Latest news

NSW to Quadruple International Arrival Cap in Late October

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian today confirmed that the state will reinstate the higher international arrival caps that had been in place until July in around a month. As part of the NSW government’s 3-stage reopening plan announced today, vaccinated NSW residents will gain a little more freedom once 70% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated against … Continued

27 Sep 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Should You Pay Reward Flight Taxes with Points?

When booking a reward flight using Qantas or Velocity points, you’ll also need to pay any applicable taxes & carrier charges in addition to the points. This extra co-payment includes Virgin’s $11 carrier charge or Qantas’ $14 carrier charge per domestic flight (it’s higher for most international flights), plus any third-party airport fees, security charges … Continued

25 Sep 2021 Airlines, Miles and Points

BA Executive Club Welcomes Australian Members

British Airways has removed a bizarre rule which prevented Australian and New Zealand residents from joining its Executive Club frequent flyer program. For many years, Australian and New Zealand residents have been technically excluded from joining the British Airways Executive Club program. The rule was a hangover from the time when Qantas and British Airways … Continued

23 Sep 2021 British Airways

When Will Velocity Reinstate Partner Airline Redemptions?

Velocity Frequent Flyer is finally preparing to bring back reward seat redemptions on Virgin Australia international flights, as well as flights operated by partner airlines. These redemption options have been unavailable since April 2020. While this is welcome news, it’s still unclear when exactly Velocity will reopen international redemption bookings and which partner airlines will … Continued

21 Sep 2021 Virgin Australia

NSW Trials 7-Day Home Quarantine

The NSW government will next month commence a trial of 7-day home quarantine for a small number of travellers returning from overseas, instead of the current 14 days of hotel quarantine. The NSW pilot program will operate for four weeks. NSW Health will choose around 175 people to participate in its home quarantine trial. All … Continued

19 Sep 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Podcast #69: Singapore Airlines on Operating to Australia in the Pandemic

Flying internationally to or from Australia over the past 18 months has been extremely challenging for passengers. This is especially so for the tens of thousands of Australians who remain stuck overseas in September 2021. Previous episodes of the AFF on Air podcast have investigated the challenge of returning to Australia from a passenger’s perspective. But … Continued

18 Sep 2021 AFF on Air Podcast

Singapore Airlines on Operating to Australia in the Pandemic – AIR069

  Many previous episodes of the AFF on Air podcast have explored the difficulty of getting back to Australia during the pandemic. Navigating the current system is clearly a nightmare for travellers. In this episode, we’ll get an airline’s perspective. Karl Schubert is the Public Relations Manager for Singapore Airlines in the South West Pacific … Continued

18 Sep 2021 AFF on Air (blubrry)

New Round of Velocity Status Extensions (September 2021)

Virgin Australia has announced another new status extension offer for many of its Velocity Frequent Flyer Silver, Gold and Platinum members. Depending on which offer they qualify for, selected Velocity members will now get to enjoy their status for an extra five or eight months. Velocity Gold and Platinum members who previously participated in last … Continued

17 Sep 2021 Virgin Australia

Hilton Honors Extends Status Until March 2023

Hilton Hotels will extend the status tiers of all Hilton Honors members for another year. All Hilton Honors Silver, Gold and Diamond members will now automatically receive a status extension until 31 March 2023. Any nights that members had completed in 2021 will not go to waste, with Hilton extending rollover nights for members at … Continued

16 Sep 2021 Hilton Honors

International Flights on Sale for December 2021: Will They Fly?

Many airlines are now planning to resume international flights to and from Australia by Christmas, with Qantas and others betting on a mid-December reopening of the country’s international border. Meanwhile, other airlines that have continued to operate loss-making international flights into Australia throughout the pandemic are preparing to ramp up their schedules within months. Many mainstream … Continued

16 Sep 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Last Chance for Qantas Points with The Economist

It’s the final call for Qantas Frequent Flyer members to earn up to 25,000 bonus points for subscribing to The Economist. That’s because The Economist’s partnership with Qantas Frequent Flyer is ending on 18 September 2021. The number of Qantas points you can earn until 17 September 2021 (next Friday) depends on the type and … Continued

14 Sep 2021 Qantas

How to Stop Qantas Business Rewards Points Expiring

Numerous AFF members say their Qantas Business Rewards points have expired recently without any warning. Just like Qantas points, Qantas Business Rewards points expire after 18 months of account inactivity. If you haven’t taken any flights or earned any Qantas Business Rewards points since the beginning of the pandemic – which happens to be 18 … Continued

13 Sep 2021 Qantas