AFF on Air is the Australian Frequent Flyer travel podcast featuring tips, tricks and chat for Australian travellers. This fortnightly podcast is hosted by the AFF editorial team.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is having an unprecedented impact on the travel industry – and the world in general. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, travel bans are being introduced and millions have had their travel plans disrupted. In this episode, Matt takes a detailed look at what this all means for travellers. … Continued
Qantas Frequent Flyer surprised everybody this week by releasing a new Qantas Double Status Credits offer! In this episode, travel agent extraordinaire Alan Lam from Netwave Travel (a.k.a. “madrooster” on AFF) joins Matt to discuss the best Qantas status credit runs, as well as recent changes to the popular Finnair Business class round-the-world fares. … Continued
Buffalo Airways is not your typical airline. Based in Yellowknife, Canada, Buffalo Airways operates an incredible variety of historic aircraft such as the Douglas DC3 in some of the world’s harshest flying conditions. It’s no wonder Buffalo Airways was the subject of the popular television show Ice Pilots NWT. In this episode, Matt sits down … Continued
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a road warrior, flying from Melbourne to Sydney every week or internationally multiple times each month? On this episode, AFF member “Sprucegoose” – a Qantas Platinum One frequent flyer – joins Matt to discuss the ins & outs of frequent travel, from airline lounges to tackling jetlag. Episode … Continued
In this episode, we take a brief detour from the aviation discussion to talk about train travel! There’s something nice – perhaps even romantic – about long-distance train travel. Around the world there are lots of famous train journeys such as the Orient Express and Trans-Siberian Railway, but there are also a couple of … Continued
If you’re a little bit short of the next airline status tier, a status run can get you over the line. In this episode, learn about the best status runs with Virgin Australia, Qantas and the three major alliances. This episode also includes the latest frequent flyer news and an extended interview with AFF … Continued
Many Australians join Qantas Frequent Flyer by default. But even if you fly with Qantas regularly, you could benefit by using the British Airways Executive Club frequent flyer program instead. In this episode, Matt also discusses the new Uber Rewards loyalty program, earning Qantas points for Uber rides and a bizarre experience using Uber … Continued
Airlines seem to love married segments, but for frequent flyers and travel agents they can be extremely frustrating. Sometimes you’ll find an award seat on a flight you want to book, only to find that it’s not actually available if you add on a connecting flight to your final destination. Married segments are also why … Continued
The Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) boasts a collection of over 60 aircraft, including a retired Qantas 747, Super Constellation and DC-3s. John Travolta’s Boeing 707 will also soon be added to the museum at Illawara Regional Airport, which is open daily to the public. In this episode, Matt chats to HARS President Bob … Continued
Earlier this year, German airline Lufthansa tried to sue a passenger that exploited the loophole of hidden-city ticketing by skipping the last flight on their ticket. This case has now finally be resolved in the German courts, and in a victory for frequent flyers, the airline did not win. In this episode Matt chats … Continued
Qantas and Virgin Australia are fighting over two rare and lucrative new landing slots for Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Meanwhile, four European airlines have gone bankrupt in a matter of weeks as this year’s European summer draws to a close. Speaking of summer in Europe, you won’t want to miss this fortnight’s interview with Bronwyn … Continued
The ACCC recently released a damning draft report into Australian loyalty schemes, calling out practices that it says may shock consumers and putting loyalty program operators on notice. In this episode, Matt chats to airline loyalty and data expert Mark Ross-Smith about the ACCC’s findings and recommendations. This interview covers topics including data privacy, … Continued
