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.
Velocity Frequent Flyer members would normally need to earn at least 250, 500 or 1,000 status credits during a 12-month period to upgrade to Silver, Gold or Platinum status respectively. But Velocity routinely upgrades frequent flyers who are still just a little bit short of the published status credit target, provided they’ve flown the minimum required … Continued
Update (24 September): Limited Qatar Airways award availability has returned to the Qantas website, but only for certain travel dates and cabin classes. It appears that Qantas Frequent Flyer members now only have access to the full suite of Qatar Airways award availability for Economy bookings up to 249 days in advance, and Business/First Class … Continued
Just as it’s possible to redeem Virgin Australia Velocity points for Singapore Airlines flights (albeit not in First Class at the moment), the same is also true in reverse. If you have Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, you can redeem these for Virgin Australia flights in Economy or Business Class. Singapore Airlines slightly increased the cost … Continued
When it comes to releasing Business Class award seats to partner airlines, Air New Zealand would have to be one of the world’s stingiest airlines. But there is now a surprisingly good amount of Business Class award space on certain routes including Melbourne-Auckland, for travel dates within the next three months. Although New Zealand’s national … Continued
If you have Points Club membership, Qantas Frequent Flyer Silver status or a premium Qantas co-branded credit card, you may have received some complimentary Qantas lounge invitations. These one-time passes can generally be used to access domestic Qantas Club and international Qantas Business Lounges before flying on the same day with Qantas or Jetstar. If … Continued
When I needed to fly from Melbourne to Sydney with a checked bag this week, I’ll be honest – Qantas was not my first choice. Given all the delays, cancellations and lost bags of late – combined with Qantas’ woeful customer service on the ground when things go wrong – I would have preferred to … Continued
Japan’s border may still be closed to independent tourists, but that hasn’t stopped Jetstar from restarting direct flights from Australia to Japan for the first time since the pandemic began! Jetstar began last week by restarting its Cairns-Tokyo route. The first flight back from Tokyo’s Narita Airport to Cairns was almost completely filled by Japanese … Continued
Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia X will launch flights between Sydney and Auckland in November 2022, bringing with it cheap Economy fares and Premium Flatbed seats at the front of the plane. The fifth-freedom flight across the Tasman will be a continuation of AirAsia’s Kuala Lumpur-Sydney service, which briefly restarted in February this year after a two-year … Continued
The Emirates Lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth will reopen from this week, with demand for international travel having well and truly returned. This is good news for eligible Emirates passengers flying from Sydney, Melbourne or Perth to Dubai who now have access to Emirates’ excellent airport lounges again on departure. It’s also good news … Continued
If you’ve tried to use Qantas points or redeem Velocity points for Business Class seats to the United States lately, you’ve probably noticed that there isn’t much reward seat availability right now! Occasionally you might get lucky and find a direct Qantas flight to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth or Vancouver (just across the … Continued
Qantas has finally fixed an error with the way its website prices Classic Flight Rewards on Alaska Airlines after more than a year. Last month, Australian Frequent Flyer highlighted a glitch with the Qantas website where Business Classic Reward seats on Alaska Airlines were being incorrectly priced at the higher “First Class” level. The Qantas website even … Continued
Buying United miles during a promotion can be a clever way to save money on future Star Alliance Business and First class flights, as the cost of the miles is often lower than the cost of an equivalent airfare. United MileagePlus miles can be redeemed for premium cabin award flights across the entire Star Alliance … Continued
