Fortunately, many North American airlines have direct flights to Australia, and there are also plenty of other single-connection options via Asia and the Middle East if you’re not opposed to taking the long way around.
Without further ado, here are the 12 best ways to get to Australia in business class on points, listed alphabetically.
1. Air Canada
Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada, operates direct flights to Australia from its West Coast hub in Vancouver.
Presently, Air Canada is offering service to Sydney and Brisbane. The airline has previously also flown to Melbourne, but that service has yet to resume.
Fly Air Canada business class to Australia
With Aeroplan , pricing for these flights is subject to the distance bands on the “Between North America and Pacific zones” section of the Flight Reward Chart.
Direct flights from Vancouver to Brisbane measure 7,351 miles, placing them in the second distance-based tier. At the lower end of the dynamic spectrum, you can theoretically expect to pay around 75,000 points for a one-way flight in business class.
Direct flights from Vancouver to Sydney measure around 7,757 miles, placing them in the third distance band. At the lower end of the dynamic spectrum, you can theoretically expect to pay around 87,500 points for a one-way flight in business class.
Adding a connecting flight from almost anywhere in Canada to Australia will keep the distance below 11,000 miles, so if you plan your trip out far enough in advance, you can theoretically expect to pay around 87,500 points.
In reality, you can expect to find business class prices well above the published ranges of the dynamic spectrum. Even with preferred pricing from an Aeroplan co-branded credit card , you’re unlikely to find anything that’s even close to 75,000 or 87,500 points.
Your best bet is to look for flights as soon as they become available on Aeroplan, at 355 days prior to departure. You’ll also find last-minute availability with better pricing , too, so keep an eye on prices for flights in the days and weeks leading up to your trip.
Direct flights between Canada and Australia are hotly contested
There have also been other times when a number of seats suddenly become available at around 75,000 or 87,500 points, but those instances are both rare and difficult to keep track of. These are typically during shoulder seasons when flight loads aren’t as likely to be full as they are during the Australian summer or on North American holidays.
If a direct flight isn’t available at a good price, keep an eye out for connecting flights. For example, Virgin Australia is an Aeroplan partner airline , and there are many flights available across its network.
While the price of a direct flight from Brisbane to Vancouver may be sky-high, simply taking a connecting flight to Sydney sometimes drops it back down.
If you happen to have Aeroplan Elite Status and, therefore, eUpgrades , at your disposal, adopting the “Latitude Attitude” can score you an outstanding deal on flights to Australia.
While eUpgrade availability is also very scarce on these routes, you might be able to find some space and score a deal. Be sure to look far in advance and close to the date of departure, and you can also set up an ExpertFlyer alert for “R” fares, too.
If you’re not able to, keep in mind that if you book in premium economy to begin with, you’ll be near the top of the waitlist for an upgrade at the gate.
Aeroplan Credit Cards
Credit Card
Best Offer
Value
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
85,000 Aeroplan points
$599 annual fee
85,000 Aeroplan points
$927
Apply Now
American Express Aeroplan Card
American Express Aeroplan Card
45,000 Aeroplan points
$120 annual fee
45,000 Aeroplan points
$720
Apply Now
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
Up to 95,000 Aeroplan points
$599 annual fee
Up to 95,000 Aeroplan points
$1,147
Apply Now
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†
$139 annual fee
Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†
$617
Apply Now
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card
Up to 20,000 Aeroplan points†
$89 annual fee
Up to 20,000 Aeroplan points†
$434
Apply Now
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points†
$599 annual fee
Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points†
$924
Apply Now
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
70,000 Aeroplan points
$599 annual fee
70,000 Aeroplan points
$399
Apply Now
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Business Card
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Business Card
Up to 60,000 Aeroplan points†
First Year Free
Up to 60,000 Aeroplan points†
$714
Apply Now
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†
First Year Free
Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†
$609
Apply Now
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Card
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Card
10,000 Aeroplan points†
$0 annual fee
10,000 Aeroplan points†
$210
Apply Now
While it’s a bit of a gamble, it could very well be a nice way to save points on a hotly contested route, especially if direct flights are important to you.
