Latest news

Should Qantas Introduce Lifetime Platinum Status?

Qantas is one of several Oneworld airlines to offer lifetime status. Recognising continuing customer loyalty over many years, Qantas offers lifetime Silver and Gold status to frequent flyers that earn 7,000 or 14,000 lifetime status credits, respectively. But Qantas has never offered a Lifetime Platinum tier. This week our members discuss the possibility of a … Continued

15 Feb 2018 Qantas

Flight Review: Melbourne to Santiago with LATAM Airlines

LATAM Airlines flies non-stop from Melbourne to Santiago 3 times per week using Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The route launched in October last year, and AFF member pn1 recently tried it out in Economy class. The trip began on board LA804 from Melbourne to Santiago. This flight departs in the evening, so dinner was served after … Continued

14 Feb 2018 Flight Reviews

More Cuts for Woolworths Qantas Platinum Credit Card

Woolworths Qantas Platinum cardholders will have their earn rate halved to just 0.5 Qantas points per $1 spent from 1 April 2018. It’s just the latest in a series of cuts to a credit card that was once highly competitive. The Woolworths Qantas Platinum credit card currently awards 1 Qantas point per dollar for the … Continued

14 Feb 2018 Credit Cards

How to Redeem Virgin Velocity Points for Trans-Atlantic Flights

Last week we showed you how to redeem Qantas points for trans-Atlantic flights between North America and Europe. This week we turn our attention to Virgin Australia Velocity trans-Atlantic reward flights. Virgin Australia doesn’t have quite as many partner airlines as Qantas, but there are still plenty of options across the Atlantic. Velocity reward seats … Continued

13 Feb 2018 Points Inspiration Virgin Australia

Accessing Internet, Emails in China with a VPN

The Great Wall is one of China’s most famous attractions. But regular visitors to China will also be aware of the so-called Great Firewall of China. As the internet is censored in China, websites including Facebook, Google and Twitter are blocked. Ahead of a trip to China, one member calls on the AFF community for … Continued

12 Feb 2018 Travel Tools & Technology

How to get to Easter Island

Home to the famous moai statues, Easter Island is a popular tourist destination. Unfortunately, its geographic location in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean makes Chile’s Isla de Pascua rather difficult to get to from Australia! There are only two ways to reach Easter Island (airport code IPC) by plane – from Santiago or Tahiti. Both … Continued

11 Feb 2018 Planning & Booking

15% Bonus on Flybuys Transfers to Velocity

Virgin Australia is once again offering a 15% bonus on Flybuys transfers to Velocity Frequent Flyer this month. You’ll earn a 15% bonus on Flybuys points transferred to Virgin’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program until 22 February 2018. This means that you’ll receive 1,000 Velocity points – up from the usual 870 Velocity points – for … Continued

10 Feb 2018 Flybuys

Commercial Flights over Antarctica

Antarctica is home to some incredible scenery! But travelling to the southern continent is neither simple nor cheap. You can travel to Antarctica by cruise, but if you don’t have several weeks (and a lot of money!) to spare, viewing the ice continent from the air is the next best thing. The good news is … Continued

10 Feb 2018 Flight Reviews

To Cruise or Not to Cruise?

Cruises are popular among parts of the AFF community, as demonstrated by the recent AFF cruise! But it seems the experience is not for everyone. One AFF moderator has declared that they are unlikely to ever book a cruise. Comparing cruise liners to floating hotels for cattle, AFF moderator serfty believes that the negatives outweigh … Continued

8 Feb 2018 Cruises

How to Redeem Qantas Points for Trans-Atlantic Flights

There are hundreds of daily flights between Europe and North America. So, what are your best options when redeeming Qantas points for trans-Atlantic flights? During peak periods, it’s often a case of taking what you can get. On trans-Atlantic routes, the peak season is the northern summer from June to August. But Christmas, Easter and … Continued

7 Feb 2018 Points Inspiration Qantas

Air Asia X Flying to Melbourne’s Avalon Airport

Malaysia’s Air Asia X has announced plans to shift its Melbourne flights to Avalon Airport in Geelong towards the end of 2018. The double-daily Avalon-Kuala Lumpur services would be the first regular international flights for Avalon Airport. Air Asia X flies twice-daily between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur using densely-configured Airbus A330-300s, with one day flight … Continued

7 Feb 2018 Other Airlines

Fake Service Animals Undermine US Air Travel

The prevalence of “emotional support” animals on flights within the United States has become a serious problem. It’s not uncommon to see service animals such as guide dogs on aircraft… but the rules surrounding support animals on planes in the United States have become a dog’s breakfast. United Airlines last week denied boarding to a … Continued

6 Feb 2018 United Airlines