Latest news

Australians require visa for Indonesia after all

Despite an announcement last year that Australians travelling to Indonesia would no longer need a visa, it seems Indonesia has backflipped on its decision. Australians will still be required to obtain a visa-on-arrival after all. It was originally thought that Australians would be exempt from the requirement from January this year, but the commencement date … Continued

23 Mar 2015 Travel Lifestyle

Virgin Happy Hours not so cheery lately

Following the end of the price war between Qantas and Virgin, combined with the recent removal of Virgin’s cheapest Saver Lite fares, our members have noticed that Virgin Australia’s so-called Happy Hour specials have not been looking too happy lately. The Thursday afternoon specials once offered some great deals on flights to a selection of … Continued

21 Mar 2015 Virgin Australia

Drink Refusal: Confusion in Qantas Club

One sober member this week was denied a fourth drink in the Qantas lounge due to the alleged enforcement of Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) rules. The RSA rule spruiked by the Qantas staffer was that they were not allowed to serve any more than three drinks in a ninety minute period. Qantas have defended … Continued

19 Mar 2015 Airports & Lounges

Experiencing the beauty of Victoria Falls

With a few days to fill at the tail end of their South African adventure, our member Flying mermaid decided to visit the world-famous Victoria Falls. The visit certainly did not disappoint! The falls are awesome!! and so long – we have only seen a tiny stretch so far and we walked a long way. … Continued

18 Mar 2015 Destinations

Is Qantas Silver Status worthwhile?

A member is planning a large overseas trip at the end of the year and is wondering whether or not it would be worthwhile to attain silver status with Qantas before the trip. I am 220 status credits away from Silver with a month to go in this year. I noticed that once Silver is … Continued

17 Mar 2015 Qantas

What the US Airways/American merger means for your miles

Many of our members are bracing themselves for the day the US Airways Dividend Miles and American Airlines AAdvantage programs merge next month. Dividend Miles has been a very popular program amongst our members, largely due to the ability to buy cheap miles to use in premium cabins on oneworld airlines. Next month, however, the … Continued

16 Mar 2015 American Airlines

Cash Lost on Jetstar Booking?

Our member has noticed a dramatic price drop in tickets to Honolulu which they booked at the start of the year. The price for the four tickets flying Jetstar has dropped by $1600 in just a matter of months. Our frustrated member is Qantas Gold and is seeking our views on whether they have any … Continued

12 Mar 2015 Jetstar

New Qantas A330 business suite put to the test

Our member pythonisman was on a mission to earn Qantas Gold status on a trip to Japan and Cambodia. Within Asia, business class flights on oneworld airlines Malaysia Airlines and Japan Airlines brought the member not just to their destinations, but also closer to their status credit goal. But first our member had to get … Continued

11 Mar 2015 Flight Reviews

Top Tips for first-timers visiting Bangkok

One member this week seeks advice about the Thai capital of Bangkok. What to do? Where to stay? What to eat? …have a long weekend planned in Bangkok. Neither of us have visited previously. Looking for those with some knowledge to share their tips please. We are early 30’s celebrating getting engaged. As always, our … Continued

10 Mar 2015 Destinations

Overseas travel for children: Assist or Hinder their education?

It was recently reported that the NSW Department of Education will crack down on family holidays during the school term. They claim that missing days of school to go on holiday is detrimental to a student’s academic performance. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of our members disagree with this claim. Firstly, most agree that the educational value … Continued

9 Mar 2015 Travel Lifestyle

Flying to Europe & back for under $1000!

The introduction of “low-cost carriers” has seen a dramatic drop in the price of airfares, making it possible to fly long distances for just a few hundred dollars, or short distances for less than the cost of the cab to the airport! But when it comes to cheap flights to Europe, there have traditionally been … Continued

7 Mar 2015 Planning & Booking

Virgin Removes Bag-Free Fares. Enhancement or not?

On 17 March 2015 Virgin will remove the Saver-Lite fares from all domestic routes except Trans-Tasman routes. Virgin have announced that all fares will now include complimentary check-in luggage. Our members are sceptical about this so called enhancement. Firstly many members are disappointed that they will no longer have the bag-free option which allowed them … Continued

5 Mar 2015 Virgin Australia