Author: Matt Graham
Rex Melbourne-Sydney 737 Flights Start Today
The inaugural Regional Express (Rex) Boeing 737-800 passenger flight took off this morning, with flight ZL18 departing from Melbourne to Sydney at 7am. It marks the beginning of jet aircraft operations for Rex, whose business model since launching in 2002 had previously been to just fly small turboprop aircraft to country towns. Over the coming … Continued
Qantas Wine Sales Boomed During COVID-19 Lockdowns
Qantas Wine sales increased by 74% in the second half of 2020, compared to the same period a year earlier, with Qantas attributing the record increase to “shifts in consumer behaviour during lockdown”. The revenue from Qantas Wine was the highest it has ever been, taking into account both cash sales and frequent flyer point … Continued
Qantas Now Plans to Restart International Flights in October 2021
Qantas says it now plans to resume international flights to most destinations from the end of October 2021, although it has so far only resumed selling tickets on 27 of its previous 37 international long-haul routes. Last month, Qantas – perhaps too optimistically – reopened international bookings from 1 July 2021. But the airline yesterday … Continued
Review: Virgin Australia’s New Adelaide Lounge
Virgin Australia has gradually been reopening its airport lounges ever since it exited voluntary administration in November 2020. Beginning with the Brisbane lounge, Virgin has now also reopened its existing lounges in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Gold Coast. Unfortunately, as I discovered on a recent visit to the Virgin Australia Lounge in Brisbane, the service … Continued
Virgin Australia Opens New Lounge in Adelaide
Virgin Australia flyers in Adelaide now have access to a brand new lounge, following the opening of the new Virgin Australia Lounge at Adelaide Airport today. Virgin’s final remaining lounge in Canberra is also due to reopen next month. Around double the size of the previous Virgin lounge in Adelaide, the bright new space features … Continued
Rex Shakes Up Regional Network in Response to Qantas “Predatory Moves”
Rex has announced that it will cut flights to five regional destinations, while adding more services on routes currently served by Qantas in response to what it’s calling “aggressive predatory moves by Qantas”. It has also called on the ACCC yet again to take “enforcement actions against Qantas”. But Qantas has hit back, calling the … Continued
Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Has Begun
Yesterday marked an historic day for our country, with the first COVID-19 vaccine administered in Australia. From here, it will still take some months before COVID-19 vaccines are made available to every Australian who wants one. But, hopefully, this marks the beginning of a huge step towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the … Continued
Podcast #54: How to Fly to Australia Without Getting “Bumped”
Australia’s international arrival caps continue to pose a huge challenge for Australians trying to return home from overseas without getting bumped from their booked flights. This was recently made worse by the Victorian government’s decision to suspend all international arrivals – effectively removing 1,310 hotel quarantine spots per week. In episode 54 of the AFF … Continued
How to Fly to Australia Without Getting “Bumped” – AIR054
With the Australian government’s international arrival caps still in place, getting back to Australia from overseas remains a huge challenge. In this episode, travel agent Alan Lam (a.k.a. madrooster on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum) shares his tips and advice for Australians trying to return home without getting bumped from their flight. Also in … Continued