This is a great deal on Qantas today for low fare travel from Vancouver, Canada to Australia this summer, their winter, with fares from $820 to $850 USD to Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney. I bring this up again after realizing you can add one free stopover in both directions with nonstop flights Vancouver to Sydney, stopover for days or weeks in Sydney, then go to Brisbane or Melbourne. There are probably many possible routings. These are the two I checked for stopover potential.
The cost to reach Vancouver from most any place in western USA will still likely be hundreds of dollars less than tickets directly from a USA airport.
$847.28 USD or $1,030 CAD Qntas
Vancouver – Sydney – Brisbane – Vancouver
July 6 – 16, 2015
July 6 Vancouver YVR – SYD Sydney, Australia
July 13 SYD – BNE Brisbane
July 16 Brisbane BNE – Vancouver YVR
I have also seen fares at $900 for China Southern Vancouver YVR to Brisbane BNE.
Here is an itinerary with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in two weeks. That was an incredible itinerary we enjoyed in Australia in 2003.
$1028 CAD = $845 USD Qantas
Vancouver to Sydney Monday June 22
Sydney to Melbourne Monday June 29
Brisbane to Vancouver Monday July 6
Separate one-way ticket Melbourne to Brisbane = $68 Tigerair.
