Latest news

Emirates Delays Sydney-Christchurch Relaunch

Emirates has sadly delayed the return of Airbus A380 flights between Sydney and Christchurch, New Zealand. A few months ago, Emirates had committed to resuming its Dubai-Sydney-Christchurch route from 1 December 2022. But a recent schedule update now sees the fifth-freedom route returning from 27 March 2023 instead – four months later than previously planned. … Continued

18 Aug 2022 Emirates

Qantas Adjusts Departure Times By One Minute

Thousands of Qantas passengers with international bookings received notifications on Tuesday that their flight’s departure time had been pushed back by one minute. Then, on Wednesday, Qantas moved the departure times on these flights forward by one minute – reinstating their original departure times. Qantas international flights departing Sydney and Melbourne were affected by the … Continued

17 Aug 2022 Qantas

No Virgin Lounge Access for International or Red-Eye Flights

If you have a Virgin Australia Lounge membership, a Business Class ticket or hold Velocity Gold or Platinum status, you can normally use the lounge prior to any Virgin flight from an airport where a Virgin Australia Lounge is available. Lounge access is a sought-after benefit at the best of times, but it’s especially handy … Continued

16 Aug 2022 Virgin Australia

Qantas Points “The Envy of the World”? Absolutely Not!

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce recently told a room full of business leaders and journalists in Perth that the airline’s frequent flyer scheme and points “are the envy of the world”. In this month’s Qantas Magazine, Joyce also wrote that Qantas is “making it easier for members to book that dream trip with Qantas Points”. Sadly, the … Continued

15 Aug 2022 Qantas

Air Canada Boeing 777 Signature Class Review

Air Canada, a partner of Virgin Australia, offers four weekly flights from Brisbane to Vancouver and up to 10 weekly Sydney-Vancouver services. Air Canada will also soon commence Auckland-Vancouver flights. Air Canada used to fly its Boeing 777-200LR on the Sydney-Vancouver route, but all three of the airline’s routes to Australia & New Zealand are … Continued

13 Aug 2022 Flight Reviews

Virgin Melbourne Lounge Now After Security

The Virgin Australia Lounge at Melbourne Airport is now located after the security checkpoint, making it easier to head to the departure gates in Terminals 3 and 4 directly from the lounge. The lounge has not physically moved. But since Wednesday, the large Terminal 4 security checkpoint at Melbourne Airport is now a central location … Continued

12 Aug 2022 Airports & Lounges

Saudia’s Cheap Business Fares Between Asia & Europe

When planning a trip to Europe, Saudia is probably not the first airline that comes to mind. But this SkyTeam carrier offers lie-flat Business Class seats and has some exceptional year-round Business Class fares between various destinations in Asia and Europe. By combining a cheap Saudia Business Class ticket between Southeast Asia and Europe with … Continued

10 Aug 2022 Other Airlines

Emirates Renovating Brisbane Lounge

Update: The new Emirates Lounge in Brisbane opened in February 2024. Emirates recently reopened its Australian airport lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. But Emirates’ other Australian lounge, at Brisbane Airport, remains notably closed for the time being. At the moment, Emirates passengers in Brisbane who are eligible for lounge access are being sent instead … Continued

10 Aug 2022 Emirates

Earn Velocity Points on Link Airways

Australian regional airline Link Airways has commenced a partnership with Velocity Frequent Flyer, the loyalty program of Virgin Australia. This will allow Link Airways customers to earn Velocity points and (in some cases) access Virgin Australia lounges. From 22 August 2022, Link Airways passengers will be able to earn between 2 and 5 Velocity points … Continued

10 Aug 2022 Rex & Regional Airlines

Aeroplan Award Chart Changes from 1 September 2022

Since relaunching in 2020, Air Canada’s Aeroplan program has become popular with frequent flyers for its wide range of partner airlines, reasonable reward flight pricing and the ability to buy Aeroplan points with regular discounts or bonuses. Put simply, it’s possible to buy Aeroplan points at a good price, and redeem them easily through Air … Continued

9 Aug 2022 Air Canada

Epic Premium Economy Deal to Hawaii (via LA) for Under $2k

Flights to Hawaii (and the USA, generally) are expensive right now. Economy fares on Qantas, Hawaiian Airlines or even Jetstar are selling for well over $1,000 return, and Business Class fares start from around $3,000 return on Jetstar, whose “Business Class” is more like Premium Economy. A Business Class ticket to Honolulu on Qantas or Hawaiian … Continued

8 Aug 2022 American Airlines

Podcast #90: So You Want to Use Qantas Points to Europe…

As airlines start to release award seats for travel to Europe during next year’s peak summer period, many points collectors are eager to redeem their points and lock in a good redemption. After all, the traditional advice has always been to get in early when booking flights on popular routes during peak periods because the … Continued

6 Aug 2022 AFF on Air Podcast