Travel Lifestyle

The "Travel Lifestyle" category is all about enhancing every aspect of your travel experience. From airports and lounges to travel money, tools, and cruises, this section covers it all. Whether you're planning a luxury getaway or a practical trip, you’ll find valuable tips here. Explore articles below on how to elevate your travel lifestyle.

Confused man question marks

The Madness of Lounge Access Rules

It’s often said that you need a degree in lounge access to be fully across the many intricacies of airline lounge entry requirements. Lounge access rules can be extremely confusing, with so many different rules and exceptions. It’s one of the reasons that AFF’s Lounge Access Help Desk thread is still going strong after 5 years! … Continued

Virgin Lounge Pass Holders Incorrectly Denied Entry

Virgin Australia’s New International Lounges

On 28 October 2018, Virgin Australia’s messy divorce with Air New Zealand was finalised. It’s now no longer possible to earn or redeem Velocity points on Air New Zealand flights. Gold and Platinum Velocity members, as well as Virgin Australia Lounge members, have also lost access to Air New Zealand’s lounges when flying to or within New Zealand. … Continued

LAX Airport

The Ultimate Los Angeles Stopover Guide

Los Angeles, California. It’s home to the glitz and glam of Hollywood, a short drive from Disneyland and the location of the largest international airport on the west coast of the United States. With 69% of flights from Australia to the US mainland arriving at Los Angeles International Airport, there’s a good chance you’ll be … Continued

Phone booths in the Sydney SkyTeam lounge

Airport Lounge Etiquette Faux Pas

Airport lounges are supposed to be exclusive sanctuaries away from the hustle and bustle of busy airport terminals. But, even in the nicest of airport lounges, there’s one thing that can easily ruin the experience: other passengers. Many frequent flyers will have experienced antisocial behaviour in airport lounges at some point, from people talking loudly … Continued

Emirates Lounge Singapore

Would You Pay $139 for Lounge Access?

Many of us enjoy using airport lounges when flying. Lounge access is a great way to grab some food, freshen up with a shower, get some work done or simply relax before departure. For Business and First Class passengers, as well as frequent flyers with elite airline status, lounge access is generally complimentary. But if … Continued

Hamad International Airport, Doha

The Ultimate Doha Stopover Guide

Doha, Qatar. It’s home to Hamad International Airport, the megahub of Oneworld’s Qatar Airways. If you’re flying with Qatar Airways to pretty much anywhere, you’ll be passing through this airport. Hamad International Airport is a world-class airport – clean, modern and connecting through there is relatively easy. But if you find yourself with a Doha … Continued

Helsinki, Finland

The Ultimate Helsinki Stopover Guide

If you’re flying with Finnair to Europe, you’ll be travelling via Helsinki. The efficiency of Helsinki Airport makes it one of the best in Europe. In fact, Helsinki Airport’s Minimum Connect Times range from just 20 minutes for intra-Schengen connections, to 40 minutes when connecting from a long-haul international flight to any destination within Europe. … Continued

26 Nov 2018 Stopover Guides
Passenger headache sick nervous flyer

How Much is Too Much Flying?

Most of us wish that we could travel more. But for some very frequent flyers, flying has become nothing more than a chore – and planes nothing more than buses with wings. This week, one of AFF’s most frequent flyers has decided they’ve had enough of flying and cannot stand the thought of another long-haul flight. … Continued

19 Nov 2018 Travel Lifestyle

Expert Flyer Sold to Red Ventures

Expert Flyer, a popular online resource for frequent flyers, has been acquired by Red Ventures. With Expert Flyer sold, significant changes are expected to the service which has remained largely unchanged since it was launched 14 years ago. Red Ventures, the new owner of Expert Flyer, is a large American marketing company. It already owns … Continued

The service desk in the Qantas Business Lounge in Melbourne is now closed

New Qantas Melbourne Business Lounge Opens

After a year of construction work, Qantas has officially opened its brand new domestic Business Lounge at Melbourne Airport. The Qantas Melbourne Business Lounge in the domestic Terminal 1 is not only larger than its predecessor, but it also now comes with an Asian spice bar. Part of the new lounge has already been open … Continued

USA flag in New York

Why Travel Insurance for the USA is Essential

If you’re travelling overseas, travel insurance is extremely important. But this is especially the case if you’re visiting the United States. Medical bills in the USA routinely run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and payment is often required upfront. If something happens and you need urgent medical treatment, you could even be refused … Continued

UK Border checkpoint

UK E-Gates Open to Australians (from 2019)

Long immigration queues will soon be a thing of the past for Australians entering the UK. From next year, Australians will have access to e-gates when flying into airports across the country, including London Heathrow. The UK e-gates will also be available to citizens of New Zealand, the United States, Canada and Japan. The automatic … Continued

31 Oct 2018 Travel Lifestyle