Latest news

Changes at Melbourne’s Hilton on the Park

For a long time, Melbourne’s Hilton on the Park (HOP) has been a favourite amongst members. With Hilton Diamond status a benefit of Virgin Platinum, many of our members are elite members of the Hilton Honors program. Being close to the city but not in it, close to the MCG and looking after elite members … Continued

18 Nov 2014 Accor Live Limitless Hilton Honors

Finding cheap flights

From time to time, we get inquiries from members struggling to find a cheap flight using points or cash. While the normal online tools, such as Skyscanner etc often work, sometimes they just are not good enough. In this case, it was a flight to South America, which seemed to be coming up very expensive. … Continued

17 Nov 2014 Travel Tools & Technology

Loitering with intent and the quest for cheap points

Have you ever been waiting in line at a supermarket self checkout frustrated at how slow people are paying for their groceries? Lately, there might be a good reason why. It seems some of our members prefer to pay for their purchase in small increments! Regarding Coles & Woolworths …I’m now doing 99 – 149 … Continued

15 Nov 2014 Credit Cards

Virgin’s lesson in tardiness

One platinum member this week is furious that they were pulled from a flight for arriving at the gate 15 minute prior to departure time. This resulted in our member having to fork out an additional $120 to catch a later flight. It would seem that Virgin made little effort to track our traveler down … Continued

13 Nov 2014 Virgin Australia

When a picture says a thousand words

This week’s trip report is light on words but heavy on detail, thanks to our member having taken the time to video his experience and post the content for us to enjoy. Featuring a journey to South Africa, they were lucky enough to be travelling in Premium Economy. The path the aircraft took, travelling over … Continued

12 Nov 2014 Flight Reviews

Cairns gets more international flights

While the rest of Queensland enjoys an economy that has until recently done well, things have not been so rosy up north. With what some would say is an over reliance on tourism, the businesses of Cairns and its environs have suffered in recent years. News this week that a new international carrier would soon … Continued

11 Nov 2014 Airports & Lounges

AFF Members and our Qantas Rep act promptly when tragedy strikes

While many of the threads on AFF feature the good things in life, occasionally we get a reminder that others may not be so lucky. Sometimes that journey is not about seeing new places. One day we will all make our final journey, and for some, it’s with the full knowledge of what lies ahead. … Continued

8 Nov 2014 Qantas

Seating safety: a “weighty” issue

A photograph of an overweight man sitting in a very tight plane seat has resurfaced this week. This photograph has evoked sympathy for both the overweight man and the unfortunate person sitting next to him. In a nation whose waistlines are expanding, our members discuss some of the practicalities of airlines dealings with overweight passengers. … Continued

6 Nov 2014 In Flight

Ibiza – the destination is the journey

Ibiza is a town known for one thing – parties. While getting there is a journey in itself if you are from Australia, experiencing Ibiza during party season is another trip altogether. Ibiza is tiny in size but jam packed full of entertainment – think the size of Singapore but 100 times the fun. The … Continued

5 Nov 2014 Destinations

Jetstar Carry-on cutbacks

As the peak Christmas travel season approaches, some travellers are in for something of a shock. For those trying to avoid those extra baggage charges by smuggling the kitchen sink on board, the time is up. Not only are the airlines taking a more serious approach to policing carry on luggage, some are even changing … Continued

4 Nov 2014 Jetstar

Cheap Business or Premium Economy?

For some time, many of our savvy members have been aware of the excellent value on offer when flying Fiji Air Business Class to the USA. While it does require a stopover or transit in both directions, often you can enjoy the trip in Business Class comfort at excep-tional pricing. When faced with the choice … Continued

3 Nov 2014 Planning & Booking

Finding the “sweet spot” for advanced bookings

Like many services, travel is often a case of supply and demand. If there are cheap fares on offer for a flight, chances are it’s not a popular flight. If fares are high, you can be sure there are not many seats on offer. To complicate things, airlines may lower the price even further at … Continued

1 Nov 2014 Planning & Booking