AFF on Air Podcast

AFF on AIR podcast artworkAFF 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 This podcast was superseded by the Travel Pointers podcast.

Tony Martin, CEO of Qantas Founders Museum

Podcast #42: Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach

Although Qantas recently retired its last Boeing 747, there are still two of the iconic aircraft on public display at Australian aviation museums. One is at HARS in Shellharbour, NSW and the other can be found in Longreach, Queensland. Qantas has a long and proud association with Longreach, the town where it first started its … Continued

Podcast #41: Farewell to the Queen of the Skies

Podcast #41: Farewell to the Queen of the Skies

This week, Australia said farewell to a national icon. Over the past 49 years, Qantas has operated almost every variant of the Boeing 747 in existence. In fact, the flying kangaroo was once an all-747 airline. Now, the queen of the skies has been placed into early retirement in the Mojave desert. The iconic Boeing … Continued

Podcast #40: The Accidental $28 Million Flight Refund

Podcast #40: The Accidental $28 Million Flight Refund

Imagine discovering that your available credit card balance is suddenly over $28 million! That’s exactly what happened to AFF moderator JessicaTam recently after Qatar Airways accidentally refunded her in Australian Dollars instead Indonesia Rupiah. (Oops!) In Episode 40 of the AFF on AIR podcast, JessicaTam joins Matt to discuss the story of her Qatar Airways … Continued

Podcast #39: How Noise Cancelling Headphones Work

Podcast #39: Noise Cancelling Headphones & US Credit Cards

On long-haul flights, sometimes silence is bliss. That’s why so many frequent flyers use noise-cancelling headphones to drown out the noise of aircraft engines and fellow passengers. Noise-cancelling headphones may seem like magic, but there’s some very sophisticated science that goes into providing the perfect listening experience. Many years ago Hossein Seif Zadeh, who has a … Continued

Qantas 737 Brisbane

Podcast #38: Qantas Points Club

Now that Queensland and South Australia have revealed when they will reopen their borders, it’s time to start thinking about travelling around Australia again. Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have also started adding additional flights, but there are also some great deals on one-way car hires, which can cost as little as $1 per day! … Continued

Black hole

Podcast #37: Flight Changes, Refunds & Travel Credits

As the coronavirus crisis continues, many airline passengers are still waiting for refunds from cancelled flight bookings. Meanwhile, some passengers have discovered that they would have to pay extra – thousands of dollars, in some cases – to rebook their cancelled flights for a different date. This is exactly what happened recently to a Lufthansa … Continued

Podcast #36: Behind the Virgin Australia Cockpit Door

As Virgin Australia’s voluntary administration process continues, frequent flyers with travel credits or Velocity points are getting nervous. But what’s it like for the airline’s pilots whose jobs are on the line? Chris Bournelis is a Boeing 737 First Officer for Virgin Australia. You may know him as AviatorInsight, a regular contributor to AFF’s Ask … Continued

North Korea

Podcast #35: Travelling to North Korea

Ever wondered what it’s like to travel to North Korea – a country that had strict rules and border controls well before COVID-19 made them cool? In Episode 35 of the AFF on AIR podcast, Matt chats to Gus Higgins about travelling to this reclusive country. While in North Korea, he found out why Air … Continued

There will be minimal changes to the interior of the ex-Virgin 737s

Podcast #34: Are Velocity Points Safe?

As Virgin Australia suspends share trading and considers the possibility of voluntary administration, many Velocity Frequent Flyer members are watching the news nervously. What will happen to Virgin Australia and are Velocity Frequent Flyer points safe? In Episode 34 of the AFF on AIR podcast, Phil Gunter from New World Loyalty shares his insights on … Continued

Qantas 747

Podcast #33: Coming Home

Last week, Matt was fortunate to be able to return home to Australia. But some Australians that are still stranded overseas have not been so lucky. In Episode 33 of the AFF on AIR podcast, Matt chats to Australian travellers that are currently stuck in Peru and India. Yasmin Uzunlar is one of around 200 Australians … Continued

Quarantine Australia

Podcast #32: The World is Shutting Down (Temporarily)

It has been a tumultuous few weeks for the airline, tourism and hospitality industries. As the coronavirus outbreak spreads exponentially, many airlines have stopped flying and international borders are being closed at unprecedented rates. In Episode 32 of the AFF on AIR podcast, Matt looks at the implications of the past few weeks on travellers and … Continued

COVID-19 travel restrictions

Podcast #31: COVID-19: This is Not Business as Usual

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 Episode 31 of the AFF on AIR podcast, Matt takes a detailed look at the impact … Continued