Author: Matt Graham
Budget airlines: costs and benefits
A new member will soon begin commuting weekly between the Gold Coast and Sydney for work. While they are keen to maximise comfort and perks, they will be paying for all flights out of their own pocket. With this in mind, our member wonders whether the money saved by flying low-cost might outweigh the benefits … Continued
New “Border Clearance Levy” results in higher airfares to NZ
Flights to New Zealand will become $22 more expensive after the New Zealand government announced a new tax on arriving and departing passengers. The “border clearance levy” has been spruiked by the New Zealand government as a way to cover the cost of customs and border protection. Our members are not particularly thrilled about this. … Continued
Virgin’s Fare Promise worthless?
With much hype, Virgin Australia recently introduced its “Fare Promise”. Under the scheme, Virgin claims it will match the prices of its own flights if they are cheaper on a third-party website. In addition, members with eligible claims will receive 500 Velocity points. It sounds good in theory, but a closer inspection of the fine … Continued
Forced downgrade leaves Expedia customer fuming
One member is furious that online travel agent Expedia downgraded their business class ticket to economy without explanation. Having booked a business class trip to Europe, Expedia now says the member will need to pay $1,200 to “upgrade” the ticket back to business class. When our member then threatened to cancel the ticket, Expedia demanded … Continued
Heading north for some winter warmth
We are currently approaching one year since Qantas stopped selling JASAs, or business class Any Seat Awards. These awards were very popular as our members were able to book reward seats at classic award prices, and also earn points and status credits for the journey. Some of our clever members, such as amaroo, bought one … Continued
First Class, First Timer
One member is in a rather envious position. They want to use their frequent flyer points to cross that first class flight off their bucket list. Faced with a multitude of airlines and first class products to choose from, our member asks for advice in choosing the best route and airline to make the most … Continued
Qantas flying to San Francisco, American flying to Sydney
Flights across the Pacific are set to get a shake-up. From December, American Airlines will begin flying between Sydney and Los Angeles daily. To coincide with the launch, Qantas will itself launch a new route from Sydney to San Francisco. The airlines, who are already close partners, will collaborate and codeshare on each others’ flights … Continued
Avoiding unfair airline fees – a creative solution
An airline passenger in the UK has come up with a clever way to avoid paying a “name change fee” on an airline ticket. The passenger was accidentally booked under the wrong name, but European low-cost airline Ryanair wanted to charge £220 (about $440!) for the name on the ticket to be changed. Instead of … Continued
Lost Luggage Havoc
One member was shocked recently to discover their carry-on luggage had been stolen between boarding the plane and take-off. This member had placed their carry-on items including a computer and credit cards in the seat pocket after boarding. They then got up to use the bathroom before take-off, returning only to discover that the items … Continued