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.
Chasing Status: Like Running in a Hamster Wheel?
This week a new member seeks to understand why some travellers go to such extreme lengths to chase elite airline status. Some frequent flyers willingly spend dozens of unnecessary hours in the air – often for a hefty price tag – in order to supplement their status credit balance. Known as a status run, this … Continued
Soaking Up the Delights of Dubai
Our member yld200 has just returned from a week of holidaying in Dubai! Home to the world’s tallest building, this thriving metropolis has something for everyone visitor. Taking advantage of a family connection, our member managed to pick up some great value Emirates staff travel tickets, albeit in economy, for the trip to the UAE. … Continued
Indonesia Now Visa-Free for Australians
For many years, Australians visiting Bali and other Indonesian destinations have needed to pay for a visa. This added USD35 (around $47) to the cost of every visit. But after years of discussions and speculation, this visa fee was finally dropped last week. Australians are now able to enter the country without a visa for up … Continued
Seat Swap Etiquette
The contentious issue of aircraft seat poaching is a hot topic of discussion this week. What would you do if another passenger plonked themselves into your allocated seat, in order to sit with their travel companion? One member’s recent experience on a Singapore Airlines flight left them annoyed and frustrated. Upon boarding, this member found … Continued
An Unconventional Route to Europe
Our member Mattg recently returned from a whistle-stop tour of Europe, taking a rather unique combination of airlines to get there. Our member used a diverse range of premium and low-cost airlines, flying a mixture of Economy and Business class. I love trying new things, espceially when it comes to travel. So as usual I’ve … Continued
Premium Economy: Qantas vs Virgin
Ahead of a trip to the USA, one member is deciding between flying Premium Economy on Qantas or Virgin Australia. Both airlines offer Premium Economy from Australia to Los Angeles. With prices almost identical, which airline is the better option? I have a trip coming up in June to LAS (BNE-LAX-LAS) and will likely fly … Continued
Qantas Proposes New London Lounge
Qantas recently announced plans for a brand new lounge in London’s Heathrow Airport. The stylish multi-storey lounge in Terminal 3, which is expected to open in early 2017, will be a “shared” lounge space. Business and First class passengers, as well as Gold, Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers will all have access. Qantas has … Continued
Free Delta Comfort Plus Upgrades for Virgin Australia Flyers
Frequent Virgin Australia flyers have access to a range of perks when flying on Virgin, or any of its international partner airlines. These status perks generally include the use of priority check-in counters, priority boarding, and lounge access for top-tier Gold and Platinum Virgin Velocity members. But there is one particularly fantastic perk available to … Continued
Commonwealth Bank Slashes Qantas Points
The Commonwealth Bank is the latest Australian bank to slash the number of points earned on its Awards credit cards. The rate at which Qantas Frequent Flyer points are earned on the bank’s high-end Diamond and Platinum credit cards will be cut from May. Diamond cardholders will see points earned on their Amex cards fall from 1.5 … Continued