Qantas Frequent Flyer will give all members a 12-month status extension due to the current COVID-19 situation. All current Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members whose status is currently due to expire between March 2020 and February 2021 will automatically have their status renewed for another 12 months. This will occur regardless of the … Continued
IN BRIEF | All travellers arriving in the Australian state of Tasmania will be required to complete an arrival card, starting from today. The new measure, designed to limit the spread of COVID-19, comes a day after the Australian government began requiring all passengers arriving in Australia from overseas to self-isolate for 14 days. Completing … Continued
Last Friday, we released a summary of the latest COVID-19 news relating to travel and loyalty programs. This article provides an updated summary of recent changes that are relevant to Australian frequent flyers, as of Monday 16 May 2020. A lot has changed in just three days. All travellers from overseas are now being required … Continued
The Australian government is now requiring all international travellers to self-isolate for two weeks after arriving into Australia. The measure, designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19, came into effect at midnight last night and applies to everyone – including Australian citizens – except for operating flight crews. At this time, the self-isolation requirement is … Continued
Health experts have said that only hand sanitiser with an alcohol content of at least 60% has a chance of being effective against COVID-19. However, items with such a high alcohol content pose a fire risk and are therefore restricted by airlines. Virgin Australia is warning passengers, for example, that: Many hand sanitisers contain flammable … Continued
Yesterday, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The evolving coronavirus situation is making overseas travel increasingly difficult. Even if you happen to have a pre-existing travel insurance policy that covers coronavirus – and the health risks aside – countries are increasingly placing new entry restrictions and many flights are being cancelled. Meanwhile, airlines … Continued
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is having an unprecedented impact on the travel industry – and the world in general. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, travel bans are being introduced and millions have had their travel plans disrupted. In Episode 31 of the AFF on AIR podcast, Matt takes a detailed look at the impact … Continued
Update: As of Friday 13 March 2020, Cover-More has suspended sales of its Cancel For Any Reason travel insurance add-on in Australia and New Zealand. This does not affect existing policies. As the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak wreaks havoc on the travel industry, planning an overseas trip has become considerably more difficult. Many travel insurance providers … Continued
Air New Zealand’s recent announcement that it could introduce lie-flat bunk beds in Economy class went viral. Social media exploded and the story has been regurgitated by news outlets all over the world. Some journalists have even predicted that the Air New Zealand Skynest will spell the end of Business class. To be clear, that’s … Continued
As the coronavirus outbreak spreads, more flights are getting cancelled and fewer people are travelling. Demand for leisure travel is weak, some countries have imposed travel bans, and many corporate travellers are grounded as businesses impose their own travel restrictions. As a result, many airlines and hotels – especially in the Asia-Pacific region – are … Continued
The Shangri-La Group has announced that it will extend the tier status and benefits of all Golden Circle hotel loyalty program members worldwide. Current Diamond and Jade members of Shangri-La’s Golden Circle program will all have their status extended until 31 December 2021, due to the current coronavirus situation and associated travel restrictions. The updated … Continued
World of Hyatt has confirmed that it will extend the tier status of Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist members that live in Australia or New Zealand until 2022. The loyalty program of Hyatt hotels announced that it is extending the elite status and benefits of members that reside in the Asia Pacific region, due to the … Continued
