Latest news

Denied Entry to Another Country: Who’s at Fault?

One member recently had the unfortunate experience of being denied entry to a country because they did not have the correct visa. This member inadvertently flew with Qantas to Papua New Guinea without the necessary visa, and was sent on the next flight back to Australia after being stopped at the border. I had a rather … Continued

16 Nov 2016 Post Flight

Hyatt Overhauls Loyalty Program

Hyatt Hotels will completely overhaul its loyalty program from March 2017. Hyatt Gold Passport, Hyatt’s current rewards program, will become “World of Hyatt” as a host of changes are made to status benefits and the way in which status is earned. Replacing the existing Platinum and Diamond status tiers will be three new levels, the … Continued

14 Nov 2016 World of Hyatt

An Eastern Canada Road Trip

AFF member OZDUCK recently enjoyed a Canadian road trip, taking advantage of the Northern Hemisphere summer as they travelled from Toronto to Halifax using a mixture of hire cars and trains. Being based in Perth, it made sense to fly Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong. Cathay flies directly into Toronto, making one-stop connections possible from … Continued

12 Nov 2016 Destinations

Qantas Points Refused

A Qantas flyer is bitterly disappointed after the airline refused to award any points or status credits for their flight. The Qantas flight to Shanghai was booked directly on the airline’s website. Our member had been relying on the status credits to reach the next status tier. Qantas advertises that all Qantas flights booked on its … Continued

10 Nov 2016 Qantas

Flight Delayed? You Could Earn $860!

Flight delays can be frustrating, but sometimes there’s a silver lining. If you’re flying on a European airline, or any other airline on a flight departing Europe, you could be entitled to compensation. The European Union has generous laws designed to help passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations. The “EU261” regulations entitle passengers to … Continued

9 Nov 2016 Post Flight

Qantas Enhances Loyalty Bonus

Qantas Frequent Flyer members can now opt to earn 50 bonus status credits with each loyalty bonus. The Qantas loyalty bonus is awarded each time a member earns 500 status credits from flights on Qantas or Jetstar, up to four times per membership year. Currently 8,000 points are awarded as part of the loyalty bonus. Members … Continued

7 Nov 2016 Qantas

Virgin Cuts Lounge Access

Virgin Australia passengers have lost access to Air New Zealand airport lounges, unless flying across the ditch. The changes come amidst reports that Virgin will also soon start charging domestic lounge guests for spirits. The lounges available to Gold & Platinum Velocity members, as well as Business passengers, on international flights will now depend on … Continued

3 Nov 2016 Virgin Australia

Dealing with Unexpected Hotel Charges

Unexpected charges on a hotel bill can be frustrating at the best of times. But one member recently discovered a fraudulent addition to their bill of almost $300 worth of room service charges! I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Central Park from 24-28 September and had a room service charge to my account for USD 290.75 (yes that … Continued

2 Nov 2016 Hilton Honors

Qantas Reveals New Logo, 787 Seats

Qantas has unveiled its Boeing 787 cabin configuration, along with a brand new logo and aircraft livery. The 787 Dreamliner, which enters service in late 2017, will feature 42 Business Suites, 28 Premium Economy and 166 Economy seats. The Business Suites will be similar in design to the current Airbus A330 suites, with a 1-2-1 configuration. … Continued

29 Oct 2016 Qantas

Earn Velocity Points at Coles

In exciting news for frequent flyers, it’s now possible to earn Virgin Velocity points and status credits by shopping at Coles! There’s even a 15% bonus available on point transfers from Coles’ Flybuys program to Velocity Frequent Flyer until the end of November. 2,000 Flybuys points, usually worth $10, can now be converted to 870 … Continued

27 Oct 2016 Flybuys

Sampling Singapore Airlines’ New Canberra Flight

Singapore Airlines last month began international flights to Canberra. Dubbed the “Capital Express”, the 4x weekly Boeing 777 flights operate from Singapore to Canberra, continuing to Wellington in New Zealand. Our member Colin 2905 managed to pick up a great value fare to Europe, using the new service to fly directly from Canberra. As one of the … Continued

26 Oct 2016 Flight Reviews

Pros & Cons of Switching Airline Loyalty

If you’re unhappy with your current airline of choice, the grass may look greener on the other side. But is it really worth taking the leap of faith and switching your airline loyalty? That’s the dilemma currently faced by one Platinum Virgin Australia flyer. While they’re feeling underwhelmed with Virgin, they don’t want to lose … Continued

24 Oct 2016 Virgin Australia