From reading a bit on another list, it appears the mechanism for the price
discrimination is the address of the credit card used to book the charter.
Doesn't matter if you're an American or an expat Aussie being billed in the
US, you're still paying the premium rate.

An American or Japanese spending a year in Oz can reserve a trip six months
out, for example, by sending a check from an Aussie bank or dropping round
to pay cash and so receive the discounted rate.  Or he/she could whip out
the old credit card which is billed back home and have to pay the premium
rate.

One wonders how many in the premium markets either have temporary address
changes to discounted markets, or simply have friends in the discounted
markets make reservations for them....

As always:  "Caveat emptor".  If this policy bothers you, book with the
competition and let MB know about it.  If it doesn't bother you, why are you
reading this anyway?  :-)

Oh, BTW:
The currency fluctuation argument doesn't work because a) the vast majority
of MB's costs are in AUD and b) MB can either hedge against currency risk
exposure OR simply process all credit cards through the Australian office.
That way MB's always paid in AUD, while the passengers are still billed in
their local currencies.

Unless of course they've simply neglected updating their pricing lists after
the recent currency trends as David Hale mentioned...

Steven