Latest news

Australian Passport Processing Times Blow Out

Australian passport application and renewal processing times have increased dramatically in recent weeks as more Aussies prepare to travel overseas again. In the months before Australia removed its international travel ban in late 2021, many people reported that their passport applications were processed in just a few days. But demand has since picked up considerably, … Continued

14 Apr 2022 Coronavirus and Travel

Virgin Eyes High-Flying Business Travellers

Virgin Australia has renewed its focus on attracting business travellers and high-spending corporate flyers with the launch of a new loyalty program for businesses and a new invitation-only “Beyond” status tier. Virgin Australia launches Business Flyer The new Virgin Australia Business Flyer program launched last week, replacing the previous Accelerate loyalty program for small-to-medium businesses. Existing … Continued

13 Apr 2022 Virgin Australia

Virgin Extends Travel Bank Expiry Dates

Update: In January 2023, Virgin Australia further extended the validity of Future Flight Credits and Travel Bank Credits issued on/before 31 July 2022 until 31 December 2023. These credits can now be redeemed until 31 December 2023, for travel up to the same date. Virgin Australia has extended the validity of many Travel Bank credits … Continued

12 Apr 2022 Virgin Australia

Earn Velocity Status Credits on the Ground in April 2022

Velocity Frequent Flyer members have multiple opportunities to earn status credits on the ground this month, with the frequent flyer program running numerous limited-time promotions simultaneously. Velocity status credits count towards your Virgin Australia status tier. They can generally only be earned by flying with Virgin Australia and its partner airlines, or by shopping at … Continued

12 Apr 2022 Virgin Australia

Rex Winds Back COVID Refund Guarantee

Rex has quietly amended its COVID Refund Guarantee to make it almost impossible to actually get a refund in the future if you can’t travel due to COVID-19. Until recently, Rex offered a refund (minus its booking & card payment surcharges) if you needed to cancel your flight for any COVID-related reason. But on 28 … Continued

11 Apr 2022 Rex & Regional Airlines

Jetstar Has Better Customer Service Than Qantas

The Qantas Group owns two distinct brands in the Australian market. Qantas is supposed to be the premium, full-service brand while Jetstar is positioned as the low-cost carrier with cheap fares but less service. Ironically though, the customer service provided by Jetstar at the moment is far superior to that of Qantas! The problems with Qantas … Continued

11 Apr 2022 Jetstar

SAS Age-Based Price Discrimination

It’s not that uncommon for some airlines to offer discounts to children, or even to sell tickets at different prices based on a person’s location, the type of electronic device they’re using or if they’re travelling for work. There are also plenty of examples of airlines charging different fares on domestic flights to residents and non-residents, … Continued

9 Apr 2022 Planning & Booking

New Qantas Routes from Sydney to Seoul & Bengaluru

Qantas will launch two new international destinations from Sydney later this year, with non-stop flights to Seoul and Bengaluru. Jetstar will also launch a new route from Sydney to Seoul. Tickets are already on sale and Qantas Classic Flight Reward seats are now available on some of these flights. The first three Qantas flights from … Continued

8 Apr 2022 Qantas

Qantas, Don’t Blame Customers for Your Woeful Service

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce this week apologised to customers for the long call centre wait times. Chief Customer Officer Stephanie Tully also emailed customers with “an update on contact centre wait times”, where she admitted the current situation has “not been acceptable”. It’s good to see Qantas at least acknowledging there’s a problem, but the … Continued

8 Apr 2022 Qantas

50% Off One-Year Qantas Club Memberships

Qantas is offering 50% off individual Qantas Club memberships to people who join or renew for one year by 11 April 2022. With this deal, you could join Qantas Club for one year as a new member for $399 – a saving of $300. This comprises of the $99 Qantas Club joining fee, which is … Continued

7 Apr 2022 Qantas

Virgin Australia’s 30% Reward Seat Discount

Virgin Australia is discounting Velocity Reward Seats on all of its flights, with 30% off the Velocity points required when booking by 10am on 13 April 2022. This offer covers Virgin Australia Economy and Business Reward Seats booked using Velocity Frequent Flyer points, for travel between 1 May 2022 and 1 March 2023. You can … Continued

7 Apr 2022 Virgin Australia

ACCC Seeking Submissions on Qantas Flight Credits

If you’ve had trouble using a Qantas flight credit or believe you were overcharged when doing so, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) would like to hear from you. The ACCC is now calling for submissions from Qantas customers about their experiences when trying to use Qantas flight credits. Qantas customers are invited to … Continued

7 Apr 2022 Qantas