Latest news

Travel to Indonesia gets easier (and cheaper)

Australian passport holders are reportedly one of the luckiest in the world. For many countries, the only preparation required is presenting your passport on arrival for an instant visa. There are however, always exceptions. One of the more popular destinations for Australian travellers, is Indonesia. At present this requires the purchase of a USD$35 Visa … Continued

2 Dec 2014 The Journey

How to catch those elusive long haul redemptions

Some of the better award flight redemptions to be had for any frequent flyer program can be found in the long haul options on offer. Using those hard earned points and a little cash to replace potentially thousands can be very good value. But you do need to put some effort into catching those redemptions, … Continued

1 Dec 2014 Qantas

Denied Service in the Qantas First Class Lounge

Regarded as two of the best airline lounges in the world by many, the Qantas First Class lounges in Sydney and Melbourne are a popular stop at the start of many a journey for our members. Offering a la carte dining and an extensive drinks list, one in theory can board the flight well watered … Continued

29 Nov 2014 Airport Lounge Reviews

90 Reasons to Fly Qantas – not!

A common theme on our discussion board in recent times is “Qantas-bashing”. Some members see this as a blood sport and engage in it freely and often, whilst others have grown tired of the constant barrage of Qantas-hating. This week our member’s take inspiration from a previous Qantas marketing campaign and set a goal to … Continued

27 Nov 2014 Qantas

The Middle East, Israeli style

Australians have plenty of choices these days when it comes to a journey to the Middle East and beyond. A plethora of direct services exist. Or one can choose to break up the journey by travelling via Asia. This week’s trip report is one that does exactly that. However, it involves travel with an airline … Continued

26 Nov 2014 Flight Reviews

Virgin and BP announce new partnership

Earning Frequent Flyer points for money you are spending anyway is always an attractive proposition. Fuel has become a significant expense for many and an easy way to earn Qantas points through the Woolworths/Caltex tie up. Many of the Caltex service stations also allow you to earn Myer One points as a double dip. While … Continued

25 Nov 2014 Virgin Australia

Earning Qantas points – quickly and cheaply

This week, one of our members had a question that has probably crossed the mind of many a member. Faced with an award being available, but not having enough points, how do you quickly accumulate those much needed points? Long time listener, first time caller. I am travelling from Melbourne-Sydney in a few weeks and … Continued

24 Nov 2014 Qantas

Picking the right Frequent Flyer Program

One of the more popular questions we see on the forum, particularly from newish members, is the question of what Frequent Flyer program to join. While some may have points that are easy to earn, the redemption or “burn” rates can be very high. Others – in particular those from non-Australian airlines – may offer … Continued

22 Nov 2014 Airlines, Miles and Points

The last of the cheap “Brazilian” airfares

For some time, savvy AFF members were aware of some very good specials on offer by buying tickets from a Brazilian travel agent. Thanks to local laws, airlines could not impose certain surcharges, including fuel surcharges, making for some good deals. This week, one of our members embarks on a weekend away, taking advantage of … Continued

19 Nov 2014 Flight Reviews

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