virgin Australia
BNE-ICN on Korean Air, then one of many connecting flights from Korea to the US
(Melbourne used to be an option, but I think VA cancelled that route.)
Once you've found the overwater segments, from there, the next step is to piece together the domestic trip...
The flights TTT found are a good starting point. On the return, I'd add that there's Korean Air availability from BNE-ICN on May 12th as well, so you might be able to return to a city closer to DTW via a Korean Air connecting flight. I found at least BNE-ICN-SEA; BNE-LAX-DFW is also an option if you can get a cheap Dallas-Detroit flight to finish piecing the whole thing together.
Feb 12, 2015, 12:25 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,949
Note that everything I just said assumes business class: economy tickets are actually pretty easy to come by, but the business class tickets get you much more value for your miles if you have at least 160,000 to spend.
Feb 12, 2015, 2:38 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Hilton, United, Gold DL
Posts: 993
The VA flights LAX-BNE VA8 is flown daily. and BNE-LAX is daily as well with VA7.
And it appears VA business is no longer the deal it used to be. Seems the prices have doubled from what they were the previous year.
Feb 12, 2015, 2:45 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: 45° North
Programs: DL DM MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 10,196
The DTW-LAX leg will definitely push the mileage requirement higher. I went through this last year when helping a friend book out of DTW to go to BNE.
The VA flights LAX-BNE VA8 is flown daily. and BNE-LAX is daily as well with VA7.
And it appears VA business is no longer the deal it used to be. Seems the prices have doubled from what they were the previous year.
The VA flights LAX-BNE VA8 is flown daily. and BNE-LAX is daily as well with VA7.
And it appears VA business is no longer the deal it used to be. Seems the prices have doubled from what they were the previous year.
160,000 has been the going rate RT to OZ for a while, IIRC.
Feb 12, 2015, 3:10 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Hilton, United, Gold DL
Posts: 993
Feb 28, 2015, 12:07 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 4
Thanks everyone for the help with this. I am trying to start earning miles and points to as few accounts as possible so I can cash them in for one really nice trip.
I will take a look at my options and figure out what I can swing. maybe a mix of Economy and Business because I know those long hauls are terrible in economy if I can splurge and get business class.
I will take a look at my options and figure out what I can swing. maybe a mix of Economy and Business because I know those long hauls are terrible in economy if I can splurge and get business class.