Author: Matt Graham

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to more than 100 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course! Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. His interests include aviation, economics & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine. You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @Mattg.

AFF on AIR podcast artwork

The Singapore Airlines Round-the-World Award – AIR092

  The Star Alliance Round-the-World Award offered by Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program is a great deal. For just 280,000 KrisFlyer miles, plus taxes of course, you could fly around the world with up to 7 stopovers across the Star Alliance network! But booking one of these does take a bit of work and there are … Continued

The Air Canada domestic Maple Leaf Lounge in Toronto

Velocity Gold & Platinum Members Gain Air Canada Lounge Access

Virgin Australia and Air Canada have been partners since early 2021. But until now, Virgin’s Velocity Gold and Platinum members have not received any additional benefits when flying on Air Canada. This is now changing. Since the partnership launched, Virgin Australia Velocity members have been able to earn and redeem points for Air Canada flights. … Continued

Westjet Boeing 787 at Calgary Airport

WestJet Business Class Earns Zero Qantas Points

WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, has been a Qantas Frequent Flyer partner since 2016. As part of this tie-up, Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn points for WestJet flights in Economy or Premium Economy – but, bizarrely, can’t earn any points for flights taken in Business Class! Since 2017, it has also been possible to redeem … Continued

Qantas 737 in Optus livery

Optus Offer: 60,000 Qantas Points for $396

With a Qantas $99 Promo Plan from Optus, you could earn 60,000 Qantas points for just $396. This offer is back from 1-5 September 2022.

Emirates Boeing 777-300ER at Sydney Airport

Full List of Emirates Fuel & Carrier Surcharges

Following successive price increases in 2022, Emirates’ fuel surcharges (sometimes referred to as “carrier charges”) are now among the highest of any airline in the world. In fact, the additional taxes & charges on a return Emirates Business or First Class reward booking from Australia to the Americas are now almost $5,000 per passenger! This … Continued

The current Qantas lounges at Auckland Airport are a relic from a bygone era

Qantas Auckland Lounge Upgrade: The End of an Era

Qantas announced last week that it will soon finally commence the long-awaited upgrade to its Auckland Airport heritage site lounge precinct that was first announced in 2018, but delayed by the pandemic. The current separate Business and First Lounges in Auckland will be combined to create a single Qantas International Lounge, similar to the one … Continued

The Qantas Los Angeles First Lounge

Free Chairman’s Lounge for Politicians: A Conflict of Interest?

In Australia, members of parliament are eligible for complimentary membership of Qantas’ exclusive, invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge. This comes with the ultimate in perks when flying with Qantas including personalised service, free upgrades and access to dedicated VIP lounges in major Australian airports – among many other unwritten benefits. Virgin Australia also operates a special invitation-only … Continued

Air Canada Boeing 787 at Vancouver Airport

Air Canada Boeing 787 Economy Class Review

Air Canada uses Boeing 787 Dreamliners on many long-haul international routes, including from Sydney and Brisbane to Vancouver. These aircraft are also frequently used on busy domestic routes such as Toronto-Vancouver. For this review, I tested out Air Canada’s Boeing 787-9 Economy Class on a relatively short Canadian domestic flight from Vancouver to Calgary. Flight … Continued

Qantas First Lounge at LAX

Is Airline Status Worthwhile If Flying Business Class?

For many frequent flyers, top-tier elite status is the “holy grail” of airline loyalty programs. It comes with lots of extra benefits when you fly, such as lounge access, access to priority queues and a higher chance of getting upgraded. As a result, some frequent flyers are willing to go quite extreme lengths to attain … Continued