Latest news

Qantas, American Airlines Joint Venture Approved

The US government has tentatively approved a joint venture between Qantas and American Airlines on trans-Pacific flights. The Oneworld partners will now be able to work much more closely on flights between Australia, New Zealand and the United States, bringing additional benefits for frequent flyers and opening the possibility of new Qantas routes to North … Continued

4 Jun 2019 American Airlines

Qantas Platinum Priority Seat Purchase

One of the little-known benefits of Qantas Platinum and Platinum One status is the “Priority Economy seat purchase” perk. This benefit allows Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers to purchase up to two Economy seats on any Qantas flight until midday on the day prior to travel – even if the flight is sold out. … Continued

2 Jun 2019 Qantas

New Machu Picchu Airport Under Construction

Work has begun on a brand new, $900 million-dollar international airport near Machu Picchu in Peru’s Sacred Valley. The new Chinchero International Airport is designed to make it easier for overseas tourists visiting Machu Picchu. But there are serious concerns that the airport could cause disastrous unintended consequences. Chinchero Airport will be built in the … Continued

1 Jun 2019 Airports & Lounges

Podcast #12: Cheap Virgin Australia Business Class

Find out how to get cut-price Virgin Australia Business Class tickets by buying and redeeming Etihad Guest miles! This works particularly well on Australian domestic and some international routes, such as to Queenstown in New Zealand or Port Vila, Vanuatu. Episode 12 of the AFF on AIR podcast also includes some listener Q&A and an … Continued

1 Jun 2019 AFF on Air Podcast

Cheap Virgin Australia Business Class – AIR012

  Find out how to get cut-price Virgin Australia Business Class tickets by buying and redeeming Etihad Guest miles! This episode also includes some listener Q&A and an interview with Lance Chow, an award travel consultant at Frequent Flyer Solutions.   Episode contents: 0:59 – Fortnightly news round-up 8:15 – Buying Etihad Guest miles for … Continued

1 Jun 2019 AFF on Air (blubrry)

Avianca Brazil Grounded, All Flights Cancelled

All flights on bankrupt airline Avianca Brazil have been suspended indefinitely after Brazilian regulators grounded the airline. The Brazilian carrier, which is a member of Star Alliance, already cancelled thousands of flights last month after most of its aircraft were repossessed. For clarity, Avianca Brazil is a different company to Avianca (which is based in … Continued

30 May 2019 Avianca

AFF Member on Diverted Cathay Pacific Flight

Passengers on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne last Friday were given $30 worth of meal vouchers after their flight was diverted to Darwin, resulting in a 14-hour delay. AFF member pn1 was on the diverted Cathay Pacific flight CX105, which departed Hong Kong just after midnight on 25 May. The Airbus A350 … Continued

30 May 2019 Flight Reviews

Expanded Qantas, Cathay Pacific Codeshares Blocked

Australian regulators have tentatively rejected Qantas’ application for an expanded codeshare agreement with Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific. Back in January, Qantas applied for permission from Australia’s International Air Services Commission (IASC) to place its “QF” code on five Cathay Pacific services between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Hong Kong. Similarly, Cathay Pacific would codeshare on five … Continued

29 May 2019 Cathay Pacific

Rare Air New Zealand Business Award Availability

Air New Zealand is not exactly famous for its generous award availability. Air New Zealand almost never releases long-haul Business class award availability for bookings using miles with Star Alliance partner airlines. But there are rare exceptions. A few days ago, Air New Zealand released a bunch of Business class award availability on long-haul routes … Continued

29 May 2019 Air New Zealand Points Inspiration

Free Qantas Lounge Pass for 18-35 Year-olds

Qantas is giving away free Business Lounge passes to 18-35 year-olds who book an international Qantas flight in Economy class. This promotion is running until 31 August 2019 and is valid for international Qantas flights departing any time until 29 February 2020. If you’re aged between 18 and 35 years old and you’d like to … Continued

28 May 2019 Qantas

How to Get a Qantas “Comfort Row” to Yourself

If you’re stuck in Economy on a long overnight flight, there’s not much better than getting a whole row of seats to yourself. Did you know that, on one Qantas flight, the airline will actually sell you the remaining seats in your row for a small fee? It’s much more cost-effective than upgrading to Premium … Continued

27 May 2019 Qantas

The Dumbest Travel Mistake I’ve Ever Made

Earlier this week, I made what is quite possibly the stupidest travel mistake I’ve ever made. After 472 commercial flights, it finally happened… I left my passport on the plane. Normally after losing your passport you’d realise fairly quickly. But by the time I realised, three hours had passed and the plane had already operated … Continued

26 May 2019 Post Flight