Our members love a challenge. So when newbie Graeme gave them his wish-list and budget constraints for a US adventure, they were quick to assist.

Two People, a wish-list of Hawaii, LA, San Francisco and New York, one passenger with 93,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points and the other with 50,000 and a budget of $1,500 for flights and transport was the challenge… and as always our members rose to it !

The first obstacle was how to get the most out of the frequent flyer points. The general consensus seemed to be to pool the points, purchase an award return economy ticket and then purchase a second ticket outright. The two tickets could then be linked. Virgin Australia is also an alternative option. Their fares are (usually) cheaper than Qantas. However the lure of accumulating Qantas points may detract from this option for our newbie.

The second obstacle was to work out the best way to travel once in the US. Many members recommended the legendary American road-trip and touted the LA to San Francisco drive as one of the world’s greatest. The New York bus service and subway were also recommended for their ease of use and efficiency. The super shuttle for airport transport was also recommended as relatively hassle-free.

Many members suggested that three weeks was not long enough to do justice to all four locations and suggested that New York or Hawaii be dropped from the itinerary.

Good Luck Graeme, we look forward to the trip report!

You can have your say HERE.