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THE FREQUENT FLYER GAZETTE   ::   MARCH 2005
 ISSN 1446-4292
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CONTENTS ::
 
1. QF points & Jetstar
2. Member's Talk
3. Travel News
4. Freq Flyer News

Last minute hotel reservation!

 

Editors Note ::
 
Hello and welcome to the March edition of the Gazette. 

This month we have another bumper edition:  our lead story takes a critical look at Jetstar's recent announcement on earning Qantas Frequent Flyer points on its JetFlex fare.  There might be more to it than meets the eye!

We also share some interesting insights from our members - including how to get FREE Frequent flyer points and discounted Qantas Club membership.

For those of you who like a bargain and are planning to travel to the US before 30 April, ask your travel agent about the Qantas/ American Airlines special to San Jose via Tokyo for $999 (+ taxes).  This must be on of the best deals we've come across!

Happy reading.

Ben
Editor, Frequent Flyer Gazette.

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1. Earn Qantas points on Jetstar - but they come at a price!
 

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With much fan-fare Jetstar announced that passengers flying on a full fare JetFlex ticket qualify for Qantas frequent flyer points and status credits, effective 1 March.  (As a reminder:  Jetstar started operations in May last year.  It is a discount domestic carrier, wholly owned by Qantas and introduced for the sole purpose of containing Virgin Blue's growth.  Whilst Qantas frequent flyer points have always been redeemable on Jetstar flights; until this announcement, Qantas points could not be earned on Jetstar travel.)

So what do we make of this seemingly generous gesture?  If you need flexibility and you choose to fly Jetstar, you would have purchased a JetFlex ticket anyway.  As you're now getting "something for nothing", we suppose its a good thing.  But, if flexibility is not that important to you, it makes far more sense to purchase a Qantas Red e-Deal ticket (route permitting) instead of Jetstar's JetFlex ticket.  You'll get the same number of points either way, but the cost of the Qantas ticket will be much less.  For example, a Melbourne- Sydney JetFlex ticket will cost $199 (+ taxes), while a Qantas Red e-Deal ticket is cost only $69 - a saving of 65%.

 

 

Another point to consider: Qantas operate strategically and behind every initiative there is a well thought through and considered motive.  Perhaps they are laying the foundation to replace their entire domestic network with the Jetstar service?  Jetstar has a much lower cost structure than Qantas, so the airline will be better positioned to compete with Virgin Blue and other new entrants such as Ozjet, which begins operations later this year.

   


2. MEMBER'S TALK
 

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Free Qantas Frequent Flyer points!

A senior member has investigated some of the offers currently available.  See POSTING.

Some great travel advice from a senior member

A new member seeks general advice regarding his coming trip to the US. "NM", one our most senior members - and a Posting Freak - responds with some excellent general advice with heaps of useful links.  Read the discussion HERE.

Cheap Qantas Club membership

Why pay full price to join the Qantas Club (as much as $685 per year) when you can get exactly the same thing for much less!  Read how our smart members do this HERE.

The best credit card to get Qantas Frequent Flyer points

Always a popular discussion!  See what our members suggest HERE and HERE.  If you haven't already got a copy of our popular Guide to Selecting Frequent Flyer Credit Cards, you can purchase it at a discounted price HERE.

On a related topic - one of our members has researched the best credit card for foreign exchange transactions. 

Singapore Airlines to fly Australia to US

Singapore Airlines may soon be flying from Australia to the USA (see our story).  A member has created a couple of polls (HERE and HERE) to gauge public opinion.  The results would be disappointing for Qantas plus there is an interesting take on Singapore's safety record.

What irritates you the most about flying

A senior member started this topic in mid February.  It's obviously a popular issue as it's been viewed almost 2,500 times and has over 70 comments!  Read all your irritations HERE.

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3. TRAVEL NEWS
 
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Join the Mile High Club

A 25 year old Queensland pilot is now offering couples the opportunity to have sex at 6080 feet in a Beech 18 aircraft with a double bed in the cabin.  At $425, couples can take a flight from Redcliffe, north of Brisbane for 45 minutes.  When they board the plane the couples receive champagne, chocolates, strawberries, condoms, lubricant and a vibrator.  The only restriction is that the couples wear their seatbelts during take-off and landing!

Use your mobile phone while flying

Passengers will be able to use their own mobile phones during flights from late 2006.  OnAir, a Geneva-based company partially owned by Airbus, said its voice and data systems would be available on all new Airbus A380 planes from next year, allowing passengers to make calls using their own phones.  A call is expected to cost about USD2-USD2.50 per minute, with a text message priced at about USD0.50.

Singapore may fly to US from Australia within year

Singapore Airlines could be flying the lucrative Australia-US route within a year, Singapore Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said.  Yeo had "positive and friendly" discussions with Australian Transport Minister John Anderson in Canberra last month.

Yeo said Anderson had confirmed the time was right to address the issue of SIA securing access to the Australia-US route following the 2003 "open skies" agreement.  In that agreement, Qantas was granted unrestricted rights to fly into Singapore's Changi airport and onwards, giving the airline greater access to Europe.  Qantas, however, successfully lobbied the Australian government to deny SIA similar access to fly from Australia to the United States, which is one of the Australian carrier's most lucrative routes.

Meanwhile, Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon was quoted as saying that airfares won't fall if Singapore Airlines is allowed to compete against it on the trans-Pacific route to the US.  Mr Dixon said fares are already low due to competition between Qantas and United Airlines, the other carrier flying the route.  "Lower fares are a little bit unlikely," he told a media briefing.

