Author: Matt Graham
Matt Graham
The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to more than 100 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course! 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 @AFF Editor.

How to fly to Hawaii with Velocity points
Hawaii is a great holiday destination. From stunning beaches and surfing, to Hawaiian cuisine and the relaxed pace of island life, there’s something for just about everyone. But getting there with frequent flyer points can be a real challenge. Finding reward flights to Honolulu is notoriously difficult, particularly in Business class. And given its popularity … Continued
Virgin Velocity Status Challenge
Platinum status with Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program could be closer than you think! One member has received a “mini status challenge” from Virgin. This member has just re-qualified for Gold Velocity status for another year. Now, Virgin has promised to upgrade their status tier to Platinum if they earn an additional 21 status … Continued

Qantas Dreamliner Lands in Australia
Qantas’ first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has touched down in Sydney. VH-ZNA, named “Great Southern Land”, arrived last Friday after its delivery flight from Seattle with a stop in Honolulu. The first Dreamliner will begin its flying career conducting domestic crew familiarisation flights. These flights are designed for crew training and to iron out any unforeseen … Continued

How to Spend an 11 Hour Bangkok Layover?
Eleven hours is a long time to spend in any airport. But that’s exactly what our member MH_fan plans to do in Bangkok. Their inbound flight from Europe arrives in the morning, with the onward Qantas flight to Sydney departing late in the afternoon. This leaves our member with 11 hours to spare. I have … Continued

Business Class to Hawaii using Qantas Points
Hawaii is a popular destination for Australian holidaymakers. So, it’s no surprise that Qantas’ Sydney-Honolulu flight is an extremely popular route for frequent flyers hoping to use their Qantas points for a Business class reward. Unfortunately, Qantas rarely ever releases Business class award seats to Hawaii. Point upgrades are also extremely difficult to score on … Continued
Disgruntled Qantas Customers Kept Waiting
If you’ve been waiting an eternity for a refund from Qantas, you’re not alone. Many Qantas customers have posted recently about their frustration in waiting for a refund from the airline. It appears that waiting several months for a refund from Qantas, even in cases where the airline cancelled its own flight, is now normal. … Continued

Lufthansa First Class: Service Starts on the Ground
Our member Princess Fiona was recently lucky enough to experience Lufthansa’s First class service on a flight from Frankfurt to Chicago. The in-flight service was exceptional, but the First class experience began long before Princess Fiona stepped onto the plane. After a short connecting flight from Berlin, the layover in Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub was long … Continued
Qantas Cash as an Everyday Banking Card?
If you have a Qantas Frequent Flyer card, chances are that you also have a Qantas Cash card. This is the debit card on the back of your frequent flyer membership card. The airline advertises Qantas Cash as a “travel money” card, but is it a viable option as an everyday banking card to use … Continued

Emirates Cancels Most Trans-Tasman Flights
Emirates’ trans-Tasman A380 flights have been hugely popular with travellers. Until recently, Emirates offered four daily A380 flights across the Tasman to New Zealand. But soon, this will be decreased to just one daily flight between Sydney and Christchurch. Emirates withdrew from the Sydney-Auckland route in July this year. To cover Emirates’ absence, Qantas upgraded … Continued