Originally Posted by Moomba

Wonderful report on an interesting mix of carriers.

Thanks for posting. ^

Originally Posted by dat4life

Great report, FindAWay. I have no idea how I missed it before, but I'm glad I did because it provided a few hours of quality entertainment while I'm nursing this flu.

Originally Posted by Dianne47

A really informative report with so many good photos. I'm flying VA and KE on a similar itinerary later this week, so the details on those flights are very helpful. Really enjoyed your effort in posting.

Originally Posted by FindAWay

Introduction, Trip Overview and Summary

This is my first trip report on FT, so, I hope you enjoy reading about my recent trip to Australia and Fiji! And, since this includes a trip to Fiji, bula!

Map Below: Entire Trip Route


Route: MDW-LAX-SYD-AYQ-CNS-BNE-NAN-ICN-LAX-MDW
Miles Actually Flown: 29,382 miles
Dates Traveled: Thursday, August 29, 2013 to Monday, September 9, 2013
Destinations Visited: Sydney, Ayers Rock, Cairns, and Nadi
Travelers: 2 (Mrs. FindAWay and me)

Miles, Points, & Credits Used and USD$ Paid:

• 150,000 DL Miles (per person) USED
• 27,000 AA Miles (per person) USED
• 5,770 AMEX MR Points (per person) USED
• $387.80 Cumulative Taxes & Fees Imposed by Airlines (per person) PAID
• $134.90 Total Paid WN Fare for 2 Flights (per person) PAID
• 140,000 Hilton Points (total - 5 nights) USED
• 100,000 Club Carlson Points (total - 3 nights) USED
• $115.05 Hotels.com Welcome Rewards Credit (applied to - 1 night) USED
• $220.69 Total Taxes, Fees, Hotels.com Co-Pay & Cash Portion (for 2 HH C+P Nights) (total) PAID

Our Final Itinerary in chronological order (decision process is outlined below) looked as follows:

DEPART CHICAGO & ARRIVE SYDNEY: Thurs., Aug. 29, 2013 - Sat., Aug. 31, 2013
2:10pm-4:25pm - MDW-LAX -- Southwest #4293 Econ. [4h 15m] (pd. $65.70/pp)
-- 5h 45m Layover in LAX --
10:10pm-6:15am(+2) - LAX-SYD -- Virgin Australia #2 Bus. [15h 05m] (part of 150k DL SkyMiles & $191.50/pp)

SYDNEY (3 DAYS): Sat., Aug. 31, 2013 (arrive 6:15am) until Tues., Sept. 3, 2013 (depart 10:00am)
Hotel: Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney [3 nights] (33,333 Goldpoints & $0.00 per nt.)

DEPART SYDNEY & ARRIVE ULURU (AKA AYERS ROCK): Tues., Sept. 3, 2013
10:00am-1:15pm - SYD-AYQ -- Virgin Australia #1627 Bus. [3h 45m] (part of 150k DL SkyMiles & $191.50/pp)

ULURU (1 DAY): Tues., Sept. 3, 2013 (arrive 1:15pm) until Wed., Sept. 4, 2013 (depart 3:30pm)
Hotel: Outback Pioneer (Ibis Styles), Yulara [1 night] (paid $124.29 after $239.34 per nt. less $115.05 WR credit)

DEPART ULURU & ARRIVE CAIRNS: Wed., Sept. 4, 2013
3:30pm-6:30pm - AYQ-CNS -- Qantaslink #1854 Econ. [2h 30m] (7.5k BA Avios [5,770 Amex MR] & $58.50/pp)

CAIRNS (1.5 DAYS): Wed., Sept. 4, 2013 (arrive 6:30pm) until Fri., Sept. 6, 2013 (depart 5:30am)
Hotel: Hilton Cairns [2 nights] (17,500 HHonors points & $57.87 per nt.)

DEPART CAIRNS & ARRIVE NADI, FIJI (via BRISBANE): Fri., Sept. 6, 2013
5:30am-7:35am - CNS-BNE -- Qantas #799 Bus. [2h 05m]
-- 3h 55m Layover in BNE --
11:30am-5:00pm - BNE-NAN -- Fiji Airways (aka Air Pacific) #920 Bus. [3h 30m] (27k AA Miles & $129.80/pp)

FIJI (2.5 DAYS): Fri., Sept. 6, 2013 (arrive 5:00pm) until Mon., Sept. 9, 2013 (depart 9:55am)
Hotel: Fiji Beach Resort & Spa Managed by Hilton [3 nights] (35,000 HHonors points & $0.00 per nt.)

DEPART NADI, FIJI & ARRIVE CHICAGO (via SEOUL and LAX): Mon., Sept. 9, 2013
9:55am-5:35pm - NAN-ICN -- Korean Air #138 Bus. [10h 40m]
-- 3h 45m Layover in ICN --
9:20pm-5:00pm - ICN-LAX -- Korean Air #61 Bus. [11h 40m] (part of 150k DL SkyMiles & $191.50/pp)
-- 1h 05m Layover in LAX -- (Note: I know this is too tight…I had alternatives if I missed the connection)
6:05pm-11:55pm - LAX-MDW -- Southwest #302 Econ. [3h 50m] (pd. $69.20/pp.)


