Airlines, Miles and Points

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.

Cancelled flights

Jetstar Strands Passengers in Bali for 18 Days

A family of four was left stranded in Bali for 18 days after Jetstar cancelled their flight home and didn’t offer an alternative flight until more than two weeks later. After a holiday in Indonesia, AFF member Hutch0007 and their family was booked to return to Melbourne on a Jetstar flight departing on 16 September 2022. … Continued

24 Oct 2022 Jetstar
Flight attendant serving drinks to passengers on board

Giving Gifts to the Cabin Crew: A Good Idea?

Being a flight attendant may seem like a glamorous job, but it can also be a thankless one. Airline cabin crew are highly trained, work long hours, put up with a lot of difficult passengers and at the end of the day, are responsible for the safety of their passengers – a tough job that … Continued

20 Oct 2022 In Flight
Architecture of downtown of Johannesburg, South Africa

Qantas Pauses Perth-Johannesburg Ticket Sales

Update (25 October): Due to issues with Border Force and customs processing inbound passengers at Terminal 3 of Perth Airport, Qantas has cancelled its planned launch of Perth-Jakarta flights and the Perth-Johannesburg route will only run until March 2023 at this stage. Qantas has temporarily removed all Perth-Johannesburg flights from sale, as it finalises customs … Continued

19 Oct 2022 Qantas
Qatar Airways 777 tail Virgin Australia partnership

Virgin, Qatar Partnership Teething Issues

It’s just over a month since Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways launched a new strategic partnership. As well as earning and redeeming points on each others’ flights, this agreement promises Velocity Gold, Platinum and Beyond members access to priority check-in, priority boarding and lounges when flying with Qatar Airways. It’s a great value-add to the … Continued

Qantas A380

Qantas Expects International Airfares to Come Down

If you’ve looked at international airfares lately, you may have noticed how much more expensive they are compared to pre-COVID times. In fact, Qantas Business Class fares on some routes are now selling for close to $30,000 return during busy travel periods. As Australian Frequent Flyer covered recently, there are numerous reasons for the high … Continued

16 Oct 2022 Qantas
Panoramic urban city aerial night view with crosstown traffic in ginza, tokyo, Japan

Airlines Reach Status Extension Crossroads

Many of the elite status extensions offered by frequent flyer programs due to COVID-19 are about to come to an end. For some airlines, this will mean a sudden and significant reduction in the number of members holding status. There has been a live debate for some time already about whether to continue extending the … Continued

13 Oct 2022 Cathay Pacific
Virgin Australia Lounge in Perth

Virgin Perth Lounge Opens for Evening Departures

The Virgin Australia Lounge at Perth Airport is now once again staying open until the evening red-eye flights depart, rather than closing at 6pm every day. Two months ago, Australian Frequent Flyer reported that the Virgin Australia Lounge in Perth’s terminal 1 was not staying open for the late-night overnight departures to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. In … Continued

12 Oct 2022 Virgin Australia
Gin bar at the Qantas London Lounge

Half-Price Qantas Club Offer (October 2022)

For a limited time, Qantas is offering a 50% discount off 1-year Qantas Club memberships – both for new members and on renewals. From 11-17 October 2022, you can get half-price Qantas Club when signing up for a new 1-year individual membership or renewing your existing membership for a year. This discount is available on … Continued

11 Oct 2022 Qantas
Qantas website

From Which Countries Can You Book on Qantas’ Website?

The Qantas website has a well-known limitation that you can only use it to search for and book flights departing from certain countries. This can be particularly frustrating when searching for partner airline award flights from overseas destinations. Obviously you can book flights from Australia or any destination where Qantas flies its own aircraft. But … Continued

10 Oct 2022 Qantas
Businessman hand giving money - Australian dollars

Airlines Offer Thousands to Switch from Overbooked Flights

With many flights to Australia currently fully booked or even oversold, airlines have been turning to desperate measures to encourage passengers to give up their seats. AFF member albatross710 was recently booked to fly from Vancouver to Brisbane on Air Canada. At the boarding gate, airline staff were calling for 7 volunteers to give up … Continued

10 Oct 2022 Other Airlines
Qantas A330-300 Economy Class

Qantas Points Planes to Japan

Japan is reopening next week, and to celebrate, Qantas has released six weeks worth of Points Planes to Tokyo where every seat is now available to book as a Classic Flight Reward in Economy. All Business Class seats between Sydney and Tokyo on 10 May 2023 are also being made available to book as Classic Rewards … Continued

7 Oct 2022 Qantas
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 in Oneworld livery

Alaska Airlines Award Chart Overhaul Coming

For a long time, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has been a popular frequent flyer program due to its excellent value award flight redemptions. As Alaska Airlines also sells miles, often with bonus miles attached during promotions, some Australians have even been buying Mileage Plan miles on a regular basis. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan redemptions may be a … Continued

6 Oct 2022 Oneworld