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.
John Bartels (jb747) Reflects on a Stellar Career with Qantas
Anyone who’s visited AFF’s popular Ask The Pilot thread will be familiar with John Bartels, who goes by the AFF username of jb747. Over the years, jb747 has developed a reputation as one of AFF’s most respected members. He has tirelessly answered thousands of AFF member questions relating to aviation, flying and the life of a pilot. … Continued
TWA Hotel at New York’s JFK Airport
Trans Wold Airlines, or TWA, may have ceased operations in 2001. But a brand new hotel at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport allows guests to take a step back in time and relive the TWA experience. The TWA Hotel at New York JFK Airport opened just one month ago. Located at JFK’s Terminal … Continued
Air New Zealand to Fly Boeing 787 to Gold Coast
IN BRIEF | Air New Zealand has scheduled its Dreamliner on flights to the Gold Coast for several services over the July school holidays. The airline’s Boeing 787-9s will fly from Auckland to Gold Coast’s Coolangatta Airport each Sunday between 7 and 21 July 2019. This is the first time that Air New Zealand has … Continued
Emirates “Business Special” Fares Exclude All the Perks
Emirates has started unbundling its Business Class fares with the launch of its new “Business Special” fare concept. Emirates’ Business Special fares are a little bit cheaper than the Dubai-based airline’s regular tickets. But they also exclude many of the perks that traditionally come with a Business class ticket. What you’ll get on a discounted … Continued
Podcast #13: jb747’s Stellar Career with Qantas
In this special edition of the AFF on AIR podcast, Matt chats to John Bartels (a.k.a. jb747) about his flying career with Qantas, the A380, the QF30 incident, flight training, retirement, today’s aviation industry and more. John is a former Qantas Airbus A380 captain and remains an active contributor to AFF’s popular Ask The Pilot … Continued
Air Chathams Auctions Historic Convair 580
Ever wanted to own a historic aircraft? New Zealand’s Air Chathams has recently retired its oldest Convair 580 aircraft and is selling it in an auction. Bids start from NZD20,000 (~AU$18,917), which is less than the price of most new cars. The Convair 580 aircraft, which was built in 1953, will never fly again as … Continued
jb747’s Stellar Career with Qantas – AIR013
In this special edition of the podcast, Matt chats to John Bartels (a.k.a. jb747) about his flying career with Qantas, the A380, the QF30 incident, flight training, retirement, today’s aviation industry and more. John is a former Qantas Airbus A380 captain and remains an active contributor to AFF’s popular Ask The Pilot thread. … Continued
Qantas Flyer Incorrectly Denied Lounge Access
A Qantas Gold frequent flyer has been incorrectly denied Air New Zealand lounge access despite being booked on a Qantas codeshare service. To make matters worse, Qantas responded to this member’s complaint by providing completely inaccurate information. It seems that neither Air New Zealand nor Qantas are fully aware of their own policies regarding reciprocal … Continued
Redeem Points for Qantas Premium Economy to Asia
When flying to Asia, Qantas offers a Premium Economy cabin on flights to Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Qantas has a very good Premium Economy product, so redeeming your Qantas Frequent Flyer points for a seat can be very good value. But redeeming Cathay Pacific Asia Miles for Qantas Premium Economy awards is even better … Continued