Cousin's Wedding — September 2026
Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦
A week in Toronto for the wedding. Fly MEL → LAX on Qantas staff travel, then connect to Toronto with American Airlines.
Wedding Date
Sun 6 Sep
Cousin's wedding day
Arrival
Sat 30 Aug
1 week before the wedding
Status
Planning
QF check needed
Aircraft
787-9
QF Dreamliner confirmed
Travellers
Andy (+1?)
Steve to confirm
Days Away
~143 days
~4.5 months
Outbound — MEL → Toronto
Leg 1 — Group E Staff Travel
Melbourne → Los Angeles
Qantas
QF93
Departure
MEL 11:25am
Sat 30 Aug
Arrival
LAX 6:45am
Same calendar day
Aircraft
Boeing 787-9
Dreamliner ✨
Duration
~14h 20m
Non-stop
Layover in Los Angeles — clear customs, grab food, connect same day
Leg 2 — Separate Booking
Los Angeles → Toronto
American Airlines
AA / QF codeshare
Departure
LAX mid-morning
Sat 30 Aug
Arrival
YYZ Toronto
Sat 30 Aug
Aircraft
787-9 preferred
Business class via points
Duration
~5h 30m
Non-stop
Return — Toronto → MEL
Leg 1 — Separate Booking
Toronto → Los Angeles
American Airlines
AA
Departure
YYZ
Mon 7 Sep (or later)
Arrival
LAX
Same day
Book with
AA miles
Business class preferred
Duration
~5h 30m
Layover in Los Angeles — clear customs, connect
Leg 2 — Group E Staff Travel
Los Angeles → Melbourne
Qantas
QF94
Departure
LAX evening
Mon 7 Sep (or later)
Arrival
MEL (+1 day)
Next calendar day
Aircraft
Boeing 787-9
Dreamliner ✨
Duration
~15h 30m
Non-stop
Outbound Routing
MEL → LAX → YYZ
QF staff + AA codeshare
Return Routing
YYZ → LAX → MEL
AA + QF staff return
Group E Flights
MEL ↔ LAX both ways
2 x QF Dreamliner legs
Booking Timeline
April 2026 — Now
Check QF Staff Travel Portal
Staff travel releases ~330 days out. Check now for QF93 space on 30 Aug 2026 MEL→LAX. If space is showing, book immediately — Priority 57 is low and availability goes fast.
May 2026
Lock in QF Flights + Check AA Business
QF93 should be confirmed by now. Check AA business class availability on LAX→YYZ. Research AA 787-9 configuration — Flagship Business fully enclosed suites on some aircraft.
June – July 2026
Book AA Flights + Finalise Positioning
Book AA LAX→YYZ with AAdvantage miles. Finalise any domestic positioning flights (MEL/SYD/BNE → MEL). Confirm return QF94 via staff portal.
August 2026
Final Prep + Travel Insurance
Arrange travel insurance (book early — check if credit card includes it). Check in online for QF flights. Apply for Canadian eTA (~$14/person). Ensure passport is valid 6+ months.
Points Strategy (LAX ↔ YYZ)
AA Miles Needed (per person)
Book via aa.com. Business class on 787-9 preferred. Check AA 787-9 config — some have Flagship Suites.
QF Staff Travel Covers
The long expensive legs are covered. Only LAX ↔ YYZ needs separate points booking.
To-Do Checklist
Flights
Documents & Prep
Key Notes
⚠️ Group E Business Class
Priority 57 is low. Business class confirmation unlikely — expect standby or economy. QF93 on 787-9 is your best chance. Still worth checking.
✈️ AA 787-9 Config
Some AA 787-9s have Flagship Business (fully enclosed suites). Check aa.com for the specific aircraft config on LAX→YYZ before booking.
🇨🇦 Canadian ETA
~$14 AUD per person. Apply online — usually approved within minutes. You'll need this before boarding.
💳 Points for AA Flights
Need ~70-90k AAdvantage miles total for 2 people. Research best AU card for earning AA miles directly vs transferring from Velocity.