With Australia’s international border still closed (except to New Zealand), and restrictive international arrival caps still in place, flying to Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic sadly remains a huge challenge. This fortnight, travel agent Alan Lam from Netwave Travel (a.k.a madrooster on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum) returns to the AFF on Air podcast for … Continued
Before the pandemic, many Australian Frequent Flyer members – as you would expect – flew very frequently. Some were commuting interstate on a weekly basis, while others had multiple overseas trips each year. In fact, quite a few AFF members flew enough to earn Qantas Platinum One status, which requires Qantas flyers to earn at … Continued
The federal government could allow some Australians vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel overseas within 6-8 weeks under a pilot program, health minister Greg Hunt reportedly told parliamentary colleagues on Tuesday. According to The Guardian, fully vaccinated Australians could soon be permitted to leave the country without having to apply for a travel restriction exemption. People … Continued
On 25 March 2020, the Australian government banned its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country without a travel exemption as an emergency coronavirus measure. Fourteen months later, the temporary ban is still in force (with the exception of travel to New Zealand) and there are no signs of it being repealed anytime soon. … Continued
Earlier this year, Devon Indig’s partner Shalini needed to fly to the Netherlands for three months to care for her ageing mother. With Australia’s border closed and a high risk of getting bumped off a return flight back to Australia, it was a difficult and risky endeavour. It could have also been very expensive. There … Continued