Keep in mind that Air Canada also operates a flight from Auckland to Vancouver, so make sure to keep an eye out for eUpgrade availability on that route, too.
Read More
Review: Air Canada 777 Signature Class Sydney to Vancouver
Review: Air Canada A330 New Business Class Vancouver to Montreal
Review: Air Canada 777 Business Class Montreal to London
Review: Air Canada 787 Business Class Toronto to Buenos Aires
2. Air New Zealand
New Zealand’s flag carrier, Air New Zealand, operates a number of direct flights from its hub in Auckland to major gateways in North America.
With service to Vancouver, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), and San Francisco, as well as Adelaide, Hobart, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth in Australia, Air New Zealand can indeed be an excellent way to access both New Zealand and Australia.
Flying from Vancouver to any Australian hub via Auckland would theoretically fall in the third distance band on the Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart. Since it is a Star Alliance partner airline, the cost is fixed at 87,500 points per direction, although you could add a stopover in New Zealand for an additional 5,000 points.
Unfortunately, award space can be notoriously difficult to find for flights to or from North America. Sometimes, Air New Zealand will release a number of award seats, but there’s no predictable pattern.
There tends to be more award availability from hubs in Asia, so if trying out Air New Zealand is on your bucket list, consider looking for flights to Auckland from Asia as an option, too.
Air New Zealand 787 business class
Air New Zealand Flight Reviews
Review: Air New Zealand Business Class Auckland to Los Angeles
3. All Nippon Airways
All Nippon Airways (ANA) operates flights to a host of cities in North America, as well as to two cities in Australia: Sydney and Perth.
The airline has earned a reputation for outstanding hard- and soft-product offerings onboard its aircraft. If flying direct isn’t imperative for you, you could enjoy a world-class business class product on both legs, in addition to a potential stopover in Japan.
ANA “The Room” business class
ANA offers direct flights from Vancouver and a number of American hubs to Tokyo. From there, both Sydney and Perth are serviced by the airline.
There continue to be ongoing issues surrounding long-haul award availability with ANA through Aeroplan. However, assuming that it will eventually return to inventory, the below examples should once again be possible.
Canadian travellers flying from Winnipeg or farther west can expect to pay around 87,500 points with Aeroplan for a one-way booking in business class to or from Australia. If you add a stopover in Japan, the cost rises to a very reasonable 92,500 points.
Anyone east of Winnipeg could consider buying a separate positioning flight to another hub to avoid the jump to 115,000 points in the fourth distance band on the Flight Reward Chart.
Award space between Tokyo and Australia can be pretty sparse, especially to Sydney. ANA typically releases one seat between Tokyo and its Australian destinations far in advance, so securing seats for two may be difficult if you’re travelling as a couple.
ANA 787 business class
ANA Flight Reviews
Video: 13 Hours in ANA New First Class "The Suite" - Tokyo to New York
Video: ANA Business Class, Vancouver to Tokyo (A Japanese Feast)
Review: ANA 777 New Business Class London to Tokyo
Review: ANA 787-8 Business Class Perth to Tokyo
Review: ANA Business Class Tokyo to Beijing
Review: ANA First Class Los Angeles to Tokyo
4. Cathay Pacific
As the first Oneworld airline on this list, Cathay Pacific is known for an excellent in-flight experience.
The Hong Kong-based carrier offers flights to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane via Hong Kong. In North America, Cathay Pacific operates flights to Vancouver, Toronto, Boston, New York (JFK), Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
In theory, there are a number of ways to book business class flights on Cathay Pacific: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan , British Airways Avios , or Cathay Pacific’s own Asia Miles . However, Cathay Pacific premium cabin awards haven’t been accessible through partner programs for years, and your only option is to look to Asia Miles.
