Having a friend who recently flew from MEL to the USA and automatically booked QF (and who paid over the odds in my view for doing so), it may be wise for prospective passengers who have a choice (that is, who are not restricted by corporate travel agencies) to remember that DL, NZ and UA are among other options that may have a very competitive offering and sometimes may be on sale.
QF may be the market leader on this route (about the only one internationally where that is the case) and have the largest market share but by shopping around, some good deals or interesting intermediate destinations if one has the time can be available.
One can also fly via Fiji, Hawaii, Manila, Seoul, Singapore or Tokyo to name a few - a year ago I came across someone in Manila who was using PR in business class and who at the time, having completed his first leg, was quite satisfied although that would be among the slowest ways to do it. Not everyone is in a hurry to get to their destination, and stopping off at a beach for three days in Fiji, Hawaii or Philippines, or shopping in Singapore may suit a minority of travellers.
