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The Problem with Australia’s Pre-Flight COVID-19 Test Requirement

Since 22 January 2021, anyone flying to Australia from overseas is required to get a COVID-19 PCR test no more than 72 hours before their first flight’s departure (and produce a certificate showing a negative result). This is in addition to the 14 days of hotel quarantine on arrival in Australia. “These [new measures] will … Continued

10 Mar 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

QantasLink Adds Seasonal Cooma, Albury Flights

QantasLink will add three new seasonal routes to Cooma and Albury in NSW for this year’s winter ski season. The Qantas subsidiary will fly from Sydney and Brisbane to Cooma from 1 July until 26 September 2021. During the same period, QantasLink will also add flights from Brisbane to Albury, supplementing existing flights from Sydney … Continued

9 Mar 2021 Qantas

Velocity Extends Discover Gold & Status Rewards

Virgin Australia has given an extra two months of Gold status to Velocity Frequent Flyer members who registered for the “Discover Gold” status match in December 2020, extending the total trial period from three to five months. Velocity members participating in this offer will now receive Velocity Gold benefits until May 2021. Members will also … Continued

8 Mar 2021 Virgin Australia

Rex Boeing 737 Business Class Review

When Rex launched Boeing 737 jet services last week in direct competition with Qantas & Virgin, it also introduced Business Class for the first time. Rex’s Business Class fares are priced sharply, but what’s the new Rex Business Class experience like? I found out on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney… Flight Details Flight number ZL102 … Continued

7 Mar 2021 Flight Reviews

Podcast #55: The Alice Springs “Plane Graveyard”

Visitors to Alice Springs, a town in Australia’s red centre, have been greeted by an unusual sight since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The town is also now the temporary home of Singapore Airlines A380s, Cathay Pacific 777s, and many other airliners grounded by the pandemic. In total, there are now around 150 planes … Continued

6 Mar 2021 AFF on Air Podcast

The Alice Springs “Plane Graveyard” – AIR055

  Visitors to Alice Springs, a town in Australia’s red centre, have been greeted by an unusual sight since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The town is also now the temporary home of Singapore Airlines A380s, Cathay Pacific 777s, and many other airliners grounded by the pandemic. In total, there are now around 150 … Continued

6 Mar 2021 AFF on Air (blubrry)

Qantas Launches “Mystery Flight” Adventures

Qantas is launching a series of “mystery flight” weekend adventures, with tickets going on sale from 12pm (AEDT) today. Many airlines have sold mystery flights in the past, where travellers purchase a ticket for a regularly scheduled flight but don’t learn where they’ll be flying until the last minute. But these new Qantas mystery flights … Continued

4 Mar 2021 Qantas

Australia Extends Outbound Travel Ban Until 17 June 2021

The Australian government has extended the outbound travel ban for a further three months. It means Australian citizens and permanent residents will continue to need a travel restriction exemption to leave the country until at least 17 June 2021 – three months later than previously announced – although it is likely that the travel ban … Continued

3 Mar 2021 Coronavirus and Travel

Rex to Launch Boeing 737 Flights to Adelaide & Gold Coast

Rex will complement its newly-launched Boeing 737 flights between Sydney and Melbourne with new routes to Adelaide and Gold Coast from the end of March. Starting from 29 March 2021, Rex will fly twice per day direct from Melbourne to the Gold Coast using Boeing 737-800s. Tickets are on sale from $79 one-way in Economy, … Continued

2 Mar 2021 Rex & Regional Airlines

Etihad Guest Miles Unlock Cheap Virgin Australia Reward Flights

Update: Please note that Etihad Guest ended its partnership with Virgin Australia in June 2025. Unfortunately, you can no longer redeem Etihad Guest miles on Virgin Australia. You can of course redeem Velocity Frequent Flyer points to book reward seats on Virgin Australia flights. But did you know that most Etihad Guest redemptions on Virgin … Continued

2 Mar 2021 Etihad Airways Points Inspiration

Get 30% off Qantas Sydney-Melbourne Reward Flights [March 2021]

If you’re thinking about booking a last-minute flight between Sydney and Melbourne, you can now get 30% off Qantas Classic Flight Reward seats for travel any time during March 2021, as well as from 13 April-22 June 2021. Qantas Sydney-Melbourne flights are currently available for just 5,600 Qantas points + $38.12 in taxes & carrier … Continued

1 Mar 2021 Qantas

Rex Melbourne-Sydney 737 Flights Start Today

The inaugural Regional Express (Rex) Boeing 737-800 passenger flight took off this morning, with flight ZL18 departing from Melbourne to Sydney at 7am. It marks the beginning of jet aircraft operations for Rex, whose business model since launching in 2002 had previously been to just fly small turboprop aircraft to country towns. Over the coming … Continued

1 Mar 2021 Rex & Regional Airlines