Author: Matt Graham
Matt Graham
Matt was the editor of Australian Frequent Flyer from 2015 until 2025. His passion for travel has taken him to more than 100 countries - with a lot of help along the way from frequent flyer points! Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. His interests include aviation, economics & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine. You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @Mattg.
Woolworths’ Frequent Shopper Club Closing on 25 January 2021
Tasmanian Woolworths customers have less than two weeks left to switch from the Frequent $hopper Club loyalty program to Everyday Rewards, with Frequent Shopper Club closing down on 25 January 2021. Woolworths rolled out the Everyday Rewards program in Tasmania from 6 August 2020, bringing Tasmania in line with the rest of the country. Since … Continued
The Qatar Blockade is Over
Qatar Airways has reinstated flights to Saudi Arabia after the embargo preventing Qatari airlines from entering the airspace of four countries was revoked. It reportedly follows months of mediation efforts by Kuwait and the United States. In 2017, the countries of Bahrain, Saudia Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all cut diplomatic ties with … Continued
Face Masks Mandatory on Domestic Flights
Wearing a face mask is now mandatory on all domestic flights within Australia, following a decision by National Cabinet last week. Passengers and staff are also now required to wear a face mask in all Australian airports, including in airport lounges. Children under 12 years old are exempt from the requirement, as are people with … Continued
Emirates Reveals New Premium Economy Seats
Emirates has unveiled the much-anticipated new Premium Economy seats to be installed on a selection of Airbus A380s and new Boeing 777X aircraft. The spacious Premium Economy recliner seats are 19.5 inches wide and offer up to 40 inches of legroom – 2 inches more than Qantas’ Premium Economy seats. Other features include a 13.3″ … Continued
Review: Virgin Australia’s Reopened Brisbane Lounge (2021)
Following an eight-month closure, Virgin Australia has now reopened five of its domestic airport lounges. Virgin’s lounges in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne reopened late last year, while the Gold Coast and Perth lounges opened their doors again from today. The Adelaide and Canberra lounges are yet to reopen, while Virgin’s other former lounges will remain … Continued
Qantas Hangs Up on Platinum Member Requesting Refund
A Qantas call centre agent hung up on a Platinum frequent flyer calling to enquire why it was taking so long to receive a refund for their cancelled flight. The incident not only highlights the poor customer service many receive from the Qantas call centre, but also the lengthy delays many Qantas customers experience with … Continued
Sydney COVID-19 Outbreak Ruins Christmas Travel Plans
After a nightmare year, it seemed just one week ago that Australia was finally on track for all internal state borders to be reopened by Christmas. Until just a few days ago, there was only one remaining state border restriction in place, preventing South Australians from travelling to Western Australia. This was (and still is) … Continued
Qantas to Launch 7 New Regional Routes in Early 2021
Qantas will launch flights on seven new regional routes in early 2021, including to two new destinations, drawing the ire of rival Rex. Just as Qantas’ inaugural Sydney-Merimbula flight departed this week, Qantas announced a raft of new regional routes from Melbourne. Qantas will also start flights from Sydney to Griffith, and Adelaide to Mt … Continued
Rex’s “Strong-Armed” Tactics Against Local Councils Exposed
Regional Express Airlines (Rex), Australia’s largest independent regional airline, has been profitable almost every year since 2004. Given the volatility of the aviation industry and tight margins on regional aviation, that’s a remarkable achievement for the airline which will shortly launch jet services between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. But has Rex’s success been at the … Continued