Latest news

Qantas Club Gives Further Six-Month Extensions

Qantas Club is extending all paid lounge memberships for a further six months, bringing the total extension to 12 months. The validity of most complimentary Qantas Club lounge invitations is also being extended by a further six months. Qantas originally extended the membership of all Qantas Club members by six months in late March 2020, … Continued

13 Sep 2020 Qantas

Qantas Cuts Platinum One Special Service Team

Qantas’ top-tier Platinum One frequent flyers no longer have access to a dedicated support team, with the airline reportedly cutting its Platinum One Special Service Team last Friday. 23 Canberra-based staff have been offered redeployment in other parts of the business, as Qantas seeks to drastically cut costs. Qantas advertises “round the clock support” from … Continued

12 Sep 2020 Qantas

Random Acts of Kindness While Travelling

  One of the best things about travelling is the people you meet along the way. The world is full of generous, humble souls. This week, our members are discussing surprising and unexpected gifts they have received while travelling. There are stories of incredible generosity and random acts of kindness… as well as a few … Continued

11 Sep 2020 Travel Lifestyle

Qantas Petitions for State Borders to Reopen

Qantas yesterday launched a fresh petition designed to place pressure on Australia’s state governments to reopen borders where it’s safe to do so. The petition, hosted on the Qantas website, calls on governments to “safely open our borders”. Qantas is encouraging its employees and customers to sign it. Here’s what the Qantas state border petition … Continued

11 Sep 2020 Qantas

Book Reward Seats on Any Virgin Australia Route via Partner Airlines

Currently, it is only possible to redeem Velocity Frequent Flyer points for Virgin Australia reward seats on a limited selection of domestic routes. Even though Virgin Australia has now resumed flights on many routes across Australia, for some reason not all of these are available for booking with Velocity points. But you can now use … Continued

10 Sep 2020 Points Inspiration Virgin Australia

30% Off Velocity Business Reward Seats & Upgrades

Until 11 January 2021, you can get a 30% discount when redeeming Velocity Frequent Flyer points for Virgin Australia flights in Business class. You can also now get a 30% discount when using Velocity points to upgrade to Business class on Virgin Australia flights. The 30% discount applies to the points required (but not taxes … Continued

8 Sep 2020 Virgin Australia

20% Bonus Velocity Points Offer as NAB Reinstates Transfers

Velocity Frequent Flyer has launched a new offer of 20% bonus points when transferring points from selected credit card and hotel loyalty programs. It comes just days after the sale of Virgin Australia to Bain Capital was approved, paving the way for Virgin Australia to emerge from voluntary administration by the end of October. With the … Continued

7 Sep 2020 Virgin Australia

New Zealanders Could be Exempt from Australian Hotel Quarantine

People arriving in Australia from parts of New Zealand with no COVID-19 cases may soon be exempt from undergoing 14 days of hotel quarantine. Speaking to his counterpart in New Zealand last Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison advised Jacinda Ardern that Australia would seek to apply the same hotspot approach proposed locally to New Zealand. … Continued

7 Sep 2020 Coronavirus and Travel

Podcast #44: Virgin Australia Sold to Bain Capital

On 4 September 2020, Virgin Australia creditors voted to approve the airline’s sale to U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital for $3.5 billion. This was the final major hurdle in bringing Virgin Australia out of voluntary administration and avoiding liquidation. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of October. So, how did Virgin … Continued

5 Sep 2020 AFF on Air Podcast

Virgin Australia Sold to Bain Capital – AIR044

  On 4 September 2020, Virgin Australia creditors voted to approve the airline’s sale to U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital for $3.5 billion. This was the final major hurdle in bringing Virgin Australia out of voluntary administration and avoiding liquidation. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of October. So, how did … Continued

5 Sep 2020 AFF on Air (blubrry)

Virgin Australia Sale to Bain Capital Approved

Virgin Australia creditors have voted to approve the proposed sale to Bain Capital at a virtual meeting. Under the Deeds of Company Arrangement (DOCA) recommended by Virgin’s administrators, Virgin employees and secured creditors will receive 100% of their owed entitlements. Unsecured bondholders, meanwhile, will only receive approximately 9-13 cents per dollar owed. But the administrator … Continued

4 Sep 2020 Virgin Australia

Goodwill Lost: Customers Have Long Memories

Most businesses have faced significant issues due to COVID-19, particularly in the travel industry. With borders closed, many airlines have had to cancel flights and many tour operators have had to temporarily shut down. Millions of cruises, car rentals and hotel bookings have also been cancelled as would-be travellers have been stuck at home. But … Continued

4 Sep 2020 Planning & Booking