Value Stripped from Malaysia Airlines Enrich Program

Malaysia Airlines has announced yet another major devaluation of its Enrich frequent flyer program. The changes, which come into effect on 10 June, remove almost all of the remaining value in the program. Enrich mile redemptions will become more expensive, with the price of award tickets and upgrades both increasing. It will also become more … Continued

Optimal Strategy for 14 Annual Europe Trips

One member faces the unenvious prospect of taking up to 14 trips between Brisbane and Dublin over the next year. As this member will be paying for the flights themselves, they are looking for strategies to optimise their travel experience and hopefully score a few upgrades along the way. I’m looking at doing either 13 or … Continued

Qantas Point Upgrades: Good Value?

Qantas recently increased the number of points required for a flight upgrade to Premium Economy, Business or First class. An Economy to Business class upgrade to Los Angeles, for example, increased from 72,000 to 90,000 points. So, do Qantas point upgrades still represent good value? The short answer is that upgrades are still good value for … Continued

Virgin Launches Melbourne-Hong Kong Flights

Virgin Australia is expanding into Asia with the launch of 5x weekly flights between Melbourne and Hong Kong. The flights will operate to a rather bizarre schedule with the first flight departing for Hong Kong on 5 July, 2017. VA87 will depart Melbourne for Hong Kong at 10.25am on Mondays and 9.40am on Wednesdays, while … Continued

Emirates to Charge for On-Board Showers?

As competition in the international aviation market intensifies, cash-strapped airlines are eagerly searching for new ways to make money. With international airfares at record lows, even full-service airlines are beginning to look towards ancillary revenue. Ancillary revenue refers to the income received by airlines for additional products and services which are not included in the cost of … Continued