When you’ve made the decision to vacation Downunder and you’re starting your search for cheap flights to Australia, step back a bit to consider what you would like to see and do when you’re there. Australia is a country as large as the continental United States. Unless you have a month or more to explore different regions, you’ll be flying to get to all the areas you want to visit. Purchasing round-trip airfare to arrive and depart from the same city is great if you’re really short on time and planning only a one week walkabout, but if you want to see more than just one city or area, give some thought to where you want to go and search for cheap flights to Australia with different arrival and departure cities.

For example, if you want to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, go camping in the Outback’s Red Centre, see the endangered Tasmanian Devils in their natural habitats, and climb Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, you’ll be flying to Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef, Alice Springs to camp in the Red Centre, Hobart to meet the Devils, and Sydney to for the adrenalin rush of climbing the bridge.

Brisbane is the international arrival airport for US travelers closest to Cairns; international flights to and from the US also arrive and depart from Sydney. If you search for cheap flights to Australia that arrive in Brisbane and depart from Sydney, you can find domestic flights from Brisbane to Cairns to Alice Springs to Hobart and finally to Sydney to soar to new heights on the bridge climb and your flight home.

Several airlines in Australia offer passes with multiple flights and cheap airfares to keep the cost of air travel within Australia low:

Aussie AirPass

Buying a Qantas Aussie AirPass will allow you to visit several cities within Australia for the price of just the international airfare. The AirPass provides exceptional savings for travel to multiple destinations within Australia compared to regular coach class airfare.

The base cost of a Qantas AirPass is priced according to the time of year you’re traveling (May is least expensive, December to mid-February have the highest fares) and the destinations (priced according to zones) within Australia you plan to visit. Special offers with the AirPass can feature a free flight to a featured destination. The Qantas Aussie AirPass is only available through Qantas or a travel professional and all flights must be booked before departing from the United States. There are a limited number of AirPass seats on each international and domestic Qantas flight.

Virgin Blue AirPass

Virgin Blue’s AirPass must be purchased before departure for Australia. At least 3 and no more than 8 domestic Virgin Blue flights can be purchased on each AirPass. The flights are priced considerably lower than purchasing them separately and seats on each flights are limited. The pass is non-refundable, but tickets can be changed up to 24 hours before departure for no fee. With a Virgin Blue AirPass you can check one piece of luggage at no charge. This pass is a great way to see the country if you fly to Australia on VAustralia, Delta or United.

Jetstar

Jetstar is owned by Qantas and operates as Qantas’ low-cost, no frills airline. The comfort level is significantly lower on a Jetstar flight. Only one piece of checked luggage is allowed without a fee and refreshments on the flights are at additional cost.

Regional Airlines

There are several regional airlines in Australia that fly to smaller airports and more remote destinations. These airlines tend to have strict limitations on luggage, but will check your excess luggage for pick-up upon your return.

Exploring the South Pacific with your cheap flights to Australia

You can combine your vacation to Australia with visits to New Zealand, Tahiti or Fiji. By flying from the United States to Australia on Qantas, you can include a non-stop flight from Sydney or Brisbane to Auckland or Christchurch, New Zealand. Spend a few days or more exploring New Zealand before returning to the United States on Qantas’ non-stop flight from Auckland. While Air New Zealand offers cheap flights from the United States to Australia, all the flights stop in Auckland before continuing on to Australia. This adds to the total flight time of your flight to Australia.