Price of LAX-SYD during Christmas 2019
 

Greetings.

I am planning a trip to SYD around the 2019 Christmas holidays (leaving LAX the Thursday before Christmas and returning the Sunday after New Years 2020).

My question is what is a "reasonable" price to expect to pay for flights LAX-SYD-LAX in economy around this time. I have been checking the major OTAs and tickets have been in the $1,750 a/i range lately. Air New Zealand just had tickets available for about $1,531 a/i. If the price of tickets around the holidays is usually drops and has generally lower than what is available now, I will take my chances and wait. If not, I will book now.

I am ok with a onestop trip (for example LAX-Fiji-SYD-Fiji-SYD via Air Pacific).

Thanks for the help.

Onedog

Those dates are close to the peak of the peak.
25 Dec 2019 is a Wednesday
01 Jan 2020 is a Wednesday
1000's of people fly "home" for Christmas - New Year. The main time when families in Aust/NZ gather together. Many many people will fly in/out on the closest weekends.
Note the date change going USA<--->Aust. USA-->Aust +2 date change. Aust-->USA land the same date as you leave.

Have you looked directly on the airline web sites?
Always a chance BNE or MEL are cheaper Then a separate paid local flight
Air NZ have been aggressive in the Australia (NZ) USA market. They will have another sale. [Air NZ sales are frequent]

Airlines that fly USA/Canada to/from Australia

• American Airlines AA (LAX - SYD) [OneWorld Alliance] (AS partner)
• Air Canada AC (YVR – SYD BNE MEL) [Star Alliance]
• Air New Zealand NZ (LAX SFO ORD IAH YVR via AKL) [Star Alliance]
• Air Tahiti Nui TN (LAX – via Tahiti & AKL. Last segments on QF codeshares) (AA & DL partner)
• Delta DL (LAX – SYD) (VA & AS partner) [Skyteam Alliance]
• Fiji Airways FJ (LAX SFO HNL – BNE SYD MEL ADL via Fiji) (QF, AA & AS partner)
• Hawaiian HA (HNL – BNE SYD) (AA & VA partner)
• Jetstar JQ (HNL – BNE SYD MEL)
• Qantas QF (LAX SFO JFK(via LAX) DFW HNL YVR* – SYD; LAX-BNE; LAX SFO - MEL) [OneWorld Alliance] (AS partner) {* seasonal}
• United UA (LAX - MEL, LAX SFO IAH – SYD) (SFO - MEL from 20 Oct 2019)[Star Alliance].Reduced service IAH-SYD & LAX-SYD March 29 through October 25
• Virgin Australia VA (LAX – BNE SYD MEL) (codeshares with AC*) (DL & AC* partner) [*= some routes in 2017-18 link
• and others via Asia & Middle East

US$1750 is pretty normal for this time of year. There will be no 'big' sales between Dec 15-Jan 15.

I think US$1500 is about as low as this route will get. Although I might pay the premium to get the direct flight. The DL/VA 777 and QF A380 seats are far, far better than what ANZ offers. And you now have to pay a fee to transit AKL, NZ$9 for the ETA and NZ$35 for the IVL. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocea...w-zealand.html

Agree with this. If it goes any lower, it wouldn't be by much.

Y fares are more likely to go up closer to the date, however FJ has a history of having cheap J fares but you would have to buy as 2 separate tickets LAX-NAN-LAX and NAN-SYD-NAN to get a J fare that may be about USD 2.5k ... an option but not sure worthwhile. The A380 flights are by far the most comfotable in Y as you can walk around and there is a snack bar of sorts.