Background: In December 2012, I had a large balance of Delta SkyMiles burning a hole in my pocket, a desire to visit Australia with Mrs. FindAWay, and a fear of an impending devaluation of SkyMiles. I set out to cobble together a business class itinerary to Australia with a stopover in either Fiji or Tahiti with a SkyMiles redemption as the foundation of the trip and, hopefully, during the week of the United States’ Labor Day holiday. After much research and debate, what I settled on was the following redemption:

150,000 Delta SkyMiles and $191.50 per person (for 2 people):
Thursday, August 29, 2013: 10:10pm-6:15am(+2) - LAX-SYD -- Virgin Australia #2 Bus. Class [15h 05m]
---3 Day Stopover in Sydney---
Tuesday, September 3, 2013: 10:00am-1:15pm - SYD-AYQ -- Virgin Australia #1627 Bus. Class [3h 45m]
---Destination: Ayers Rock---
---Open Jaw Return from: Nadi, Fiji---
Monday, September 9, 2013: 9:55am-5:35pm - NAN-ICN -- Korean Air #138 Bus. Class [10h 40m]
---3h 45m Layover in ICN---
9:20pm-5:00pm - ICN-LAX -- Korean Air #61 Bus. Class [11h 40m]

Before booking this redemption, I also made sure that the additional flights within Australia and the flights to Fiji were available. For those, I chose the following redemptions:

7,500 British Airways Avios (transferred from American Express Membership Rewards during a 30% transfer bonus promotion ~ 5,770 MR) and $58.50 per person (for 2 people):
Wednesday, September 4, 2013: 3:30pm-6:30pm - AYQ-CNS -- Qantaslink #1854 Econ. Class (single class aircraft) [2h 30m]

30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage Miles (less 3,000 as 10% rebate as a credit card holder) and $129.80 per person (for 2 people):
Friday, September 6, 2013: 5:30am-7:35am - CNS-BNE -- Qantas #799 Bus. Class [2h 05m]
---3h 55m Layover in BNE---
11:30am-5:00pm - BNE-NAN -- Fiji Airways (f/k/a Air Pacific) #920 Bus. Class [3h 30m]

So, now, I had (and booked) the above redemptions for a trip that departed from and returned to Los Angeles (I tried originating in and returning to CHI using Delta SkyMiles; but, there was no domestic availability that would properly work with the international legs). Since I live in Chicago, I used Southwest (and my Companion Pass for Mrs. FindAWay) to book 2 separate one-ways (once their schedule opened-up and as I re-fared when the price dropped) as follows (I would have booked with Rapid Rewards Points; but, I needed the “flights” to be paid fares for A-List qualification):

$65.70 per person (for 2 people - $128.90 + $2.50 for Companion Fare)
Thursday, August 29, 2013: 2:10pm-4:25pm - MDW-LAX -- Southwest #4293 Econ. Class (single class aircraft) [4h 15m]

$69.20 per person (for 2 people - $135.90 + $2.50 for Companion Fare)
Monday, September 9, 2013: 6:05pm-11:55pm - LAX-MDW -- Southwest #302 Econ. Class (single class aircraft) [3h 50m]

Next, I went about deciding on hotels. Since I have the Club Carlson credit card that provides the last night free on stays of 2 or more nights, I choose:

100,000 Club Carlson Goldpoints & $0.00
3 Nights at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney

For our 1 night near Uluru, I had hoped to utilize my Accor Platinum status; but, my financial sensibility got the best of me; so, I decided to use:

$115.05 Credit from Hotels.com Welcome Rewards (plus $124.29 Out-of-Pocket)
1 Night at the Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge (Ibis Styles), Yulara

For our 2 nights in Cairns, location near the marina for easy access to our snorkeling tour (and a suspicion of an impending Hilton devaluation -- that turned out to be true) led me to book:

17,500 Hilton HHonors Points + $54.40 per night
2 Nights at the Hilton Cairns

With only 2 days (3 nights) in Fiji, I didn’t think we had time to get out to, stay on, and get back from one of the more remote islands; so, I focused on Denarau hotels (with the knowledge that we’d book a day trip out to one of the Mamanuca Islands anyway). I made the following choice based on the guaranteed room (as in all rooms at the hotel) facing the water:

35,000 Hilton HHonors Points per night
3 Nights at the Fiji Beach Resort Managed by Hilton, Denarau

After researching each of the destinations, thinking about activities in each place, and looking at prices, I settled on renting a vehicle in Ayers Rock/Uluru (Hertz) and Nadi, Fiji (Budget) based on the lowest price when searching the dates needed and vehicle size (small SUV) desired.

With the above travel itinerary set, we continued to research and plan activities for each destination and anxiously awaited our departure day.

Originally Posted by farbster

OMG, can't imagine how long it took to write up just this part! My keppe hurts just thinking about it.

Originally Posted by ellielovesem

Great report, thanks for taking the time to post.

Originally Posted by Earthlings

Just found this trip report!

Terrific report! Love the pictures and the report it self!

Originally Posted by thetravelingRedhead

Awesome TR! always nice to see Fiji and some fellow Chicagoans on here

Originally Posted by injian

How did I miss reading this TR? Great TR and wonderful pics, especially of Fiji.

Originally Posted by UVU Wolverine

Great trip report!

But, it makes me reminisce about the times when one could book a hotel in Fiji with only 140k points for five nights...

I just checked, and for a date in August their typical daily rate is 70k/night.

Such is life.

Originally Posted by Bretteee

I think the Caribbean is nicer than Fiji based on all the pictures I have seen.

I loved Sydney but the Rock for me was a waste of time and money. I went in 1986.

Originally Posted by chrism80

That was lovely! Just can't stop watching those images. Thank you for taking the effort and sharing.