Latest news

New Flights to Australia Launched During COVID-19

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has caused enormous disruption to the aviation industry. Countless international routes in and out of Australia have been grounded, and many airlines have stopped flying to Australia altogether for the time being due to the highly restrictive inbound passenger caps. This now includes American Airlines, which just announced it … Continued

21 Jul 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Rex Cancels All Boeing 737 Flights Until August

Rex Airlines has cancelled all of its scheduled Boeing 737-800 flights until at least the end of this month, as Adelaide joins Sydney and Melbourne in lockdown. As of this afternoon, there are no Rex jet services available for sale until 1 August 2021. It’s not yet clear if the cancellations will be extended even … Continued

20 Jul 2021 Rex & Regional Airlines

Qantas Award Flights Were Incredible Value in the 1990s

Redeeming Qantas Frequent Flyer points for a Classic Flight Reward might seem like good value in 2021 – and it usually is. But the value of Qantas points in 2021 is nothing compared to the way things were 25 years ago! These days, for example, it costs 57,000 Qantas points + $80 in taxes & … Continued

19 Jul 2021 Qantas

Airports, Stop Revealing Gate Numbers at the Last Minute

Some airports intentionally make people wait until boarding is about to begin to learn which gate number their flight will be leaving from. It's getting a bit ridiculous.

17 Jul 2021 Airports & Lounges

Airline Customer Advocate “Ineffective”

There are renewed calls for the Airline Customer Advocate to be replaced by an independent ombudsman, after consumer advocacy group CHOICE found it has failed to resolve airline complaints – especially during COVID-19. Since 2012, the Airline Customer Advocate (ACA) should have been helping Australians to resolve airline complaints. But its scope is limited and … Continued

15 Jul 2021 Post Flight

Plaza Premium Airport Lounge Shuffle

Plaza Premium has exited the Priority Pass program, while introducing its own lounge visit passes. These are just some of a raft of changes to airport lounge access arrangements that came into effect earlier this month. Here’s a summary of what’s changed in the recent airport lounge shuffle… Plaza Premium exits Priority Pass program Since … Continued

14 Jul 2021 Airports & Lounges

Air New Zealand 787-9 Business Premier Review (Auckland-Perth)

There are currently two airlines offering Business Class across the Tasman. Qantas offers Business Class on all its Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 flights between Australia and New Zealand, while Air New Zealand offers what it calls “Business Premier” on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner services. After flying with Qantas to New Zealand during COVID-19, I … Continued

12 Jul 2021 Flight Reviews

Podcast #64: CHOICE’s Plan to Fix the Travel Cancellation Chaos

Consumer group CHOICE recently surveyed more than 4,000 Australians whose travel plans were disrupted by COVID-19. Unfortunately, their findings do not paint a pretty picture of the travel industry. This week, CHOICE published its findings in a report called Consumer protection for Australian travellers: a plan for clarity, consistency and fairness. According to CHOICE, only 17% … Continued

10 Jul 2021 AFF on Air Podcast

CHOICE’s Plan to Fix the Travel Cancellation Chaos – AIR064

  Earlier this year, consumer group CHOICE surveyed more than 4,000 Australians whose travel plans were disrupted by COVID-19. This week, CHOICE published its findings in a report called Consumer protection for Australian travellers: a plan for clarity, consistency and fairness. And the findings are pretty damning for the travel industry. Many complained that it … Continued

10 Jul 2021 AFF on Air (blubrry)

Qantas Airport Service Desk Closures Disastrous

Qantas announced last year that it would close airport service desks and sales counters as part of a cost-cutting drive. Many Australian frequent flyers were concerned that this would lead to disastrous consequences during disruptions or when urgent assistance is needed. Rather than having airport staff on hand to help, customers would be forced to … Continued

8 Jul 2021 Qantas

Etihad Quietly Drops Multiple Partner Airlines

Etihad Guest has quietly ended its partnerships with Czech Airlines and Brazil’s GOL Airlines. It comes just a month after Etihad Airways also ended its partnership with Air Seychelles. Etihad Guest members are no longer able to earn or redeem miles with any of these airlines. But in some good news, Etihad Airways has recently … Continued

8 Jul 2021 Etihad Airways

Queensland Raises Hotel Quarantine Fees

The Queensland government has increased the cost of hotel quarantine for passengers arriving in the state from overseas or from declared COVID-19 hotspots in Australia. From 1 July 2021, the cost of 14 days of quarantine for one adult in a Brisbane hotel rose from $2,800 to $3,220. The price for two adults sharing a … Continued

7 Jul 2021 Coronavirus and Travel