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Choosing a Rewards Program – AIR017

  If you’re new to the world of frequent flyer points – or moving to a new country – it can be difficult to know where to start. In this episode, Matt discusses the considerations involved in selecting a new frequent flyer program. Also, you now have just over a month left to redeem your … Continued

10 Aug 2019 AFF on Air (blubrry)
Qantas 787 Dreamliner

Qantas Dreamliner for Sydney-Santiago Route

Qantas will retire its Boeing 747s from the Sydney-Santiago route, replacing them with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from 24 June 2020 – just in time for the winter school holidays. At the same time, Qantas will ramp up its frequency on the Santiago route from four times per week to daily. The Qantas Dreamliner has 236 … Continued

10 Aug 2019 Qantas
There will be minimal changes to the interior of the ex-Virgin 737s

The Ultimate Virgin Australia Seat Guide

There are three main aircraft types in the Virgin Australia fleet; the Boeing 737-800, Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 777-300ER. The Economy and Business class seats on each of these plane types are quite different. For example, Virgin Australia’s Business class seats range from recliners to lie-flat beds. On the Boeing 777-300ER, which is used for … Continued

8 Aug 2019 Virgin Australia
Window shade plane

Window Shades Down on Day Flights?

Staring out the window and watching the world go by is one of the joys of air travel. But some airlines insist that all passengers lower their window shades to create a dark cabin – even in the middle of the day. There are several reasons that airlines may ask passengers to close their window … Continued

8 Aug 2019 In Flight

KrisFlyer Sweet Spot: Premium Economy to Istanbul

On 1 December 2019, Singapore Airlines will switch its Singapore-Istanbul route from a Boeing 777-200 to an Airbus A350-900. The Airbus A350 has a Premium Economy cabin with 24 seats, meaning Singapore Airlines Premium Economy will soon be offered to Istanbul for the first time. This presents some great opportunities to travellers looking to redeem … Continued

6 Aug 2019 Points Inspiration Singapore Airlines
Star Alliance airline crews Lufhtansa A340

Star Alliance Fifth-Freedom Routes

If you want to fly with a Star Alliance airline, but aren’t flying to or from a member carrier’s hub airport, it can be worth looking for Star Alliance fifth-freedom routes. These are tag flights that neither start or end in the carrier’s own country, and they can be a great way to fly! 18 … Continued

5 Aug 2019 Star Alliance
ANZ website

ANZ Rewards Removes Online Points Transfers

ANZ Rewards has removed the ability to transfer points to most frequent flyer programs online. ANZ Rewards points can be transferred to four frequent flyer programs; Virgin Australia Velocity, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Air New Zealand Airpoints. Previously, it was possible to transfer points to any of these airlines by logging … Continued

4 Aug 2019 ANZ
Alcohol whiskey glasses at airport

Qantas Trials New Bali Lounge

Qantas passengers flying from Bali’s Denpasar Airport could soon be offered a brand new lounge experience. The airline is currently trialling a new “pre-flight service” in Denpasar, in partnership with the Novotel airport hotel. Early reports suggest that it’s a vast improvement over the current Qantas lounge arrangements in Bali. Qantas Business passengers, as well … Continued

3 Aug 2019 Airport Lounge Reviews
Sydney train at Circular Quay

Tap On to Sydney Trains with a Credit Card

If you use public transport in Sydney, you can now tap on and off using a debit or credit card. Contactless payment is offered on trains, ferries, light rail and now also buses in Sydney, including at the Sydney Airport train stations. Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards with contactless payment enabled are all accepted. … Continued

2 Aug 2019 Ground Transport
Podcast #39: How Noise Cancelling Headphones Work

Travel Tools & Gadgets to Fly Better

Frequent flyers often make long-haul travel look easy. This isn’t by accident; most frequent flyers employ the assistance of technology to make their experience more comfortable and stress-free. So, which travel tools and gadgets do frequent flyers use? Noise-cancelling headphones For starters, noise-cancelling headphones are very popular among AFF members. A good pair of these … Continued

1 Aug 2019 Travel Tools & Technology
Emirates First Class

Save Hundreds on Emirates First Class Awards to Europe

If you’ve ever tried to redeem your Qantas Frequent Flyer points to fly Emirates Business or First Class to Europe, you’ve probably been shocked by the amount of extra taxes and carrier charges payable. But there’s a clever way to save hundreds in carrier charges when redeeming your points for Emirates award tickets. On a … Continued

1 Aug 2019 Emirates Points Inspiration
Singapore Airlines A380

Singapore Airlines Handles Delay Flawlessly

We often hear horror stories about airline delays that have been handled so badly that the situation turns from an inconvenience into a nightmare. But this week, an AFF member has actually complimented an airline on the professional and efficient manner in which they dealt with a significant delay. luxury-lizard was flying from Frankfurt to … Continued

30 Jul 2019 Flight Reviews