Matches banned on flights to the US

Qantas has been informed by US authorities that lighters and matches have been added to the prohibited articles list and screeners must start confiscating them before embarkation from the end of this month.  A spokesman for Transport Minister John Anderson said Australia had no plans to follow the US example.

Airline officials have already expressed doubts that articles such as tweezers and small nail files should be on the prohibited list.  Apart from the time taken up confiscating these articles, they say it is impossible to make an aircraft interior weapons-free.  They also worry that the emphasis on small items detracts from more important searches for explosives and weapons.

Airport rage: passengers ground staff

Air India passengers who were enraged by an unexplained seven-hour flight delay grabbed three airline officials and forced them to sit on the floor for two hours while they hurled abuse at them, the carrier has claimed.     Passengers booked on the Air India flight from Mumbai to New Delhi lost their tempers because they were not kept informed of the delay or offered refreshments, according to the Indian Express newspaper. 

Virgin Blue terminal in Melbourne evacuated

Thousands of passengers were left stranded at the Virgin Blue terminal in Melbourne Airport last month.  The terminal was evacuated after dozens of people fell ill, with authorities fearing a chemical leak.  But emergency crews could find no trace of any chemicals in the air and still do not know what caused the problem.

Virgin Blue have offered to reimburse some passengers affected by the disruption with cash refunds and free flights.  Among the 13,000 passengers affected, those who independently found alternative means of travel will be given a full cash refund or flight credit option.  Passengers who had been delayed more than four hours would also be offered a free flight to the value of the amount paid for their disrupted flight.

Virgin Blue�s flying billboard

Virgin Blue has turned one of its B737-800 aircraft into a flying billboard to advertise Gillette�s new powered razor, the M3Power.  The airline claims the aircraft, which has been labelled the �Gillette M3Power Plane�, is the biggest mobile billboard or �skyboard� ever seen in Australia.  The entire body of the aircraft, apart from the Virgin branded tail and winglets, will be painted in M3Power�s signature black.  The aircraft will fly the Gillette M3Power flag for at least three months and during its travels will visit every major city in Australia.

OzJet to be based in Adelaide

OzJet, Australia's new all business-class airline will be based in Adelaide, but Melbourne Airport will be its hub.  The maintenance centre will also be in Melbourne.  Tax incentives and other inducements had lured owner Paul Stoddart to headquarter in Adelaide, and not his home town of Melbourne.  Melbourne Airport will, however, be the airline�s busiest airport, with 60 per cent of OzJet�s flights using the terminal.

The airline is expected to begin flights on August 31.  Fare structure is yet to be announced.

Aussie Googlers go for airlines

Qantas and Virgin Blue have found themselves surrounded by music, soap and sports stars in a list of the top 10 query terms Australians entered into Internet search engine Google last year.  The two carriers finished second and fifth respectively in the 2004 list, which was topped by hotel heiress Paris Hilton.  Australia�s inclusion of two airlines was highly unusual compared with the queries entered by Google users in other countries as most lists were dominated by sexy actors, singers and sports stars.

 


4. FREQUENT FLYER CLUB NEWS
 
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This section of the newsletter is sponsored by the new revamped Frequent Flyer Club.  The Frequent Flyer Club is owned and operated by the Handzon Company.

  • Use Jetstar fares with Qantas Holiday Bookings  A little known fact!  Qantas and Jetstar have reached an agreement whereby Qantas Holidays will allow their discounted products to be packaged with the lower Jetstar airfares.  Reductions in hotels, tours, cruises and car hire within Australia can now be booked at the same time your flights are booked offering better value.  Contact frequentflyerclub.com.au for more information.
     

  • Free Discount Voucher Books  Remember to claim your Qantas Frequent Flyer points (up to 500) and also ask for your free Capital City Discount Voucher booklet that gives you restaurant discounts, up to 50% admission savings on sites and Leisure Parks.  Contact frequentflyerclub.com.au for more details.  PS: Also save up to 20% off of AVIS when you join as a Frequent Flyer Club Member!
     

  • Thrifty Car Rentals  Qantas Frequent Flyer points can also be earned when booking a Thrifty Car in Australia.  You must produce your QF Card when booking.
     

  • United and Delta continue their freeze  In the USA , United Airlines and Delta are still protected under Bankruptcy 11 clause which severely restricts domestic air on frequent flyer seats.  We suggest you seek alternatives such as US Airpasses.  Contact frequentflyerclub.com.au or telephone toll free on 1800 686 539 for the best US Airpasses for you.
     

  • Order Foreign Cash or Travellers Cheques online The Frequent Flyer Club now provides Members (and non-Members) with a facility to order foreign cash, travellers cheques, and the popular Telstra Phoneaway� cards online.  Go directly to www.axistravel.com.au/html/FrameSetH.asp for more details.  Show photo ID to collect from any American Express Foreign Exchange Office anywhere in Australia. There is no collection fee.
     

  • Difference between the Qantas Frequent Flyer program and the Qantas Club The Frequent Flyer Club is receiving many enquiries from travellers who are confused about these two schemes.  The Qantas Frequent Flyer program allows members to earn and redeem frequent flyer points with Qantas and associated partners.  The once-off membership fee is $82.50.  The Qantas Club gives you entry to Qantas and selected other OneWorld airline lounges in various domestic and international airports.  Membership has an annual fee (staring from $485 as a Corporate Member).  The Club membership includes Qantas frequent flyer membership, so you need not pay the $82.50.  More details are available at frequentflyerclub.com.au or by contacting Qantas directly.

Get us to secure your frequent flyer seats now online or by calling 1300 738 073.

 

� THE AUSTRALIAN FREQUENT FLYER, 2005