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.
Update (29 March 2020): The final Qantas 747 flight will now be QF28 from Santiago, which is expected to land in Sydney around 5.30pm on Sunday 29 March 2020. VH-OEE (named Nullarbor) is the operating aircraft. The reason for the change is that the final QF64 was cancelled and the final QF28 service was delayed … Continued
Qantas will close all international airport lounges, and some domestic Qantas Club lounges, following the grounding of international flights and significant cuts to domestic flights within Australia. Qantas will also suspend access to all international partner airline lounges and close its invitation-only Chairmans Lounges. The Qantas lounge closures include the popular Qantas First lounges in … Continued
The Qantas Group will temporarily ground more than 150 aircraft and cancel all scheduled international flights from the end of March 2020. Qantas and Jetstar will also cut around 60% of domestic flights in response to sharply falling demand for air travel. International Qantas flights will remain grounded until at least the end of May … Continued
Virgin Australia will extend the status of all Velocity Frequent Flyer members for 12 months. It will also gift its Silver, Gold and Platinum Velocity Frequent Flyer members with monthly bonus status credits for the next three months. Virgin initially announced that it was only offering extra status credits for 3 months. But now that … Continued
Qantas Frequent Flyer will give all members a 12-month status extension due to the current COVID-19 situation. All current Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members whose status is currently due to expire between March 2020 and February 2021 will automatically have their status renewed for another 12 months. This will occur regardless of the … Continued
Qantas has finally launched its much-anticipated Qantas Points Club, which offers benefits to “frequent buyers”. Qantas Frequent Flyer members that earn at least 150,000 points per membership year will automatically receive Qantas Points Club status. In addition, Qantas Points Club Plus membership can be reached by earning 350,000 points per year. Most of these points … Continued
Airline call centres worldwide are struggling to cope with the current surge in demand, leaving many calls unanswered and others on hold for many hours. Qantas customers, for example, have reported waiting well over 5-6 hours on hold – or simply being hung up on – over recent weeks. Qantas call centre staffing levels were … Continued
Qantas yesterday released a new, more generous change & cancellation fee waiver after its previous policy attracted considerable criticism. Jetstar flights are also included in this. If you have an existing Qantas or Jetstar booking for travel until 31 May 2020, you now have the option to change dates or cancel your trip and receive … Continued
Just days after Qantas announced further cuts to international flights until September, Virgin Australia has revealed more flight reductions of its own. Among the changes, Virgin Australia will temporarily reduce flights to Japan, Los Angeles and New Zealand, and permanently axe its two fifth-freedom international routes. Frequencies on some domestic routes will also be reduced … Continued
With the constantly-changing international travel restrictions at the moment, you’d be forgiven if you wanted to avoid overseas travel right now. But if you still want – or need – to travel to London over the coming year, now could actually be a very good time to book. Award availability is wide open – even in … Continued
QantasLink will switch one of its five daily flights between Sydney and Coffs Harbour to a Boeing 717 aircraft. The change will take effect from Sunday, 29 March 2020. It comes just weeks before Tigerair withdraws from the Sydney-Coffs Harbour and Melbourne-Coffs Harbour routes. Currently, the Sydney-Coffs Harbour route is served by QantasLink exclusively with … Continued
Virgin Australia has now followed Qantas and Jetstar in waiving change fees on international bookings until 31 March 2020. Virgin’s policy is similar to the Qantas & Jetstar change fee waiver, but it’s more generous as it also applies to existing bookings made prior to 10 March 2020. Unlike with Qantas, Virgin Australia guests also … Continued