Introduction
Every year, millions of tourists and travelers visit the US for business and tourism purposes. The 'land of milk and honey' as America is sometimes referred to, is popular among many people. Arrivals from the Australian continent are increasing each year. Taking flights from Australia to the US is pretty straightforward and it is easy to find decent deals on this route.
History
As a refresher, the first flights from the US to Australia were made by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in 1928. Smith earned global recognition for the transatlantic journey repeating the feat later on when he made the crossing from Australia to London. He also flew straight from Australia to New Zealand. During those times, flying was a new discovery and a great achievement considering that the airplanes used were propeller-driven. These days, flights from Australia to the US are plenty. Despite the distance, flying can be comfortable with the use of newer and bigger planes providing all the amenities to make an Atlantic crossing straightforward and easy.
Features
The US is a big country composed of 50 states and a federal district. Knowing where you want to go can make it easy to look for Australia flights to the country. However, whatever state you choose to visit, there are numerous airports that can serve your needs. Note that if you are coming from Australia to New York, you’ll be flying from south to west. Hence, your port of entry is usually San Francisco or Los Angeles in the West Coast before continuing the journey to New York or the East Coast. Immigration and customs formalities will be done at the San Francisco International Airport. It’s really a hassle free process because SFO is a major airport in the US and at most, you will have to wait in long lines or miss your connecting flights. However, there are several planes flying to New York, so you can always catch the next one.
Once you know your travel dates and the number of persons going with you, do research on the internet first to get an idea of the itinerary of the flights from Australia to the US. Comparison websites such as AirFare Flights (airfareflights.com.au) is a great place to begin. When you key in your travel dates and destinations, you’ll be asked to select travel sites where you want to find flights. These will include Expedia Australia, Jet Abroad, Travel.com, Flight Centre, EscapeTravel, and so on.
Most major airlines operate flights from Australia to the US. Qantas, the national carrier of the country has planes going to Honolulu, New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas Fort Worth from Brisbane and Sydney. It has also several code-sharing flights serving many American cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Reno, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, Houston, Denver, and Puerto Vallarta.
Other airline companies that have flights from Australia to the US include United Airlines, China Airlines, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and V Australia. Prices are quoted in Australian dollars, so be sure to use a currency converter to know the American dollar equivalent. The lowest price for Australian flights ranges from a low of $1500 to a high of $2000 on non-stop flights.
You might want to consider mix and match flights with one or two stops to get cheaper prices for Australia flights to the US. You can take the Delta flight to get in the US and return on United, US Airways, Cathay Pacific or American Airlines. Be mindful that the US is a long way from Australia with total flying and connection time lasting from a short of 21 hours to as long as 34 hours.
Tips and comments
Most of these travel websites also offer packages for Australia flights to the US. Thus, if you are thinking of travel tours, you can save money when you book together a car hire and hotel stays. Having your own car when you do long distance driving in the US is convenient. The roads are in good condition. Unlike European countries, roads are wider and there is plenty of room for parking. The only thing you just have to get used to is that Americans drive on the right and your rented vehicle will be a left hand drive. Watch for oncoming traffic from your left, observe speed limits to avoid the highway patrol coming behind you, and you’ll do just fine.
