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The Alice Springs “Plane Graveyard” – AIR055

  Visitors to Alice Springs, a town in Australia’s red centre, have been greeted by an unusual sight since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The town is also now the temporary home of Singapore Airlines A380s, Cathay Pacific 777s, and many other airliners grounded by the pandemic. In total, there are now around 150 … Continued

6 Mar 2021 AFF on Air (blubrry)

Qantas Launches “Mystery Flight” Adventures

Qantas is launching a series of “mystery flight” weekend adventures, with tickets going on sale from 12pm (AEDT) today. Many airlines have sold mystery flights in the past, where travellers purchase a ticket for a regularly scheduled flight but don’t learn where they’ll be flying until the last minute. But these new Qantas mystery flights … Continued

4 Mar 2021 Qantas

Australia Extends Outbound Travel Ban Until 17 June 2021

The Australian government has extended the outbound travel ban for a further three months. It means Australian citizens and permanent residents will continue to need a travel restriction exemption to leave the country until at least 17 June 2021 – three months later than previously announced – although it is likely that the travel ban … Continued

3 Mar 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Rex to Launch Boeing 737 Flights to Adelaide & Gold Coast

Rex will complement its newly-launched Boeing 737 flights between Sydney and Melbourne with new routes to Adelaide and Gold Coast from the end of March. Starting from 29 March 2021, Rex will fly twice per day direct from Melbourne to the Gold Coast using Boeing 737-800s. Tickets are on sale from $79 one-way in Economy, … Continued

2 Mar 2021 Rex & Regional Airlines

Etihad Guest Miles Unlock Cheap Virgin Australia Reward Flights

Update: Please note that Etihad Guest ended its partnership with Virgin Australia in June 2025. Unfortunately, you can no longer redeem Etihad Guest miles on Virgin Australia. You can of course redeem Velocity Frequent Flyer points to book reward seats on Virgin Australia flights. But did you know that most Etihad Guest redemptions on Virgin … Continued

2 Mar 2021 Etihad Airways Points Inspiration

Get 30% off Qantas Sydney-Melbourne Reward Flights [March 2021]

If you’re thinking about booking a last-minute flight between Sydney and Melbourne, you can now get 30% off Qantas Classic Flight Reward seats for travel any time during March 2021, as well as from 13 April-22 June 2021. Qantas Sydney-Melbourne flights are currently available for just 5,600 Qantas points + $38.12 in taxes & carrier … Continued

1 Mar 2021 Qantas

Rex Melbourne-Sydney 737 Flights Start Today

The inaugural Regional Express (Rex) Boeing 737-800 passenger flight took off this morning, with flight ZL18 departing from Melbourne to Sydney at 7am. It marks the beginning of jet aircraft operations for Rex, whose business model since launching in 2002 had previously been to just fly small turboprop aircraft to country towns. Over the coming … Continued

1 Mar 2021 Rex & Regional Airlines

Qantas Wine Sales Boomed During COVID-19 Lockdowns

Qantas Wine sales increased by 74% in the second half of 2020, compared to the same period a year earlier, with Qantas attributing the record increase to “shifts in consumer behaviour during lockdown”. The revenue from Qantas Wine was the highest it has ever been, taking into account both cash sales and frequent flyer point … Continued

28 Feb 2021 Qantas

Qantas Now Plans to Restart International Flights in October 2021

Qantas says it now plans to resume international flights to most destinations from the end of October 2021, although it has so far only resumed selling tickets on 27 of its previous 37 international long-haul routes. Last month, Qantas – perhaps too optimistically – reopened international bookings from 1 July 2021. But the airline yesterday … Continued

26 Feb 2021 Qantas

Review: Virgin Australia’s New Adelaide Lounge

Virgin Australia has gradually been reopening its airport lounges ever since it exited voluntary administration in November 2020. Beginning with the Brisbane lounge, Virgin has now also reopened its existing lounges in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Gold Coast. Unfortunately, as I discovered on a recent visit to the Virgin Australia Lounge in Brisbane, the service … Continued

25 Feb 2021 Airport Lounge Reviews

Virgin Australia Opens New Lounge in Adelaide

Virgin Australia flyers in Adelaide now have access to a brand new lounge, following the opening of the new Virgin Australia Lounge at Adelaide Airport today. Virgin’s final remaining lounge in Canberra is also due to reopen next month. Around double the size of the previous Virgin lounge in Adelaide, the bright new space features … Continued

23 Feb 2021 Virgin Australia

Rex Shakes Up Regional Network in Response to Qantas “Predatory Moves”

Rex has announced that it will cut flights to five regional destinations, while adding more services on routes currently served by Qantas in response to what it’s calling “aggressive predatory moves by Qantas”. It has also called on the ACCC yet again to take “enforcement actions against Qantas”. But Qantas has hit back, calling the … Continued

23 Feb 2021 Rex & Regional Airlines