Melbourne to Las Vegas - best route?

Can anyone recommend or give details on the best/easiest flight combo from Melbourne to Las Vegas on Virgin? It seems to involve at least 2 stops and long layovers. I may move to Australia for a job move but still need to get my yearly Vegas trip in.

Surely it would be cheaper and twice as quick to go trans-Pacific via LAX?

Qantas and United both fly direct from MEL-LAX in about 14 hours but if you want to earn VS miles & TPs both Delta and Virgin Australia fly direct from SYD-LAX.

Doing it the other way with VS you'd have to get from MEL to either HKG, PVG or DXB then on to LHR which would take the best part of 24 hours in itself before you even consider the trans-Atlantic leg. And you'd have to get from LHR to LGW under your own steam, with your luggage, to catch the VS43 to LAS.

A couple of examples:

QF400 dep MEL 0600 arr SYD 0725 (1'25")
DL40 dep SYD 1000 arr LAX 0645 (13'45")
DL1461 dep LAX 0920 arr LAS 1040 (1'20")

Total approx 21'30"

CX104 dep MEL 1420 arr HKG 2150 (9'30")
VS207 dep HKG 2355 arr LHR 0530 (12'30")
VS43 dep LGW 1030 arr LAS 1315 (10'45")

Total approx 40 hours.

Erm, isn't it easier to go the other way?

Living in Melbourne and from my experience in heading to/from LV last year using Virgin
MEL-SYD-LAX Virgin Australia LAX-LAS Virgin America
LAS-LAX Virgin America LAX-BNE-MEL Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia fly daily SYD-LAX and BNE-LAX they dropped MEL-LAX when UA went direct and not via SYD

I should say that I personally hate the fact that when transiting in Sydney and Brisbane a bus/train transfer (is required free for those ticketed through with a ticket given at checkin/ bag drop) despite not having to carry hold baggage.

Or MEL-AKL-LAX with Air New Zealand gets Virgin FF points too

Whatever you do, do not take the UA option transpacific - in any class it's the worst option even if the prices may be attractive. You can earn VS miles and TPs all the way if you do it on VA via BNE or SYD then VX from LAX to LAS. Much better than coming through the UK.