Strategies for cheap business/premium flights to North America

[drcam]

This is a longshot, but I am wondering whether any of you have tried any good ways of obtaining a financially tolerable J (or PE failing that) flight to North America.

Options I can think of:
(1) Go via Japan and take a Zipair to Honolulu/Los Angeles

(2) WestJet I believe also fly from Seoul and Tokyo to Canada and I have seen some very cheap deals to Canada (eg Calgary).

(3) I've seen Asiana sell cash fare flights from Seoul to Vancouver for $3000 ish return in J.

If you have any suggestions please post them here. I do remember there was a time when Qantas/NZ PE for 3000 or less return was routine. But I believe these days are gone now.

 

[Kerrodt]

Google Flights would be your friend here, at least as a starting point, and to generate suitable route ideas.

I did a quick search on google flights departing MEL to "North America" to see what comes up in that very broad search. Depart 1/2/26, return 15/2/26. Selected "Cheapest" rather than "Best".

The cheapest in J was with Philippine Airlines at $4,707 as per this link: Google Flights

 

[SeatBackForward]

The cheapest in J was with Philippine Airlines at $4,707 as per this link: Google Flights

Watch out for long overnight transits, that'll likely mean having to leave the airport. These are often the cheapest options.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Philippine airlines has flights ex MEL and SYD for as low as $4200 return (ex SYD, fraction more ex MEL).

Snap to Kerrodt! But there are some lower fares once you go into the options pages

 

[Kerrodt]

Watch out for long overnight transits, that'll likely mean having to leave the airport. These are often the cheapest options.

Agree.

But conveniently the flights that popped up for me on this search seem to have decent transits on the way over (ie: no overnights) and a lengthy daytime and into the early night transit on the way back.

 

[Kerrodt]

Philippine airlines has flights ex MEL and SYD for as low as $4200 return (ex SYD, fraction more ex MEL).

Snap to Kerrodt! But there are some lower fares once you go into the options pages

Which options are you adjusting?

 

[TravelingJ]

Have you considered Y into Asia and then J from there? Jakarta and MNL spring to mind. PR is usually the best out of Oz. Perhaps followed by Asiana if you wanted to do the entire flight in J.

 

[MELso]

JAL out of MEL via NRT to the west coast of the US and YVR can run to as little as $6.2k but is more typically $6.8k in the first few months after bookings open.

Note also if you want to do a stopover in Tokyo, you can use the multi-city booking engine to fly Y over, J back (or vice versa), and these can be as little as $4k. JAL's 787 Y is excellent and if you're SG or above, you can select extra legroom seats free of charge.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Which options are you adjusting?

Once you bring up the results, it sometimes cheaper options which you have to click on… it doesn’t automatically display the, like it used to. So the PR fare shows at around $4500-$4700 in the calendar, but has ‘cheaper’ options for $4200-4500 once in the list of flights.

 

[Mark3000]

Consider Fiji airlines?
Qantas to Palau then a US carrier to US ?
?Cheap J flights from Bali

 

[Melburnian1]

Watch out for long overnight transits, that'll likely mean having to leave the airport. These are often the cheapest options.

For travel in March 2026 to JFK (ex MEL) and then open jaw (surface) to LAX, and air LAX to MEL in April 2026 I found a Philippine Airlines return fare in J for c.A$5200. This had 10-11 hours daytime layovers in MNL, time for sightseeing (or alternatively staying in the J lounge).

 

[hwy]

Fiji Air in J is actually decent. Better than Philippines Air.

 

[Scarlett]

Last Xmas/NY I did Jakarta to Washington in J with NH (via Tokyo of course) for about $3400.
Paired with QF points J to get to CGK to start and a VA cash fare back from DPS on the way home and it was quite fiscally responsible.