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.

Rex 737 Economy Class

Rex Boeing 737 Economy Class Review

Regional Express, or Rex, began operating Boeing 737s between Australian capital cities in March 2021. Beginning with the lucrative Melbourne-Sydney route, it has since expanded its Boeing 737 network to Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Canberra. By many accounts, Rex initially struggled to fill its planes with paying customers. This is despite a relatively good … Continued

Jetstar 787-8 Dreamliner

Jetstar Restarts Flights to Japan

Japan’s border may still be closed to independent tourists, but that hasn’t stopped Jetstar from restarting direct flights from Australia to Japan for the first time since the pandemic began! Jetstar began last week by restarting its Cairns-Tokyo route. The first flight back from Tokyo’s Narita Airport to Cairns was almost completely filled by Japanese … Continued

Air Canada window view

Podcast #89: Bye-Bye LifeMiles, Hello Aeroplan?

Before the pandemic, Avianca’s LifeMiles frequent flyer program was a popular choice for bargain hunters looking to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on Star Alliance Business & First Class flights. LifeMiles were – and still are – regularly available with generous bonus miles attached, and these could be redeemed for flights all over … Continued

AFF on AIR podcast artwork

Bye-Bye LifeMiles, Hello Aeroplan? – AIR089

  Has the Avianca LifeMiles program lost its shine? Buying LifeMiles during their promotions used to be a popular way of saving money on Star Alliance Business and First class flights, but using them on flights from Australia has become very difficult indeed. In this episode, find out why Air Canada’s Aeroplan program may now … Continued

Qantas passengers queue at Melbourne Airport

How to Improve Airport Security Queues

Earlier this year, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce infamously blamed inexperienced and “not match fit” customers for lengthy delays at airport security checkpoints. “I went through the airports on Wednesday and people forget they need to take out their laptops, they have to take out their aerosols,” Joyce told the Sydney Morning Herald during the Easter holiday … Continued

AirAsia will resume Airbus A330 flights from Kuala Lumpur to Australia and New Zealand

AirAsia X Challenges on Sydney-Auckland Route

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia X will launch flights between Sydney and Auckland in November 2022, bringing with it cheap Economy fares and Premium Flatbed seats at the front of the plane. The fifth-freedom flight across the Tasman will be a continuation of AirAsia’s Kuala Lumpur-Sydney service, which briefly restarted in February this year after a two-year … Continued

Emirates Lounge, Melbourne

Emirates Reopens Most Australian Airport Lounges

The Emirates Lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth will reopen from this week, with demand for international travel having well and truly returned. This is good news for eligible Emirates passengers flying from Sydney, Melbourne or Perth to Dubai who now have access to Emirates’ excellent airport lounges again on departure. It’s also good news … Continued

San Francisco

A Creative Route to the USA with Qantas & Velocity Points

If you’ve tried to use Qantas points or redeem Velocity points for Business Class seats to the United States lately, you’ve probably noticed that there isn’t much reward seat availability right now! Occasionally you might get lucky and find a direct Qantas flight to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth or Vancouver (just across the … Continued

Alaska Airlines domestic First Class

Qantas Fixes Alaska Airlines Classic Reward Pricing

Qantas has finally fixed an error with the way its website prices Classic Flight Rewards on Alaska Airlines after more than a year. Last month, Australian Frequent Flyer highlighted a glitch with the Qantas website where Business Classic Reward seats on Alaska Airlines were being incorrectly priced at the higher “First Class” level. The Qantas website even … Continued