Transcontinental Seat Wars

With the demise of the 767 as the Qantas mainstay for Transcontinental flights, much focus has been on its replacement, the Airbus A330. With Qantas operating aircraft that feature a 10 year old cabin, they were always going to struggle. After all, Virgin’s new deliveries featured a seat in Business Class that converted to a … Continued

Cancel or Credit – Travel Insurance Woes

Stuff happens! Especially when it comes to expensive overseas travel arrangements. Some call it Murphy’s Law, the principle that if something can go wrong it will. On that basis, most people will purchase travel insurance to make sure they are covered. As our government says on its smart traveller website, if you cannot afford Travel … Continued

Vietnam visa changes

Most of our members hold Australian passports, one of the more widely accepted visa free passports in the world. But not all countries are happy to grant an instant visa on arrival. Some prefer you to give advance notice, or apply for one outside the country. Vietnam, like many of its neighbours, is one such … Continued

Goodbye to the Status Fairy?

When Qantas made changes to its frequent flyer program recently, it was obvious for many that status could be harder to achieve in the future. First the “marginal” Any Seat awards were disposed of, a source of cheap status credits to many members and the topic of much discussion on the forum. Then the reduction … Continued

How will the capacity bubble burst?

One of the features in the battle between Qantas and Virgin of recent years has been the increase in capacity both airlines have made in a bid to make money. Not long ago, trans- continental traffic was mostly single aisle jets. With Virgin upping the ante to wide-bodies with lie flat beds in business, Qantas … Continued