Cheapest Flights to Sydney

Vacationing in Australia?

My best friend lives in Australia and wants me to come visit after I graduate in December. She will be out of school until March so I was hoping to make the trip sometime in those three months. I will be staying at her place for free so I don't have to worry about hotels or anything, but figuring out the best way to book my flight is driving me insane. I've flown on lots of planes, but this will be the first time I've had to book the flight myself. I live in Houston. I don't mind if I have a flight with several stops. My schedule is totally flexible. I don't care what day, or what time of day I leave. My friend lives in between Sydney and Newcastle, so I could fly into either airport. Money is an issue. 1. Should I book roundtrip, or should I book the flight out and then get a ticket to come home while in Australia? Which is cheaper? 2. What airlines should I use? 3. What days are cheapest? 4. I know holidays are more expensive. How long after New Year's should I wait to fly? 5. Someone told me it might be far cheaper to take a greyhound to California and fly out from there, is that true? 6. What fun things should I do while I'm there? Any other advice would be appreciated. I'm not a novice flier, but a refresher would be nice. :D

Public Comments

1. contact your local travel agent
2. 1. Book a roundtrip. It is always cheaper. 2. Delta from Houston to Los Angeles or San Francisco. Then Qantas from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Sydney. 3. Generally anytime Tuesday Wednesday or Thursday will be cheaper but search different dates for different prices. The earlier you book the cheaper the price. I am going to Sydney from Atlanta end of November and I booked it 3 months in advance. $2061 for roundtrip on Delta and Qantas. Make sure you book Qantas flight 11 or 12 because those always have the TVs on the back of the seats. Trust me this is my 8th time flying over. 4. Definitely book 3 months in advance for the best price. So basically if you booked today the best deal would be leaving on or after January 5th. Try Expedia.com. They usually have the best deals and are very reliable. I searched all over the internet for cheap flights and they had the best and easiest to use prices/website. 5. I don't know about that.....I have never done it but that would be too long a bus ride for me. If you want to save money then you probab;y could by doing that though. 6. Definitely a few weekends in sydney, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbor Bridge, go to Torongo Zoo, Bondi Beach, Rugby game, go to some parties. Go to Queensland or Melbourne for the Australian Open in late January. Mostly go to the beach though. Advice: Take your ipod or laptop on the plane. Try to get noise canceling headphones so you don't hear the airplane sounds. Buy a magazine or bring a book. The movies and games on the TVs for your flight from LA to SYD will account for most of your entertainment but the plane ride is about 15 hours. Drink lots of water for 3 days leading up to your flight. You don't want to have to go to the bathroom a lot at airports and on the plane so drink a lot before you go and drink just enough if you get thirsty. Get a few snacks to bring on the plane from LA to SYD as well. Sometimes the food isn't that great. Qantas is the best so make sure you get them to Australia. You can do any other domestic flight companies besides Delta but I always use them since I haven't had any problems yet. I think I covered everything. GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!!!
3. Hi, Check: http://custom-tours.blogspot.com/ There is a website that will give you the BEST Published airfare - worldwide. It will even give you the best airfare up to 330 days in advance. Then check with the consolidators and specialty travel agents for a cheaper fare than the published fare. They have access to airfares up to 50% cheaper, sometimes more. I got a $2100 fare for $990 once. Good Luck and Have A Fun Trip!