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.
Now Would Be a Great Time for a Qantas Status Match
Virgin Australia is in crisis. Australia’s second-largest airline has just lost its CEO. It’s fighting with unions, who are refusing to accept the drastic cuts to worker pay and conditions proposed by Bain Capital. Business class passengers are being served two-minute noodles and staff are taking sick leave to avoid dealing with all the customer … Continued
Podcast #47: Flybuys Loyalty Program
Flybuys Chief Operating Officer Phil Hawkins knows a thing or two about loyalty programs. He was with Flybuys right back when the Australian loyalty program launched in 1994! In Episode 47 of the AFF on AIR podcast, Phil Hawkins joins Matt Graham to discuss all aspects of the Flybuys program including its partnership with Velocity … Continued
Flybuys Loyalty Program – AIR047
Flybuys Chief Operating Officer Phil Hawkins knows a thing or two about loyalty. He was with Flybuys right back when the Australian loyalty program launched in 1994! In this episode of AFF on AIR, Phil joins Matt to discuss all aspects of the Flybuys program including its partnership with Velocity Frequent Flyer and why … Continued
Frequent Flyers Ridicule $150 Qantas T-Shirts
With limited flying happening at the moment, you can’t really blame Qantas for trying to diversify its business. So far this year, Qantas has had great success selling everything from care packages to used Boeing 747 bar carts. But some frequent flyers believe Qantas’ latest expansion into branded T-shirts, sweaters and tote bags costing between … Continued
Qantas Resumes Limited Trans-Tasman Flights
Qantas will today operate its first international passenger flights since June, with a return service from Sydney to Auckland. It comes as NSW, NT and ACT today reopen their borders to travellers from New Zealand, who no longer need to quarantine in a hotel when arriving in Australia through Sydney. But Qantas has delayed plans … Continued
The Axe is Falling on Virgin Australia
In a few weeks, Virgin Australia will come out of voluntary administration. But its future remains far from certain, following extraordinary revelations CEO Paul Scurrah will leave the organisation as soon as Bain Capital takes full control of the company in early November. Replacing Scurrah is former Jetstar CEO Jayne Hrdlicka, who is reportedly feared … Continued
Velocity Cuts Partner Airline Benefits
Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program has permanently removed some of the benefits offered to frequent flyers when travelling with international partner airlines. Upgrades and lounge access are among the tier benefits axed when flying with some partner airlines. Although Velocity Frequent Flyer only announced these cutbacks yesterday, its website states that they came into … Continued
Qantas Scenic Flight Over Australia Proves a Hit
Qantas raised more than a few eyebrows when tickets on a 7-hour flight to nowhere sold out in just 10 minutes. But when that flight took place over the weekend, it proved a huge hit with passengers including AFF members. The scenic Dreamliner flight, appropriately numbered QF787, departed Sydney at 10.43am on Saturday morning. It then … Continued
Easy 900 Qantas Points with Quandoo
If you’re looking for some easy Qantas points, there’s a new way to earn up to 900 Qantas points for free – and it takes just a couple of minutes. Qantas Restaurants partners with Quandoo, a restaurant booking platform. Since the partnership launched in 2019, Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn 100 points per diner … Continued