AFF on Air was the Australian Frequent Flyer podcast from 2019 until 2023, featuring tips, tricks and chat for Australian travellers.
Keep up with the latest airline, aviation & loyalty program news, and learn the best Qantas Frequent Flyer and Virgin Australia Velocity point hacks! Hosted by Australian Frequent Flyer editor Matt Graham, this free podcast features interviews with experts from the travel industry.
You can view a selection of recent episodes below, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or any other podcast platform.
This podcast was superseded by the Travel Pointers podcast.
As airlines start to release award seats for travel to Europe during next year’s peak summer period, many points collectors are eager to redeem their points and lock in a good redemption. After all, the traditional advice has always been to get in early when booking flights on popular routes during peak periods because the … Continued
Before the pandemic, Avianca’s LifeMiles frequent flyer program was a popular choice for bargain hunters looking to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on Star Alliance Business & First Class flights. LifeMiles were – and still are – regularly available with generous bonus miles attached, and these could be redeemed for flights all over … Continued
Earlier this week, Singapore Airlines increased the cost of most KrisFlyer award bookings and upgrades. Next month, KrisFlyer will also change its stopover rules – and not for the better. In Episode 88 of the AFF on Air podcast, Matt is joined by Aaron Wong, the founder of Singapore-based frequent flyer blog Milelion for a … Continued
Many Australian Frequent Flyer members would already know about the benefits of elite airline status. As a reward for your loyalty, you’ll receive special treatment and lots of extra benefits like lounge access, priority at the airport or better access to upgrades that make your travel experience just that much better. If you have status with … Continued
If you’re planning a trip overseas and want to visit multiple continents in the same trip, it could be worth booking a round-the-world ticket. Not only does this give you pretty good flexibility, but it can even be cheaper than just booking a point-to-point Qantas flight from Australia to Europe or the Americas. For example, … Continued
Throughout the pandemic, most airline and hotel loyalty programs have offered free or easy status extensions to retain once-loyal customers and try to prevent them from switching to the competition when travel makes a comeback. But with travel starting to return with a vengeance and airport lounges getting full, is it now time to wind … Continued
Redeeming points to North America is always a little tricky if you want to fly in a premium cabin or during school holidays – but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! In Episode 84 of AFF on Air, Matt explains your options to redeem Qantas and Velocity points to fly from Australia to the USA or … Continued
South America was the last continent to have direct flights to Australia restored following the pandemic. But the 3x weekly LATAM Airlines flights from Sydney to Santiago via Auckland were not yet running when Gus Higgins needed to travel to Argentina during February and March 2022. Instead, he redeemed Qantas Frequent Flyer points to book … Continued
It may have opened almost a decade behind schedule after being plagued by outrageous construction problems that made it the butt of jokes for years. But now that Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) has finally opened, Matt recently discovered that it’s so efficient and functional that it’s almost disappointing. (Except for the contaminated tap water!) Also … Continued
Finding award availability in Business Class can be hard enough if you’re just looking for 1 or 2 seats. Trying to redeem points to book an entire family of four (or more) on an overseas holiday in a premium aircraft cabin can be infinitely harder. But with the right knowledge, planning and flexibility, it’s not … Continued
As far as international borders go, Asia has been one of the last parts of the world to relax COVID-19 restrictions and reopen their countries to tourists. But the tide is now starting to turn, with many Southeast Asian nations now welcoming back visitors from overseas. Singapore and Thailand already reopened late last year, albeit … Continued
Phil Hawkins has worked with loyalty programs since 1993, finishing his career recently as the Chief Operating Officer for Flybuys in Australia. With this amount of experience, Phil knows what makes a good (or bad!) loyalty program and what mistakes to avoid when designing loyalty programs and promotional offers. Ever wondered why retail loyalty programs … Continued