Outtahere

Good morning all.
I feel hungover from all the web searching I have done recently in my attempt to find the best way to get myself and my family to Australia. By best way of course I want that to mean cheapest, but I also mean - the most efficent. Maybe that is through miles earned or because we can stop at New Zealand and some other great SP islands.
There is so much good info on the web that it has almost become a curse. I spend hours following leads and ideas and scams but have to say I am no closer to Australia than when I plugged in. There are some great deals right now, but they all have max stays of 30 days and we are planning on being gone for at least 6 months. How naughty is it to book a flight you know you are not going to return on? Any consequences? I read that bit under another topic on this forum about not finishing a leg of a route and it didn't sound too penalizing. Do you get your miles when you pull something like that?
Does anyone know the cheapest route into Australia - like what country other than the US? We fly out of SFO usually but we are open to going just about any way in. Because we are buying 4 tickets I would really love to find the magic words to type into this computer so that it churns out the miracle tickets. Also trying to figure out if I took the kids (3 tickets) and then a month later my husband came out, would those earned miles be enough to purchase my husband's ticket for free or would we have to use the entire ticket (out and back)before any of the miles are counted?
Anyone have a great idea or lead on a Circle the Pacific ticket right now?
Thanks for listening to my whine - Despondent in CA.

swag

This part I can answer.

Miles from your outbound flights should post a few days after you fly, and be available to use even though you have not yet flown the return. You probably cannot combine the miles from your account and your kids individual accounts, but if the miles in any one of these accounts is enough for the ticket, then you can fly your husband down. Assuming award seats are still available as the date gets close.

JohnG

Welcome to FT

FT is a great place for all types of info regarding flying, however there isnt really anywhere on the www that just prints miracle tickets . In other words you will just have to keep searching, have you tried some of the chinese travel agencies in SFO (as you state you fly from there). They often have good fares to Asia Pacific, maybe Australia as well.....

I think you can forget about the miles getting your husband there, unless you are flying under a very generous , full fare bonus promotion and are elite.

Otherwise,you would be looking at the miles from three tickets, one way, or one and a half return trips. I doubt an airline will give you enough miles for a free transpacific ticket by flying less than two return trips....not to mention that combining the miles from 3 accounts is often not possible, and even if it is, its quite expensive due to fees imposed by the airline.

chexfan

Don't Give Up, Don't EVER Give Up!
-Jim Valvano

UALOneKPlus

http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/christia/frog.gif