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.
Best use of Velocity Points to Europe
There are many different ways to use Virgin Velocity points to fly to Europe. Unfortunately Virgin Australia do not fly to anywhere in Europe using their own aircraft, but several partner airlines fill this gap. One of the most common methods would be to fly on Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi. As Etihad is a … Continued
Scam Alert: Dodgy Forex Dealers
This week a member recounts how they fell victim to a cunning scam while exchanging money in a popular overseas tourist destination. They estimate that 40% of their cash was lost in the bizarre experience. Deciding to take advantage of a good exchange rate, this member visited a small currency exchange office located “down a … Continued
Animal Spotting on a South African Road Trip
Two of our members recently travelled to South Africa for a holiday filled with safaris and many other adventures. Many different parts of South Africa were visited, including the world famous Kruger National Park. Among other things I’ll be visiting Cape Town, Kruger National Park, the Drakensberg Mountains and Victoria Falls (on the Zambian side). … Continued
Are Hotel Loyalty Programs worthwhile?
After many years of loyalty to certain hotel chains, through membership of their loyalty programs, one member has taken a step back to look at the bigger picture. They wonder whether their loyalty was worth the extra time and cost, or whether promiscuity is actually a better strategy for choosing a hotel? In the past, … Continued
Emirates culling First Class from some aircraft
Emirates have recently announced that they will be removing first class from a number of their flagship A380 aircraft. From early next year, the Dubai-based airline will serve markets with weaker demand for first class with two-class A380 jumbo jets, offering only business class and economy. The removal of first class and a small reduction … Continued
Emirates losing its Midas Touch
Emirates is widely regarded as one of the world’s best airlines, but one member believes the standard of on-board service has plummeted recently. Inedible meals in business class, a broken seat in first class and disinterested customer service are just the beginning of this member’s long list of unfortunate experiences with Emirates Airlines. On one … Continued
Flying Delta in the USA as a Velocity member
Our member FIFOSuit recently headed to the United States for a whirlwind of a trip. Six US and Canadian cities including Las Vegas, New York and Toronto were visited in just twelve days. As a Velocity frequent flyer, our member decided to fly with Virgin Australia to LA. Delta, Virgin’s partner airline, was used for … Continued
Make the most of a long layover in Singapore
A lengthy layover lasting 18 hours is not always a welcome interruption to a long journey. But things are a bit different in Singapore, widely regarded as a fantastic stopover point between Australia and Europe. One member will have a full day in Singapore between Singapore Airlines flights and requests some tips about how best … Continued
Qantas adds new flights to Queensland
Qantas announced last week that it will add two additional domestic routes to destinations in Queensland. From October, the airline will begin long-awaited direct flights between Melbourne and the Gold Coast. Flights from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast will also be added just in time for Christmas. This comes as further good news for Queenslanders … Continued