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The Best Qantas A380 Economy Seats

The prospect of sitting in Economy on a long-haul flight can be daunting. But not all seats were created equal! Luckily, exit row and extra-legroom seats can make the flight much more comfortable. There are a number of excellent Qantas Economy seats on the Airbus A380 to choose from. What economy seats would people suggest for … Continued

15 Mar 2016 Qantas

ID Checks at Australian Domestic Airports?

There have recently been calls to make identification checks mandatory for all passengers flying within Australia. The checks would be intended to prevent criminals from flying under a fake name. Booking a ticket using a false name is already a serious criminal offence. However, the introduction of online check-in and self-service kiosks means that it … Continued

14 Mar 2016 Airports & Lounges

The Cost of Airline Loyalty

For frequent travellers, there are many benefits of frequent flyer program membership. The points earned can be put towards free flights & upgrades, and elite status offers benefits such as lounge access & priority check-in. But for a relatively infrequent flyer, does airline loyalty come at a cost that is not outweighed by the benefits? This week … Continued

12 Mar 2016 Airlines, Miles and Points

Virgin “Enhancements” – Winners and Losers

Virgin Australia has announced major changes to its Velocity Frequent Flyer program. Many reward flight prices are increasing, and points will also expire more quickly. But it’s not all doom and gloom, with most redemptions on Singapore Airlines actually becoming cheaper. The big news is an increase to many of Virgin’s reward flight redemption rates. … Continued

10 Mar 2016 Virgin Australia

The Ultimate Japan Travel Guide

Following a recent trip to Japan, our member Noel Mugavin has put together a detailed trip report. This ultimate Japan travel guide that shows the best of what Japan has to offer. The trip began well. For a country famous for its efficiency, our member was not let down after arriving in Tokyo on an early … Continued

9 Mar 2016 Destinations

The Absence of Third-Party Airport Lounges in Australia

For frequent flyers, airport lounges become a part of the travel experience that is almost as important as the flights themselves. Gold and Platinum Qantas & Virgin Australia flyers – and their equivalent in other frequent flyer programs – gain unlimited access to their airline’s lounges whenever they fly. But not everyone flies enough to … Continued

8 Mar 2016 Airports & Lounges

Upgrading Qantas Reward Flights with Points

Qantas is now allowing classic reward flights to be upgraded with points. This means that passengers using points to book reward flights in Economy or Premium Economy can enter the “upgrade lottery” for a bump-up to Premium Economy or Business class. (Business Class rewards remain ineligible for upgrades to First class.) So… is this a … Continued

7 Mar 2016 Qantas

First Class Seats for Qantas Business Passengers

Some lucky Qantas Business class passengers have the opportunity to fly in First class seats – for no extra cost! Qantas international flights operated by Boeing 747 aircraft are sold as three-class services; featuring Economy, Premium Economy and Business class. But two of Qantas’ remaining Boeing 747s actually feature a fourth cabin class: First. As Qantas … Continued

5 Mar 2016 Qantas

Best Hotels for the Best Prices

This week our members share their hotel booking strategies! The right tools and a bit of research are key to scoring the best hotel for the best price. There are two steps to booking hotels. Websites such as Booking.com and Expedia can help with the first step – selecting a hotel – as they present an overview of … Continued

3 Mar 2016 Hotel Loyalty Programs

US West Coast: One of the Great Drives

The air route between San Francisco and Los Angeles is one of the busiest in the United States. Millions of passengers fly between two of California’s largest cities each year. But it seems there is much more to see on the US west coast when travelling between the two cities by road. As part of a … Continued

2 Mar 2016 Destinations

Best Use for 500,000 Velocity Points?

One member this week is pondering the best way to spend their more than half a million Virgin Velocity frequent flyer points. So I have half a million points at the moment and kinda have a dilemma using them. I was looking at maybe in 1.5 years time to use the points on a Europe … Continued

1 Mar 2016 Virgin Australia

Free Wifi on Qantas Flights

Qantas will soon launch free in-flight wifi on domestic flights! The announcement that high-speed internet will soon be available on Qantas’ Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 aircraft has been welcomed by our members. Would be great to be able to watch Netflix on my flights on the Golden Triangle as I usually exhaust everything I’m interested … Continued

29 Feb 2016 Travel Tools & Technology