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.

Award seats released calendar time

Qantas Adjusts Award Seat Release Times

Qantas Bronze and Silver frequent flyers must now wait even longer to access premium Qantas award availability on long-haul flights. Qantas makes most award seats available for booking exactly 353 days before departure. But, when this initial award seat release occurs, Qantas only gives access to premium international reward seats to its frequent flyers with … Continued

Theft Thief stealing

Pickpockets in Europe: A Cautionary Tale

Delays, food poisoning, missing baggage… there’s plenty that can go wrong when travelling overseas. Unfortunately, if you’re travelling to Europe, there are also plenty of pickpockets that will try their best to ruin your trip. AFF member OZDUCK is lucky to still have a wallet after pickpockets in the Spanish city of Barcelona attempted to … Continued

Bangkok, Thailand

The Ultimate Bangkok Stopover Guide

A hub for Thai Airways, Bangkok is a popular stopover point for Australians travelling to Asia or Europe. This buzzing metropolis is also a fantastic destination in its own right. Are you planning one night in Bangkok (or perhaps a few more)? This AFF guide will help you to make the most of your Bangkok … Continued

Cathay Pacific Business Class

Cathay Pacific Business Sale to Europe

The 2019 Europe early bird sales are now on, and there are some great deals available in Economy and Premium Economy. But if you’re looking for a good Business Class deal to Europe, the current Cathay Pacific Business sale is not bad either. Cathay Pacific Business Class flights from Australia to Europe are now available for … Continued

S7 Airlines A320

To Siberia with Oneworld’s S7 Airlines

If you’re ever looking for some travel inspiration, our Trip Reports forum is sure to provide it! We’re lucky on AFF to have many interesting member reviews and trip reports covering all corners of the globe. Case in point: AFF member RooFlyer recently travelled to eastern Siberia to visit Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake. It’s a … Continued

Qantas A330 Business Suite

When to Book Qantas Reward Flights

If you’ve ever tried to redeem Qantas points for a reward flight in Premium Economy, Business or First class, you’re probably aware of how difficult it can be. If you have Bronze or Silver status, finding Qantas reward flights is especially difficult. This is because Qantas gives priority for premium reward seats to Gold, Platinum … Continued

Alitalia is shutting down

Benefits for Velocity Members Flying Alitalia?

Since Airberlin went broke last year, Alitalia has been the only Virgin Australia partner airline operating flights within Europe. The Italian flag carrier, which also has ongoing financial difficulties, has been a partner of Virgin Australia and Velocity Frequent Flyer since April 2016. With hubs in Rome and Milan, Alitalia operates many short-haul flights within … Continued

Paris, France

Europe Early Bird Sales Released for 2019

It’s that time of year again when all the airlines discount their airfares to Europe for travel in the following year! Qantas, Emirates, Qatar, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and many other airlines have all released Europe early bird sale fares. Right now, you can book a return ticket from Australia to Europe on a full-service … Continued

Bill shock resort fees surprise restaurant

Virgin Overcharges, Threatens Membership Termination

A Virgin Australia customer was recently overcharged by more than $4,000. But, despite acknowledging the error, Virgin initially refused to refund any of the money. This customer claims that an airline representative even threatened to cancel their Velocity Frequent Flyer membership and revoke their Platinum status if they submitted a credit card chargeback claim. The … Continued