Latest news

Virgin Australia Partners with Air Canada

Virgin Australia flyers can now earn Velocity points and status credits when flying with Air Canada, with the launch of a new partnership between the two airlines yesterday. Virgin Australia began codesharing on limited Air Canada flights between Los Angeles and Canada in 2017. But until now, the partnership did not cover direct flights between … Continued

20 Jan 2021 Air Canada Virgin Australia

Win a Share of 20 Million Velocity Points

There are some easy, free Velocity Frequent Flyer points up for grabs thanks to a new promotion. Velocity members can now claim a share of 20 million points, simply by downloading the Velocity App and activating the offer on the home screen by 26 January 2021. All Velocity members who take part in the promotion … Continued

20 Jan 2021 Virgin Australia

Virgin Removes Music from In-Flight Entertainment

In 2018, Qantas caused quite a stir by axing music from its in-flight entertainment program on domestic flights. Key figures in the Australian music industry were quick to criticise the decision, which appears to have been made to save money on music licensing fees, and Qantas received a huge backlash at the time on social … Continued

18 Jan 2021 Virgin Australia

The International Flights Available to Australia in January 2021

Update (22 January 2021): Emirates will reinstate flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from next week. It’s now January 2021, and there are still tens of thousands of Australians stuck overseas. Unfortunately for those Aussies, returning to Australia has just become even harder with super-connector Emirates withdrawing flights to most Australian cities and the Australian … Continued

18 Jan 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Virgin Australia 737 Business Class Review (January 2021)

With Virgin Australia now out of voluntary administration, lounges are slowly reopening and the onboard service is beginning to improve. Unfortunately, Virgin Australia’s Business Class product still falls short of expectations in 2021, as I recently discovered on a flight from Brisbane to Rockhampton. Flight Details Flight number VA1235 Route Brisbane (BNE) to Rockhampton (ROK) … Continued

16 Jan 2021 Flight Reviews

Flybuys Improves Velocity Points Transfer Rate

Flybuys has improved the rate at which points are transferred to Velocity Frequent Flyer, while also halving the minimum points transfer amount. Flybuys members can now transfer their points to Velocity in increments of 1,000 Flybuys points, reduced from the previous minimum of 2,000 Flybuys points. Those 1,000 Flybuys points are now worth 500 Velocity … Continued

15 Jan 2021 Flybuys

Qantas & Virgin Suspend Lounge Access on Arrival

EXCLUSIVE | Both Qantas and Virgin Australia have stopped permitting arriving passengers to access their airport lounges, without updating their websites or informing affected customers. Qantas still advertises lounge access on arrival as a benefit for Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers, while Virgin Australia advertises arrival access for Velocity Gold, Velocity Platinum and Business Class … Continued

14 Jan 2021 Airports & Lounges

Woolworths’ Frequent Shopper Club Closing on 25 January 2021

Tasmanian Woolworths customers have less than two weeks left to switch from the Frequent $hopper Club loyalty program to Everyday Rewards, with Frequent Shopper Club closing down on 25 January 2021. Woolworths rolled out the Everyday Rewards program in Tasmania from 6 August 2020, bringing Tasmania in line with the rest of the country. Since … Continued

14 Jan 2021 Woolworths Everyday Rewards

The Qatar Blockade is Over

Qatar Airways has reinstated flights to Saudi Arabia after the embargo preventing Qatari airlines from entering the airspace of four countries was revoked. It reportedly follows months of mediation efforts by Kuwait and the United States. In 2017, the countries of Bahrain, Saudia Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all cut diplomatic ties with … Continued

13 Jan 2021 Qatar Airways

Face Masks Mandatory on Domestic Flights

Wearing a face mask is now mandatory on all domestic flights within Australia, following a decision by National Cabinet last week. Passengers and staff are also now required to wear a face mask in all Australian airports, including in airport lounges. Children under 12 years old are exempt from the requirement, as are people with … Continued

13 Jan 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Emirates Reveals New Premium Economy Seats

Emirates has unveiled the much-anticipated new Premium Economy seats to be installed on a selection of Airbus A380s and new Boeing 777X aircraft. The spacious Premium Economy recliner seats are 19.5 inches wide and offer up to 40 inches of legroom – 2 inches more than Qantas’ Premium Economy seats. Other features include a 13.3″ … Continued

13 Jan 2021 Emirates

Review: Virgin Australia’s Reopened Brisbane Lounge (2021)

Following an eight-month closure, Virgin Australia has now reopened five of its domestic airport lounges. Virgin’s lounges in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne reopened late last year, while the Gold Coast and Perth lounges opened their doors again from today. The Adelaide and Canberra lounges are yet to reopen, while Virgin’s other former lounges will remain … Continued

12 Jan 2021 Airport Lounge Reviews