Author: Matt Graham
Experiences with Asiana Airlines
Ahead of a trip to New York, one member is currently researching flights. They’ve flown to the United States via Los Angeles several times. This time, they’re considering flying Asiana Airlines for a change. Based in Korea, Asiana Airlines is a Star Alliance member offering daily flights from Sydney to Seoul and beyond. Before booking … Continued
Qatar Airways Coming to Canberra
Qatar Airways will commence daily Boeing 777 flights to Canberra, of all places, from 12 February 2018. The new route looks like a big win for Canberra, but the real winner is Sydney. The Canberra-Doha flights will operate via Sydney in both directions, meaning that Sydney receives a second daily direct flight to Doha. Meanwhile, … Continued
Qantas Compensation Farce
A Qantas flyer is still waiting for compensation after they were downgraded from First class. This member had booked a First class award from Dallas to Sydney for his wife using Qantas points. But the flight was cancelled at short notice. An alternative routing was offered via Los Angeles and Auckland on other airlines, but … Continued
Complimentary Virgin Status Upgrades
It’s relatively well-known that Qantas will occasionally renew a frequent flyer’s status, even if the required number of status credits is not earned. But it seems Virgin Australia is also now upgrading its members’ status levels, even if they haven’t quite flown enough. One member recently had their status upgraded from Gold to Platinum, even … Continued
Singapore Airlines Premium Economy: A Worthwhile Investment
On a recent trip to Frankfurt, our member dxwell decided to splurge on Premium Economy tickets with Singapore Airlines. After a very pleasant flight, they now wonder why they hadn’t tried Premium Economy sooner! I recently flew SQ Premium Economy from SIN to FRA and found both the hard product and soft product to be of very high quality. … Continued
Diners Club: Still Good Value?
The value in many Australian credit cards has diminished in recent months, as banks respond to the RBA’s new interchange fee rules. But how have the changes affected Diners Club, which markets itself as a “premium” option? Diners Club credit card points can be transferred to a very wide range of airline frequent flyer and … Continued
Airport Lounges: Money down the Drain?
Many frequent flyers go out of their way to access airport lounges. Some purchase lounge memberships; others always book the same airline so they can use the lounge. But is airport lounge access really worth paying for? At least one member believes not. This member opines that the food and beverage at terminal retail outlets … Continued
Call and Surf Overseas without Roaming Fees
Using your mobile phone overseas can be an expensive exercise. But it doesn’t have to be. Many telcos now offer special deals on global roaming. You can save even more money by purchasing a local SIM card at your destination. If you want to keep your Australian phone number when travelling overseas, you’ll need to … Continued
New Business Seats for Virgin’s 737s
As Virgin Australia expands its presence in Hong Kong and China (starting with the launch of Melbourne-Hong Kong flights this month), the airline is left with a small problem. Virgin will soon be using its small fleet of six wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft to fly to Asia. This means these aircraft will no longer be … Continued