Author: Matt Graham
Matt Graham
The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to more than 100 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course! 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 @AFF Editor.
Effortlessly Manage Your Travel Plans
If you travel frequently, it can be difficult to keep track of all those flight bookings, hotel reservations and other travel plans. Spreadsheets are one possible method, but there’s a much simpler option. There are a number of Apps and websites that can be used to conveniently store all of your travel reservations in one … Continued
Qantas Points Stolen
The security of Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts is being questioned this week after a member’s account was hacked. Almost 50,000 points were stolen. The member’s private information would have also been compromised. Having somehow managed to obtain this member’s PIN number, the hacker redeemed over 30,000 points worth of Myer gift vouchers. After spotting the fraudulent transactions, … Continued
Two Months in North America
Our member Noel Mugavin recently spent two months in the United States and Canada! And it certainly seems to have been quite an adventure. Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, Boston and New York are just a few of the many destinations visited. Flying Qantas into the United States, our member began by heading across the northern border to Vancouver, … Continued
Are Eurail Passes Worthwhile?
Trains are one of the fastest and most convenient ways to get around Europe. Frequent high-speed trains connect all of the major European cities. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, it can be tempting to purchase a Eurail Pass. These passes cover unlimited train travel within certain European countries for a fixed amount of time. … Continued
Accor Devalues Le Club Loyalty Program
Accor Hotels is making significant changes to its “Le Club” loyalty program. From next year, it will become much more difficult to earn and maintain status with the program. Le Club is the loyalty program of Accor-branded hotels including Novotel, Sofitel, Mercure, Ibis and Pullman. The major change is the way in which status is … Continued
No Cathay Pacific Lounge Access in San Francisco?
Qantas launched flights to San Francisco last year. As Qantas does not operate a lounge in San Francisco, eligible flyers are directed to use the Air France lounge. However, in our members’ experience, the lounge is too small and offers a sub-par experience. The AF lounge is now completely full so anyone coming in late is … Continued
Parental Status Pause: Qantas vs Virgin
New parents can now elect to pause their Qantas Frequent Flyer membership for up to 18 months. The family-friendly change has been welcomed by our members, but how does it compare to Virgin’s “Membership Pause” policy? Qantas’ new “Status Hold” is available to new parents, including foster parents, for up to 18 months. During the hold period, eligible members … Continued
Six Days of Luxury for $1,200!
Six days of ultimate luxury, involving First class flights and five-star hotels may sound like merely a dream. But this is exactly what one AFF member was recently lucky enough to experience. After flying from Australia to the UAE in First class on Etihad Airways, our member Moindardt spent three nights at a popular 5-star hotel in … Continued
New Restrictions on Qantas Award Availability?
It appears that Qantas is now severely restricting Classic Flight Reward seat access to Bronze frequent flyers, particularly in premium cabins. Members of oneworld and other partner airline programs wishing to redeem points for Qantas flights may also be affected. Our members have noticed a significant difference in the award availability seen on the Qantas website by … Continued