Airlines, Miles and Points

Airlines, miles, and points is the most popular topic at Australian Frequent Flyer. In this category, we provide expert tips, insider tricks, and facilitate discussions about Qantas, Virgin Australia, non-Australian airlines, and global airline alliances. From earning and redeeming frequent flyer points to maximising elite status benefits, we aim to help you get the most out of your travel. We also cover every step of the journey – from planning and booking flights to experiencing the flight itself, and finally, arriving at your destination. Whether you're a seasoned traveller or just starting to explore the world of frequent flyer programs, you'll find valuable advice to elevate your travel experience. See below for articles on airlines, miles and points.

Jetstar 787 takes off

Jetstar Resumes Flights to Bali

The first Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Bali in almost two years will take off this morning, taking almost 300 Australians to the Indonesian holiday destination. Flight JQ43 will take off from Melbourne at 9.55am this morning, with the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner arriving at 12.45pm local time. Many of the passengers on board would have … Continued

14 Mar 2022 Jetstar
Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800

What Airlines Does Bain Capital Own?

In 2020, Bain Capital purchased Virgin Australia out of voluntary administration after months of negotiations. The Boston-based US private equity firm now owns almost 95% of Virgin Australia, along with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group which owns around a 5% share. A small stake in the airline was also purchased by the Queensland government. Following the sale to … Continued

13 Mar 2022 Virgin Australia
Qantas 737 taxis to runway 34R at Sydney Airport

Airlines Playing a Cruel Cancellation Game

Throughout the pandemic, airlines have had to cancel a lot of flights. This is already inconvenient enough for customers who had booked tickets on flights that are no longer going ahead. But airlines including Qantas have found a way to make the experience even worse for passengers. Over the last couple of years, Qantas has … Continued

7 Mar 2022 Qantas
Emirates A380 bar

Emirates Massively Raises Carrier Charges

Emirates has massively increased the carrier charges that Qantas Frequent Flyer members need to pay when redeeming a reward seat, without warning. This is the airline-imposed surcharge that needs to be paid in addition to airport and government-levied fees and taxes when booking a Classic Reward flight. For a round-trip Emirates Business Class reward flight … Continued

5 Mar 2022 Emirates
Etihad Airways 787 flying over Abu Dhabi

1,000 Free Etihad Miles + Win a Trip to Abu Dhabi

Etihad Airways is giving away 100 all-expenses-paid trips to Abu Dhabi for Australian members of its Etihad Guest frequent flyer program. A special “members flight” from Sydney to Abu Dhabi will depart on 2 April 2022, taking 100 lucky competition winners and their “plus ones” on a four-night trip to the United Arab Emirates capital. … Continued

5 Mar 2022 Etihad Airways
How to redeem Virgin Australia travel bank credits

Virgin Boosts Status Credits Until 30 June 2022

Virgin Australia will now give 45-100% more Velocity status credits on all flights taken from October 2021 until June 2022, following a 3-month extension to this promotion which was previously due to expire at the end of March. This offer is available to all Velocity Frequent Flyer members and will even be applied retrospectively to … Continued

Qatar Airways Qsuites

Qantas Frequent Flyers Blocked from Redeeming Qatar Qsuites

Update (25 March 2022): There have been some changes to the Qatar Airways award seat access given to Qantas Frequent Flyer members. Qatar Airways Business Class is popular with many Australian frequent flyers, especially as all flights to Australia will soon feature the airline’s award winning Qsuites product at the front of the plane. Qatar … Continued

3 Mar 2022 Qatar Airways
Where to get a COVID-19 pre-departure test

Qantas Forces Customer to Pay for Unnecessary COVID Test

A Qantas passenger is $79 out of pocket after staff refused to let her check-in without a COVID test certificate that she didn’t actually need. The passenger, who is the wife of AFF member gidxg03, was travelling with Qantas from Melbourne to London via Darwin, with an onward connection to Ireland. At the time of … Continued

3 Mar 2022 Qantas
Travel agent

Is a Travel Agent Renaissance Coming?

The coronavirus pandemic has sadly forced many bricks-and-mortar travel agencies to close, putting many skilled travel agents out of jobs. To make matters worse for surviving travel agencies, airlines everywhere are now trying to bolster their own recoveries by slashing commissions paid to travel agents. Yet, as international travel slowly rebounds, experienced travel agents are … Continued

Inflight staff serving food to a female business passenger in the business cabin, Qantas A330

Good Qantas Business Reward Availability to Delhi

Classic Flight Reward availability on Qantas long-haul flights in Business Class has been rather limited lately, with seats unavailable on many of Qantas’ popular international routes. But one Qantas route with ample award availability at the moment in Business Class is Melbourne-Delhi, a route that Qantas started flying in December 2021. Qantas currently flies 4x … Continued

Gin bar at the Qantas London Lounge

Qantas Continues Status Extensions Until December 2022

Qantas Frequent Flyer members with status expiring between July and December 2022 are now being offered an additional 12-month extension. This offer is available to Australian and New Zealand residents, who can activate it by booking at least one new eligible Qantas or international Jetstar flight. The booking must be made by the end of … Continued

28 Feb 2022 Qantas