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.

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

Berlin Brandenburg Airport check-in hall

Berlin Airport Now Offers Timed Security Line Reservations

Long waits at airport security have been a common traveller complaint in recent months. This has been a particular problem in busy European airports where chaotic queues have stretched into the hours at times, causing many to miss their flights. If you’re flying in Business or First Class, or have elite status with a frequent … Continued

Emirates A380 at Dubai Airport

Your Emirates Skywards Miles Might Soon Expire

If you have Emirates Skywards miles that have been sitting in your account during the pandemic, you may need to act fast to prevent them from expiring and losing all their value! Like many airlines, Emirates has been extending the validity of Skywards miles that would have been due to expire during the COVID-19 pandemic … Continued

The current Qantas Club in Adelaide

New Qantas Business Lounge for Adelaide

Qantas has announced plans to build a new domestic Business Lounge at Adelaide Airport to serve alongside its existing Qantas Club lounge. It’s one of a range of Qantas lounge upgrades announced today as Qantas revealed an underlying loss before tax of $1.86 billion for the 2021-22 financial year. The new Qantas domestic Business Lounge … Continued

Time Square - New York, USA

Qantas to Resume Sydney-New York Route in 2023

Qantas will return to the Big Apple in 2023, with a new one-stop service from Sydney to New York’s JFK airport via Auckland, New Zealand. Launching on 14 June 2023, Qantas flight QF3 will depart Sydney at 10.05am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Auckland at 3.15pm. After a 105-minute turnaround in Auckland, the … Continued