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.
The Cost of Airline Loyalty
For frequent travellers, there are many benefits of frequent flyer program membership. The points earned can be put towards free flights & upgrades, and elite status offers benefits such as lounge access & priority check-in. But for a relatively infrequent flyer, does airline loyalty come at a cost that is not outweighed by the benefits? This week … Continued
Virgin “Enhancements” – Winners and Losers
Virgin Australia has announced major changes to its Velocity Frequent Flyer program. Many reward flight prices are increasing, and points will also expire more quickly. But it’s not all doom and gloom, with most redemptions on Singapore Airlines actually becoming cheaper. The big news is an increase to many of Virgin’s reward flight redemption rates. … Continued
The Ultimate Japan Travel Guide
Following a recent trip to Japan, our member Noel Mugavin has put together a detailed trip report. This ultimate Japan travel guide that shows the best of what Japan has to offer. The trip began well. For a country famous for its efficiency, our member was not let down after arriving in Tokyo on an early … Continued
The Absence of Third-Party Airport Lounges in Australia
For frequent flyers, airport lounges become a part of the travel experience that is almost as important as the flights themselves. Gold and Platinum Qantas & Virgin Australia flyers – and their equivalent in other frequent flyer programs – gain unlimited access to their airline’s lounges whenever they fly. But not everyone flies enough to … Continued
Upgrading Qantas Reward Flights with Points
Qantas is now allowing classic reward flights to be upgraded with points. This means that passengers using points to book reward flights in Economy or Premium Economy can enter the “upgrade lottery” for a bump-up to Premium Economy or Business class. (Business Class rewards remain ineligible for upgrades to First class.) So… is this a … Continued
First Class Seats for Qantas Business Passengers
Some lucky Qantas Business class passengers have the opportunity to fly in First class seats – for no extra cost! Qantas international flights operated by Boeing 747 aircraft are sold as three-class services; featuring Economy, Premium Economy and Business class. But two of Qantas’ remaining Boeing 747s actually feature a fourth cabin class: First. As Qantas … Continued
Best Hotels for the Best Prices
This week our members share their hotel booking strategies! The right tools and a bit of research are key to scoring the best hotel for the best price. There are two steps to booking hotels. Websites such as Booking.com and Expedia can help with the first step – selecting a hotel – as they present an overview of … Continued
US West Coast: One of the Great Drives
The air route between San Francisco and Los Angeles is one of the busiest in the United States. Millions of passengers fly between two of California’s largest cities each year. But it seems there is much more to see on the US west coast when travelling between the two cities by road. As part of a … Continued
Best Use for 500,000 Velocity Points?
One member this week is pondering the best way to spend their more than half a million Virgin Velocity frequent flyer points. So I have half a million points at the moment and kinda have a dilemma using them. I was looking at maybe in 1.5 years time to use the points on a Europe … Continued