Latest news

The Qatar Blockade is Over

Qatar Airways has reinstated flights to Saudi Arabia after the embargo preventing Qatari airlines from entering the airspace of four countries was revoked. It reportedly follows months of mediation efforts by Kuwait and the United States. In 2017, the countries of Bahrain, Saudia Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all cut diplomatic ties with … Continued

13 Jan 2021 Qatar Airways

Face Masks Mandatory on Domestic Flights

Wearing a face mask is now mandatory on all domestic flights within Australia, following a decision by National Cabinet last week. Passengers and staff are also now required to wear a face mask in all Australian airports, including in airport lounges. Children under 12 years old are exempt from the requirement, as are people with … Continued

13 Jan 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Emirates Reveals New Premium Economy Seats

Emirates has unveiled the much-anticipated new Premium Economy seats to be installed on a selection of Airbus A380s and new Boeing 777X aircraft. The spacious Premium Economy recliner seats are 19.5 inches wide and offer up to 40 inches of legroom – 2 inches more than Qantas’ Premium Economy seats. Other features include a 13.3″ … Continued

13 Jan 2021 Emirates

Review: Virgin Australia’s Reopened Brisbane Lounge (2021)

Following an eight-month closure, Virgin Australia has now reopened five of its domestic airport lounges. Virgin’s lounges in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne reopened late last year, while the Gold Coast and Perth lounges opened their doors again from today. The Adelaide and Canberra lounges are yet to reopen, while Virgin’s other former lounges will remain … Continued

12 Jan 2021 Airport Lounge Reviews

Qantas Hangs Up on Platinum Member Requesting Refund

A Qantas call centre agent hung up on a Platinum frequent flyer calling to enquire why it was taking so long to receive a refund for their cancelled flight. The incident not only highlights the poor customer service many receive from the Qantas call centre, but also the lengthy delays many Qantas customers experience with … Continued

21 Dec 2020 Qantas

Sydney COVID-19 Outbreak Ruins Christmas Travel Plans

After a nightmare year, it seemed just one week ago that Australia was finally on track for all internal state borders to be reopened by Christmas. Until just a few days ago, there was only one remaining state border restriction in place, preventing South Australians from travelling to Western Australia. This was (and still is) … Continued

21 Dec 2020 Coronavirus and Travel

Qantas to Launch 7 New Regional Routes in Early 2021

Qantas will launch flights on seven new regional routes in early 2021, including to two new destinations, drawing the ire of rival Rex. Just as Qantas’ inaugural Sydney-Merimbula flight departed this week, Qantas announced a raft of new regional routes from Melbourne. Qantas will also start flights from Sydney to Griffith, and Adelaide to Mt … Continued

20 Dec 2020 Qantas

Rex’s “Strong-Armed” Tactics Against Local Councils Exposed

Regional Express Airlines (Rex), Australia’s largest independent regional airline, has been profitable almost every year since 2004. Given the volatility of the aviation industry and tight margins on regional aviation, that’s a remarkable achievement for the airline which will shortly launch jet services between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. But has Rex’s success been at the … Continued

18 Dec 2020 Rex & Regional Airlines

Virgin Lounge Pass Holders Incorrectly Denied Entry

A Virgin Australia flyer has been incorrectly denied entry to the airline’s newly-reopened lounge at Sydney Airport. Despite holding a valid lounge pass issued by ANZ Bank, the Virgin lounge attendant erroneously informed the customer that single-use lounge passes issued via the customer’s ANZ credit card were no longer being honoured. AFF member Duck posted on Wednesday: … Continued

17 Dec 2020 Virgin Australia

Photos: Melbourne Airport’s International Terminal in December 2020

Last week, Melbourne Airport began accepting international arrivals (who go directly into hotel quarantine) for the first time since June. But with the controversial international arrival caps still in place, and Australians still banned from leaving the country without a travel exemption, the international terminal at Melbourne Airport remains eeriely quiet. An Australian Frequent Flyer reader was … Continued

17 Dec 2020 Airports & Lounges

Domestic Reward Flights Can Still Be Great Value

Many of us save up frequent flyer points to redeem for international travel. But with Australia’s international borders remaining closed for a while longer, and domestic travel resuming, now could be a good time to burn some points for domestic reward flights within Australia instead. Sure, redeeming points for a flight to Melbourne or Perth … Continued

16 Dec 2020 Points Inspiration Qantas

No Staff, No Service: The Future of Flying Qantas?

Last month Qantas announced a plan to close its airport service desks and sales counters, including the service counters in Qantas airport lounges. The airline says that the removal of face-to-face contact points is designed to “enhance customer confidence in flying” during the pandemic. But if the recent experience of a Qantas Platinum member flying … Continued

14 Dec 2020 Qantas