U.S. and Australia to talk open skies

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

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Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

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If you’ve looked for a nonstop flight between the U.S. and Australia lately, you know the options are limited to two carriers: Qantas and United. But that may all change soon, according to a new Reuters article.

The U.S. and Australia have agreed to start formal talks about opening up the trans-Pacific route between the two countries. That could mean more flights from U.S-. and Australia-based carriers, as well as new service from airlines based elsewhere.

As competition gets fiercer on short-haul routes, more airlines are looking to longer routes to make their money, so you can bet there will be a lot of industry interest if this market opens up.

For travelers, more routes mean more choices and competition for their dollars. But with oil prices skyrocketing, it may not mean a dramatic drop in the average airfare.

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