Author: Matt Graham
Unusual Air New Zealand Award Availability
When it comes to releasing Business Class award seats to partner airlines, Air New Zealand would have to be one of the world’s stingiest airlines. But there is now a surprisingly good amount of Business Class award space on certain routes including Melbourne-Auckland, for travel dates within the next three months. Although New Zealand’s national … Continued
Qantas Complimentary Lounge Invitation Limitations
If you have Points Club membership, Qantas Frequent Flyer Silver status or a premium Qantas co-branded credit card, you may have received some complimentary Qantas lounge invitations. These one-time passes can generally be used to access domestic Qantas Club and international Qantas Business Lounges before flying on the same day with Qantas or Jetstar. If … Continued
When Qantas Gets It Right, They’re Great
When I needed to fly from Melbourne to Sydney with a checked bag this week, I’ll be honest – Qantas was not my first choice. Given all the delays, cancellations and lost bags of late – combined with Qantas’ woeful customer service on the ground when things go wrong – I would have preferred to … Continued
No Overseas ATM Fees with Bankwest Qantas Transaction Account
Bankwest has removed international transaction fees and overseas ATM withdrawal fees when using the Platinum Debit Mastercard that comes with its Qantas Transaction account. The Bankwest Qantas Transaction account is already popular with Australian Frequent Flyer members because you can earn Qantas points on the account balance. You can also earn 3 Qantas points for … Continued
Rex Boeing 737 Economy Class Review
Regional Express, or Rex, began operating Boeing 737s between Australian capital cities in March 2021. Beginning with the lucrative Melbourne-Sydney route, it has since expanded its Boeing 737 network to Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Canberra. By many accounts, Rex initially struggled to fill its planes with paying customers. This is despite a relatively good … Continued
Jetstar Restarts Flights to Japan
Japan’s border may still be closed to independent tourists, but that hasn’t stopped Jetstar from restarting direct flights from Australia to Japan for the first time since the pandemic began! Jetstar began last week by restarting its Cairns-Tokyo route. The first flight back from Tokyo’s Narita Airport to Cairns was almost completely filled by Japanese … Continued
Podcast #89: Bye-Bye LifeMiles, Hello Aeroplan?
Before the pandemic, Avianca’s LifeMiles frequent flyer program was a popular choice for bargain hunters looking to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on Star Alliance Business & First Class flights. LifeMiles were – and still are – regularly available with generous bonus miles attached, and these could be redeemed for flights all over … Continued
Bye-Bye LifeMiles, Hello Aeroplan? – AIR089
Has the Avianca LifeMiles program lost its shine? Buying LifeMiles during their promotions used to be a popular way of saving money on Star Alliance Business and First class flights, but using them on flights from Australia has become very difficult indeed. In this episode, find out why Air Canada’s Aeroplan program may now … Continued
How to Improve Airport Security Queues
Earlier this year, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce infamously blamed inexperienced and “not match fit” customers for lengthy delays at airport security checkpoints. “I went through the airports on Wednesday and people forget they need to take out their laptops, they have to take out their aerosols,” Joyce told the Sydney Morning Herald during the Easter holiday … Continued