I get asked a lot how to use Delta SkyMiles to purchase a Virgin Australia flight to Australia. I figure’d I’d write a 5-step post on how to get this done.
You should have at least 160k miles available, for a round-trip Business Class ticket.
1. Call Delta.
2. Ask the agent to book on Virgin Australia, flying business class, booking into “Z” class. Give your initial set of dates, but keep in mind that the more flexible you are, the better the availability. (Virgin Australia has LAX-BNE and LAX-MEL flights, in addition to LAX-SYD). Note that LAX-BNE and LAX-MEL don’t run every day of the week, though Virgin Australia is quite generous in availability most days.
3. Allow the agent to put you on hold as she/he looks up the instructions on how to make Virgin Australia bookings. Most Delta agents are not well-versed in this, and it can take some time to find space.
4. Be cautious as sometimes the agent will mistakenly book coach availability, thinking it is business class. Make sure you are booking a 160,000 SkyMile round-trip Business Class ticket. Make sure to say “price as booked,” so it doesn’t revert to a coach pricing.
5. Once you find a suitable itinerary, you’ll pay for taxes and fees, around $280 with your credit card.
Jamie Larounis is an avid traveler, blogger and miles/points educator. Traveling well over 100,000 miles a year and staying in hotels for over 100 nights, he leverages miles, points and other deals to fly in first class cabins, and stay in 5-star hotels. The Forward Cabin shares his experiences, musings, reviews, tips, tricks, resources and industry news with you, the fellow traveler.
FYI – You don’t necessarily have to call Delta. I have booked a flight from a city in the midwest of the US to SYD all in first class on VA for the LAX-SYD leg using Delta’s website. It might be more efficient this way instead of poking in the dark with a (maybe helpful) agent.
First class? Ummm…. There is no first class. Try matching up any DL availability to coincide with a cruise from Sydney. Good luck!