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.

Transfer Amex Points for Maximum (A)Advantage

If you have an Amex credit card, you’re probably earning Amex Membership Rewards points. These points can be transferred to a variety of airline or other loyalty programs. But which is the best program to transfer points into to ensure maximum returns? Amex Membership Rewards points can be transferred to numerous airline loyalty programs, mostly … Continued

Our Frequent Flyer Millionaire!

A new member has managed to accumulate more than half a million frequent flyer points in just four months since joining AFF! It’s a staggering achievement, but perhaps even more surprising is how easy it was for our member to achieve their impressive new points balance. Our member has not been accumulating miles by flying … Continued

Australia’s longest shortcut

How should one return home after booking a one-way flight to the opposite end of the country? For AFF member JohnM, the answer was a scenic road trip that takes in the best of the Australian outback over the course of two weeks. I’m on the bird PER-xBNE-CNS tomorrow morning. Arrive tomorrow night and spending … Continued

Top Tips for travelling to Tahiti

Ahead of a trip to tropical Tahiti, advice is sought about the destination, and how to get there. I’m looking at the Qantas offering from Sydney to Tahiti. This consists of a JetConnect flight to Auckland and then an onward QF codeshare to Papeete operated by Air Tahiti Nui. A couple of questions to anyone … Continued

Virgin Australia's "the business" cabin on the Airbus A330-200

Virgin rolls out new Business Class seats

Virgin Australia has begun fitting its A330 aircraft with brand new, luxurious business class seats, with the airline’s Boeing 777s next in line for an upgrade. Pictures of the new seat design were released several months ago. Our members are very impressed by the elegant yet practical design. The seats convert into 80 inch lie-flat … Continued

Best use of Velocity Points to Europe

There are many different ways to use Virgin Velocity points to fly to Europe. Unfortunately Virgin Australia do not fly to anywhere in Europe using their own aircraft, but several partner airlines fill this gap. One of the most common methods would be to fly on Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi. As Etihad is a … Continued

Scam Alert: Dodgy Forex Dealers

This week a member recounts how they fell victim to a cunning scam while exchanging money in a popular overseas tourist destination. They estimate that 40% of their cash was lost in the bizarre experience. Deciding to take advantage of a good exchange rate, this member visited a small currency exchange office located “down a … Continued

Animal Spotting on a South African Road Trip

Two of our members recently travelled to South Africa for a holiday filled with safaris and many other adventures. Many different parts of South Africa were visited, including the world famous Kruger National Park. Among other things I’ll be visiting Cape Town, Kruger National Park, the Drakensberg Mountains and Victoria Falls (on the Zambian side). … Continued

Are Hotel Loyalty Programs worthwhile?

After many years of loyalty to certain hotel chains, through membership of their loyalty programs, one member has taken a step back to look at the bigger picture. They wonder whether their loyalty was worth the extra time and cost, or whether promiscuity is actually a better strategy for choosing a hotel? In the past, … Continued