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.
Free Chairman’s Lounge for Politicians: A Conflict of Interest?
In Australia, members of parliament are eligible for complimentary membership of Qantas’ exclusive, invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge. This comes with the ultimate in perks when flying with Qantas including personalised service, free upgrades and access to dedicated VIP lounges in major Australian airports – among many other unwritten benefits. Virgin Australia also operates a special invitation-only … Continued
Air Canada Boeing 787 Economy Class Review
Air Canada uses Boeing 787 Dreamliners on many long-haul international routes, including from Sydney and Brisbane to Vancouver. These aircraft are also frequently used on busy domestic routes such as Toronto-Vancouver. For this review, I tested out Air Canada’s Boeing 787-9 Economy Class on a relatively short Canadian domestic flight from Vancouver to Calgary. Flight … Continued
Is Airline Status Worthwhile If Flying Business Class?
For many frequent flyers, top-tier elite status is the “holy grail” of airline loyalty programs. It comes with lots of extra benefits when you fly, such as lounge access, access to priority queues and a higher chance of getting upgraded. As a result, some frequent flyers are willing to go quite extreme lengths to attain … Continued
Berlin Airport Now Offers Timed Security Line Reservations
Long waits at airport security have been a common traveller complaint in recent months. This has been a particular problem in busy European airports where chaotic queues have stretched into the hours at times, causing many to miss their flights. If you’re flying in Business or First Class, or have elite status with a frequent … Continued
Your Emirates Skywards Miles Might Soon Expire
If you have Emirates Skywards miles that have been sitting in your account during the pandemic, you may need to act fast to prevent them from expiring and losing all their value! Like many airlines, Emirates has been extending the validity of Skywards miles that would have been due to expire during the COVID-19 pandemic … Continued
New Qantas Business Lounge for Adelaide
Qantas has announced plans to build a new domestic Business Lounge at Adelaide Airport to serve alongside its existing Qantas Club lounge. It’s one of a range of Qantas lounge upgrades announced today as Qantas revealed an underlying loss before tax of $1.86 billion for the 2021-22 financial year. The new Qantas domestic Business Lounge … Continued
Qantas to Resume Sydney-New York Route in 2023
Qantas will return to the Big Apple in 2023, with a new one-stop service from Sydney to New York’s JFK airport via Auckland, New Zealand. Launching on 14 June 2023, Qantas flight QF3 will depart Sydney at 10.05am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Auckland at 3.15pm. After a 105-minute turnaround in Auckland, the … Continued
Virgin Reopens Premium Lounge Entry in Brisbane
Virgin Australia has reopened the Premium Entry to its lounge at Brisbane Airport during the morning peak. But there’s still no planned re-opening date for the Premium Lounge Entry in Sydney. The Premium Entry was a popular benefit before COVID-19, and its return will be welcomed by frequent flyers. It allows Velocity Gold and Platinum … Continued
Redeem Points on Qantas’ New Samoa & Tonga Flights
Qantas recently launched weekly flights from Sydney to Tonga and Samoa, with the latter service operating via Brisbane. Seats to Tonga start from $866 return, while Sydney-Apia fares start from $966 return in Economy Class. Fares in Business are obviously a lot more expensive. But if you have Qantas points to spend, there’s currently good … Continued