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.

FREE Status with Qantas and Virgin Australia!

Our members have discovered a way to enjoy the benefits of Silver status on both Qantas and Virgin Australia for free! In just a few easy steps, you can enjoy perks like priority check-in, extra baggage allowance and even a complimentary car hire status match. The trick is to register for a current Air Berlin promotion. Air … Continued

Denied Entry to Another Country: Who’s at Fault?

One member recently had the unfortunate experience of being denied entry to a country because they did not have the correct visa. This member inadvertently flew with Qantas to Papua New Guinea without the necessary visa, and was sent on the next flight back to Australia after being stopped at the border. I had a rather … Continued

Hyatt hotel

Hyatt Overhauls Loyalty Program

Hyatt Hotels will completely overhaul its loyalty program from March 2017. Hyatt Gold Passport, Hyatt’s current rewards program, will become “World of Hyatt” as a host of changes are made to status benefits and the way in which status is earned. Replacing the existing Platinum and Diamond status tiers will be three new levels, the … Continued

An Eastern Canada Road Trip

AFF member OZDUCK recently enjoyed a Canadian road trip, taking advantage of the Northern Hemisphere summer as they travelled from Toronto to Halifax using a mixture of hire cars and trains. Being based in Perth, it made sense to fly Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong. Cathay flies directly into Toronto, making one-stop connections possible from … Continued

Qantas Points Refused

A Qantas flyer is bitterly disappointed after the airline refused to award any points or status credits for their flight. The Qantas flight to Shanghai was booked directly on the airline’s website. Our member had been relying on the status credits to reach the next status tier. Qantas advertises that all Qantas flights booked on its … Continued

Lufthansa, Austrian and Emirates planes at Hamburg Airport.

Flight Delayed? You Could Earn $860!

Flight delays can be frustrating, but sometimes there’s a silver lining. If you’re flying on a European airline, or any other airline on a flight departing Europe, you could be entitled to compensation. The European Union has generous laws designed to help passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations. The “EU261” regulations entitle passengers to … Continued

Free Qantas Platinum status gift

Qantas Enhances Loyalty Bonus

Qantas Frequent Flyer members can now opt to earn 50 bonus status credits with each loyalty bonus. The Qantas loyalty bonus is awarded each time a member earns 500 status credits from flights on Qantas or Jetstar, up to four times per membership year. Currently 8,000 points are awarded as part of the loyalty bonus. Members … Continued

Virgin Cuts Lounge Access

Virgin Australia passengers have lost access to Air New Zealand airport lounges, unless flying across the ditch. The changes come amidst reports that Virgin will also soon start charging domestic lounge guests for spirits. The lounges available to Gold & Platinum Velocity members, as well as Business passengers, on international flights will now depend on … Continued

Dealing with Unexpected Hotel Charges

Unexpected charges on a hotel bill can be frustrating at the best of times. But one member recently discovered a fraudulent addition to their bill of almost $300 worth of room service charges! I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Central Park from 24-28 September and had a room service charge to my account for USD 290.75 (yes that … Continued