Latest news

Dealing with Unexpected Hotel Charges

Unexpected charges on a hotel bill can be frustrating at the best of times. But one member recently discovered a fraudulent addition to their bill of almost $300 worth of room service charges! I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Central Park from 24-28 September and had a room service charge to my account for USD 290.75 (yes that … Continued

2 Nov 2016 Hilton Honors

Qantas Reveals New Logo, 787 Seats

Qantas has unveiled its Boeing 787 cabin configuration, along with a brand new logo and aircraft livery. The 787 Dreamliner, which enters service in late 2017, will feature 42 Business Suites, 28 Premium Economy and 166 Economy seats. The Business Suites will be similar in design to the current Airbus A330 suites, with a 1-2-1 configuration. … Continued

29 Oct 2016 Qantas

Earn Velocity Points at Coles

In exciting news for frequent flyers, it’s now possible to earn Virgin Velocity points and status credits by shopping at Coles! There’s even a 15% bonus available on point transfers from Coles’ Flybuys program to Velocity Frequent Flyer until the end of November. 2,000 Flybuys points, usually worth $10, can now be converted to 870 … Continued

27 Oct 2016 Flybuys

Sampling Singapore Airlines’ New Canberra Flight

Singapore Airlines last month began international flights to Canberra. Dubbed the “Capital Express”, the 4x weekly Boeing 777 flights operate from Singapore to Canberra, continuing to Wellington in New Zealand. Our member Colin 2905 managed to pick up a great value fare to Europe, using the new service to fly directly from Canberra. As one of the … Continued

26 Oct 2016 Flight Reviews

Pros & Cons of Switching Airline Loyalty

If you’re unhappy with your current airline of choice, the grass may look greener on the other side. But is it really worth taking the leap of faith and switching your airline loyalty? That’s the dilemma currently faced by one Platinum Virgin Australia flyer. While they’re feeling underwhelmed with Virgin, they don’t want to lose … Continued

24 Oct 2016 Virgin Australia

Qantas Opens New Brisbane Lounge

Qantas last week opened its brand new lounge in the international terminal of Brisbane Airport. The new lounge replaces the outdated Business and First class lounges previously used in Brisbane. The lounge is a combined space for Gold and Platinum frequent flyers, as well as Business and First class passengers. This is the same concept used in Qantas’ … Continued

22 Oct 2016 Airport Lounge Reviews

Enjoy Business Class for Less!

It’s no secret that flying Business class is more enjoyable than Economy, but it also comes with a high price-tag. This week our members share their tricks for scoring discounted Business class tickets, making pointy-end flying possible for just a fraction of the regular ticket price! The first tip is to consider left-field airlines. For … Continued

20 Oct 2016 Planning & Booking

The Value of Starwood (SPG) Points

The Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program is highly attractive as Starpoints can be transferred to over 30 different airline frequent flyer programs! The vast majority of transfers are completed at a 1:1 conversion rate. Plus, SPG will throw in 5,000 bonus points for every 20,000 points transferred. This means that 20,000 SPG points are worth … Continued

19 Oct 2016 Marriott Bonvoy

Earn Qantas Points with Airbnb

Qantas points can now be earned for booking accommodation through Airbnb! To ensure you earn points, you’ll need to use the Airbnb link on the Qantas website and be logged into your Qantas Frequent Flyer account at the time of booking. Points will be credited to your account within 8 weeks after your stay. Our members are largely … Continued

17 Oct 2016 Qantas

A Trip to Southern France… via China!

Our member Jacques Vert recently took advantage of their Qantas points to book a trip to Europe, with stops in China and even South Africa! Canal du Midi in Southern France was a particular highlight of this whirlwind trip. The first stop was Beijing, where some sightseeing was in order. Tiananmen Square and Heaven Temple … Continued

15 Oct 2016 Flight Reviews

Expired Qantas Points Predicament

One member is extremely lucky not to have lost 350,000 Qantas points after they expired due to account inactivity. After trying to use their points to book a redemption flight, this member discovered they had expired just five days earlier. These types of situations often end in disappointment, with the expired points lost forever. Qantas, to … Continued

13 Oct 2016 Qantas

Qantas Platinum Perks Guide

This week our members reveal how they make the most of Platinum status with Qantas. Hi there, I’m new to AFF and to WP (Platinum status). What are some of the best ways to make the use of my WP status? I probably will not be able to maintain being a WP after this year … Continued

12 Oct 2016 Qantas