Now, €787/£698 for United Airlines‘ offer on trips from London to Sydney for might not sound too appealing at first sight. But the Star Alliance member allows you to include stopovers on your way to “Down Under”. And that way you can stay in the USA for free and more or less as long as you’d like!
That means you can kill the two proverbial birds with just one stone! Book your flight to Australia and add a stop in Los Angeles, California, for example. Or spend a couple of days in Houston, Texas if you like. These combinations make the deal much more interesting. And not only for people that love United Airlines because of its frequent flyer program and want to earn high quantities of tier miles.
You can add a stopover at many of United Airlines’ hubs in the USA. For example:
- Washington
- Houston
- New York-Newark
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Denver
Search & Book
The fare rules don’t give any indication as to how long the deal will be available. But there are restrictions to the possible travel periods:
- September 16th through December 10th, 2019
- January 12th through September 16th, 2020
There are no minimum stay requirements. And the length of your stopover is not limited in any way, which is very special!
With Google Flights (instructions) you’ll be able to find suitable dates. Our Travel Dealz flight search will compare prices and get you the best deal for this offer. But also booking via the airline’s website will cost you pretty much the same.
You will have to search for “Multi-City” flights to add a stopover in your city of choice:
Mileage
Here comes the exciting part: all tickets will be issued in booking class K, which will get you a very attractive earning rate on United’s program MileagePlus. For the round-trip from London to Sydney via Los Angeles you should be credited with over 26,000 PQM, which is enough to reach Premier Silver. Unfortunately, award miles are revenue-based.
Also, other Star Alliance programs will get you a nice amount of miles. Here are a few examples:
- 13,435 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 13,304 Miles on Asiana Club
- 13,304 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 13,304 Award Miles + 2,660 Tier Miles on Azul TodoAzul
- 13,304 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 13,304 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 13,304 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 13,304 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 13,304 Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 13,304 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 13,304 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 7,981 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 6,818 Award Miles + 260 Points on Miles&More
- 6,653 Award Miles + 1,331 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 6,653 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 6,653 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 6,653 CV Points on Vistara Club Vistara
- 6,653 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 6,653 Avios on Aer Lingus AerClub
- 6,653 Award Miles on Emirates Skywards
Information & Tips for USA
The USA offers many sights, natural wonders and cultural significance. Thanks to numerous airlines offering flights across the Atlantic, it is always pretty inexpensive to get there. Alternatively, you can also cross the Atlantic by boat.
Immigration, ESTA & Visa Requirements
The USA has one of the strictest entry regulations in the world. Most EU citizens, among others, are lucky to be able to participate in the so-called Visa Waiver Program. If you get an electronic entry permit (ESTA) for approximately €20, you don’t need a visa for entry.
The Best Time to Visit
Due to its sheer size, the perfect time to visit the USA varies greatly from region to region. In winter, Florida is very popular due to the mild temperatures. In the summer the West and East Coasts are flooded by tourists which drives up the prices for hotels and flights and during the Indian Summer in late autumn New England is a very popular destination. The hurricane season between July and September can be dangerous in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and the southern states are regularly struck by these tropical storms. Blizzards occur from the East Coast to the Midwest during the winter months and regularly put air traffic and public life on hold.
Currency
The US dollar is widely used throughout the world and accepted as a currency in most tourist hotspots worldwide. That being said, carrying cash isn’t necessary in the US, all you need is a credit card! These are very common in the USA and are accepted pretty much everywhere without any issues. If you already have a credit card in your wallet, you should make sure that it does not charge a foreign currency fee if possible. Carrying a few dollars in cash doesn’t hurt though. You might need cash e.g. for the bus ticket if you want to buy it directly from the driver. Most of the time you even have to give exact change.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for the USA 🇺🇸 Compared
→ All Dealz for USA
Information & Tips for Australia
Australia, also know as ‘Down Under’, is an absolute dream destination because of its distance to Europe and its beautiful countryside. But because it’s so far away, the flights are costly. Nevertheless, there is always Dealz for less than 1.000€.
Best Time to Visit
Australia is a vast country with different climate zones. Summers (November to February) are hot and mostly dry, winters (June to September) are relatively mild.
Entry & Visa
Most European citizens require an eVisa which has to be issued before your arrival. You can apply online, and the process will be free of charge.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as RedteaGO and Airalo. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for Australia 🇦🇺 Compared
→ All Dealz for Australia
Cover Picture: © jovannig - stock.adobe.com