Welcome to the September edition of the Australian Frequent
Flyer Gazette. Well, now we are certainly well in the midst of our airfare war. With the
Olympics and four carriers in the sky, we can take advantage of the fierce squabble for
bums-on-seats. If you have collected a number of points from these cheaper airfares, have
a look at www.frequentflyer.com.au to see
how far they’ll take you.
If you have any feedback on anything in the September
edition of The Australian Frequent Flyer Gazette, email us at [email protected]. Happy flying!
As always, we have a number of travel tips for you.
Don’t forget, if you have any more tips, please email them to [email protected]
If you are going to a foreign country, make sure you
research the health and crisis information before you go. Australians are advised to avoid
all travel to southern Sudan. Aid workers’ lives are in danger in this area due to a
stand-off between aid organisations and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army. Also,
conditions are deteriorating in Northern Sudan, and travellers are advised to avoid
crowded places. There is no Australian Embassy in Sudan.
Due to several unexplained acts of terrorism, travellers are
advised to avoid the North Caucasus region of Russia. There has also been a scam involving
ATMs in Russia - apparently there are some devices which can read pin numbers and credit
card details from people who are withdrawing money from these machines. This information
can then be used to withdraw more money from these accounts. Smart currency is U.S.
travellers’ cheques.
There is a warning out for Australians to check whether they
have dual nationality to certain countries before they go overseas. Dual nationality may
mean that you are liable for military service (e.g. Egypt, France, Greece, Iran, Italy,
Lebanon, Singapore, Syria, and Turkey) and for offences under laws committed outside that
country.
Don’t forget to take out health insurance before you
go! If you get sick in a country where you have to undergo a medical evacuation to get to
Australia for treatment, you could clock up a fairly hefty bill. Australia has reciprocal
health care agreements with the U.K., New Zealand, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Malta, the
Netherlands and Sweden, which means Australians are provided with emergency health care
treatment. However, you will still need travel insurance for these countries.
Have you been paying attention to the media? Quiz yourself on these stories:
Why were some Qantas planes nearly grounded in the last week
of August?
CASA considered grounding Boeing 747-200 aeroplanes because of a small nut in the engine
which secures discs - Qantas had silver-plated the nuts, making aviation regulators
question the structural integrity of the parts.
What caused an Ansett jet to plunge 19,000 feet on a
Perth-Adelaide flight on August 21st?
A drop in cabin pressure forced the pilot of the jet to descent quickly - the air from the
engine was running into the air-conditioning units.
Why was Qantas accused of breaching the Trade Practices Act
in mid-August?
Because it expanded the number of seats flying between Newcastle and Melbourne in
competition with Impulse Airlines. The ACCC rules on August 21st that Qantas did not
breach the Act as there were a few specific circumstances surrounding the airline’s
decision to increase their capacity.
Which CEO of which major airline hinted that he will leave
his position at the end of 2001?
James Strong, CEO of Qantas, said in an interview aired on 20th August that he would leave
at the end of his eighth year at his position.
With the Sydney Olympics gearing up for take-off, the competition has been high in the
air-fare war. Ansett and Qantas both released great deals for the Olympic period - this
time giving the West coast of Australia a chance to cash in on the competition. Qantas is
offering more than 100,000 seats on over 80 routes, and are among the cheapest Qantas has
ever had on sale. Ansett also has about 110,000 seats available at discounted prices. Both
airlines are offering Melbourne and Sydney to Perth flights for $165. Ansett is also
offering an Olympic 'Fan Fare' package, which basically means you can have a discount
package without the need to stay over on a Saturday night (usually required for discount
fares).
There has been much speculation about how the Sydney airport will handle the increased
flow of in-bound passengers to Sydney - highlighted on a recent edition of The Games. What
are the airports doing about it? Ansett claims they’ve increased the 'passenger
handling capacity' by about 25%. The new terminal allows the airline to have about 2,800
outbound passengers per hour, while the new baggage handling terminal allows about 1,900
in-bound passengers per hour.
Impulse Airlines have extended their Internet-only deal to last until October 8th
– to cover the Sydney Olympics. Their Internet sales comprise in excess of 50% of
their total bookings.
Impulse introduced the first of their Boeing 717-200 jets on the Sydney-Brisbane route.
South Australian Premier John Olsen announced on August 27 that work will begin on a
Multi User Integrated Terminal (MUIT) at Adelaide Airport later this year.
Virgin Blue’s first flight took off on Thursday August 31, between Brisbane and
Sydney. From 7.00am Saturday August 26 to 7.00am Monday August 28, all one-way seats
between Brisbane and Sydney were on offer for $48 until sold out.
Earn 1,500 points on qualifying room rates Global Rewards
partners: Bayview International Hotels & Resorts, Forum Hotels International, Four
Points by Sheraton Hotels, Inter-Continental Hotels & Resorts, Luxury Collection
Hotels, Radisson Hotels Worldwide, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Hotels &
Resorts, Thistle Hotels, "W" Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts.
Qantas Frequent Flyers
To win a holiday with Qantas to any of the destinations in
their new "I Still Call Australia Home" TV commercial, screensaver, e-cards or
wallpapers just identify 3 of the countries and submit your entry at www.qantas.com.au
before September 13th.
FlyBuys
Who wants to be the next Pudding Guy? Enter the Friskies
competition by spending $5 or more on any Friskies product and go in the draw to win 1
million Fly Buys points.
Other Fly Buys promotions: Buy 1kg of International Roast
Coffee and get 75 points. However, you can get 100 points by buying 1kg of Nescafe Blend
43. Or you could get 50 points for buying 1.9kg of Milo. Clock up another 100 points if
you buy $10 or more of Fresh Spring Lamb and Coles.
You have received this newsletter because you registered with The Australian Frequent
Flyer.
The Australian Frequent Flyer is independently owned and is not affiliated with Ansett,
Qantas or Fly Buys. While every effort has been made to ensure accurate information in
this newsletter, it should be regarded as a guide only. You are advised to confirm all
details before making any travel arrangements.
All information published in The Australian Frequent Flyer Gazette has been made
available for public use. This information is freely available and subject to change
without notice.