Welcome nightice, (still new myself to the board)

School holidays in Australia usually begin just before Christmas, and last until the end of Jan (as per our summer). Typically, I would be expecting more passengers to be flying out to the states, being the start of holidays. Keep in mind, we dont really have what I would call a busy time with flights to the USA, as it is busy all year. However, with the US dollar, it has just become a lot more expensive for Australians to travel to the US, but who knows how that will turn out in months to come

As for an upgrade to premium economy, as staff we are not allowed to travel in this cabin at all. I don't have the reason for this, but we have all been waiting months in the hope that this will change (prem econ is still new to Qantas, and was only introduced earlier this year).

The main concern on these longhaul flights is weight restrictions. With the A380 introduction we have heard this will become less of an issue, as it can take full pax, fuel and cargo with no restrictions. Once again, only time will tell however.

As for connecting from MEL to SYD. Not a bad option, as there are flights every 30 mins week days (every 15 during peak hour!). However, loads may be a concern with school holidays. Do you plan on visiting any other cities, or just Sydney?