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So you’re planning a trip to Australia…? I know it seems overwhelming at first but just hang tight I am going to help get you through this.
Ok, where do you want to go? The more flexible you are the better. Start with at least one main place you want to visit on your trip. For us, it was Sydney/Manly. My Best Friend was getting married in November so we knew we could base our trip around these dates/location
TRAVEL TIP: Don’t Underestimate L
- I made this mistake on our trip when we connected from ATL -> LAX –> MEL. My bag took forever coming off the ATL flight and we literally had to run (I’m talking home alone run) to the Virgin Australia ticketing counter. We made the cut off by 1 MINUTE (all that gym work endurance has been paying off).
There is nothing more stressful than the anxiety of possibly missing a flight, so give yourself more time vs less.
Once you decide on a must see city utlize the travel matrix to help plan your trip. It helps determine the best and cheapest days/flights/routes to choose. https://matrix.itasoftware.com/.
**Here is a GREAT article by The Flight Deal to help you better understand how to use the matrix for beginners.
TRAVEL TIP: Where you fly out
- When planning your trip check different airports. You’d be surprised at how much tickets can vary just by where you fly out.
- Even though Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world doesn’t mean its the cheapest. It was thousands of dollars difference to fly out of LAX to Australia than
atl . Same when we traveled to Thailand from JFK. - Use frequent flyer points for domestic travel. I will say this a thousand times ALWAYS sign up for frequent flyer programs, they are amazing with getting small domestic flights.
One of my favorite ways to book travel is thru Chase Ultimate Travel Rewards. Your points are worth 50% more when you redeem for travel thru them. This is how we flew business to both Thailand and Australia. I cannot say enough about credit card points…Chase Saphire Reserve is our absolute favorite travel card. 3x the points on travel and dining, 1 point for every other purchase.
My best advice: Take your time and do your research. You want to enjoy your time there and not spend it traveling (by plane) from place to place.