Airlines, miles, and points is the most popular topic at Australian Frequent Flyer. In this category, we provide expert tips, insider tricks, and facilitate discussions about Qantas, Virgin Australia, non-Australian airlines, and global airline alliances. From earning and redeeming frequent flyer points to maximising elite status benefits, we aim to help you get the most out of your travel.
We also cover every step of the journey – from planning and booking flights to experiencing the flight itself, and finally, arriving at your destination. Whether you're a seasoned traveller or just starting to explore the world of frequent flyer programs, you'll find valuable advice to elevate your travel experience.
See below for articles on airlines, miles and points.
Regional Express Airlines (Rex) has floated a crazy idea to start flights on domestic trunk routes between Australia’s capital cities, competing directly with Qantas (and possibly Virgin Australia, if it emerges from voluntary administration). Under the proposal, Rex would lease 10 narrow-body jets and operate on key routes such as Sydney-Brisbane and Melbourne-Adelaide. Rex normally … Continued
The federal court has approved a proposal by the Virgin Australia administrator to offer restrictive “conditional credits” to Virgin Australia customers instead of refunds. The new policy applies to Virgin Australia, Tigerair and Virgin Australia Holidays bookings made before the airline entered administration on 21 April 2020. Normal refund and travel credit policies – including … Continued
Last year, Qantas introduced a new frequent flyer partnership with Air France & KLM. Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn & redeem points for Air France and KLM flights, and Qantas Silver, Gold, Platinum & Platinum One members receive reciprocal status benefits when flying with either airline. Unfortunately, as we reported in February, the implementation … Continued
Qantas is refusing to offer flexibility to frequent flyers that were on track to upgrade to a higher status tier before the COVID-19 travel shutdown. Several Australian Frequent Flyer members were just 10 or 20 status credits short of attaining Gold status before the travel restrictions were implemented and flights grounded. Under normal circumstances, they … Continued
If you have a cancelled Virgin Australia flight, the airline says that you can still request a travel bank credit. If you bought a refundable ticket, such as a Freedom fare, you can also apply for a refund. But Virgin Australia is not currently processing any new refunds or flight credits. In fact, it hasn’t … Continued
Qantas is now offering flight credits to passengers that were booked to fly until the end of September 2020 (previously July 2020). Qantas credit vouchers can also now be used towards multiple new bookings, rather than just one booking of equal or greater value. But the national carrier is no longer waiving change fees for … Continued
Qantas has secured an additional $550 million in debt funding, giving the airline sufficient liquidity to survive until at least December 2021, CEO Alan Joyce revealed in a market update this week. But this is not without trade-offs, with Project Sunrise now delayed indefinitely and Qantas’ A380 refurbishment program suspended. We may never see an … Continued
Oneworld’s Cathay Pacific has almost completely eliminated fuel and carrier surcharges from both commercial airfares and award bookings. This includes Asia Miles awards and Classic Flight Reward bookings made using Qantas points, where carrier charges are no longer payable at all. The only exception is journeys originating in Japan, where a small fuel surcharge is … Continued
Although Qantas is no longer filling its aircraft seat pockets with reading material, and many planes are temporarily grounded, Qantas has continued producing and printing its in-flight magazine. But this month’s Qantas Magazine isn’t written for passengers looking to pass the time during their flight. Instead, the magazine is being mailed out to selected Qantas … Continued
South American airline LATAM has left the Oneworld alliance today. LATAM Airlines announced its intention to exit Oneworld in September 2019, initially proposing an October 2020 departure date. This was later brought forward to 1 May 2020. Although LATAM Airlines has departed the Oneworld alliance, it retains extensive partnerships with some Oneworld member airlines including … Continued
Virgin Australia currently owes $6.8 billion – more than previously thought – to around 12,000 creditors, the administrators have revealed. More than 9,000 of those creditors are Virgin employees, which are owed a combined total of $451 million. It also turns out that the trust backing the value of Velocity Frequent Flyer points is owed … Continued
If you’re currently booked on a Qantas flight for travel until 31 July 2020, and no longer wish to travel, you have until next Thursday to cancel for a flight credit voucher without paying any fees. Qantas has been actively encouraging passengers to request a credit voucher at the earliest opportunity. After all, this is … Continued
