Author: Matt Graham
Matt Graham
Matt was the editor of Australian Frequent Flyer from 2015 until 2025. His passion for travel has taken him to more than 100 countries - with a lot of help along the way from frequent flyer points! 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.
Qantas Status Extensions & Gifts Offered as Apology
Qantas will offer flight discounts, more Classic Reward availability and other bonus benefits to its frequent flyers in an attempt to apologise for the “recent operational challenges” that have seen many flights delayed or cancelled and bags go missing. All Qantas Frequent Flyer members will also receive a further 12-month status extension. Qantas says it … Continued
Podcast #91: Tools to Make International Travel Easier
International travel is gradually returning to normal, but heading overseas in 2022 still involves some unique challenges. One factor is the current chaos of the global aviation industry, which has largely been caught off guard and is struggling to keep up with demand. This is leading to many flight cancellations and checked bags going missing. Another … Continued
Tools to Make International Travel Easier – AIR091
In this episode, Matt takes a close look at two different tools and resources that can make your international travel easier in 2022. The first tool is Apple AirTags, which can help if an airline loses your luggage. Another is Sherpa, a website with easy-to-read, up-to-date information on where you can travelled and what’s … Continued
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
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
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
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
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
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