Latest news

Virgin’s New Boeing 777 Business Class In Service

The first of Virgin Australia’s refurbished Boeing 777 aircraft is now in service! Virgin is currently refurbishing their entire long-haul fleet with new suites in Business class, an on-board bar and brand new Premium Economy seats. These aircraft will operate on Virgin’s routes to Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi. Virgin’s new Boeing 777 Business class … Continued

7 May 2016 Virgin Australia

Online Booking Blunder

This week one member is less than impressed with the shocking service from online travel agent “BYOjet”. After paying for a flight, the member received a ticket for a flight 3 months after the date booked. But this was just the start of the problems. When the member tried to contact BYOjet, they were advised … Continued

5 May 2016 Planning & Booking

Effortlessly Manage Your Travel Plans

If you travel frequently, it can be difficult to keep track of all those flight bookings, hotel reservations and other travel plans. Spreadsheets are one possible method, but there’s a much simpler option. There are a number of Apps and websites that can be used to conveniently store all of your travel reservations in one … Continued

3 May 2016 Travel Tools & Technology

Qantas Points Stolen

The security of Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts is being questioned this week after a member’s account was hacked. Almost 50,000 points were stolen. The member’s private information would have also been compromised. Having somehow managed to obtain this member’s PIN number, the hacker redeemed over 30,000 points worth of Myer gift vouchers. After spotting the fraudulent transactions, … Continued

28 Apr 2016 Qantas

Two Months in North America

Our member Noel Mugavin recently spent two months in the United States and Canada! And it certainly seems to have been quite an adventure. Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, Boston and New York are just a few of the many destinations visited. Flying Qantas into the United States, our member began by heading across the northern border to Vancouver, … Continued

27 Apr 2016 Destinations

Are Eurail Passes Worthwhile?

Trains are one of the fastest and most convenient ways to get around Europe. Frequent high-speed trains connect all of the major European cities. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, it can be tempting to purchase a Eurail Pass. These passes cover unlimited train travel within certain European countries for a fixed amount of time. … Continued

26 Apr 2016 Travel Lifestyle

Accor Devalues Le Club Loyalty Program

Accor Hotels is making significant changes to its “Le Club” loyalty program. From next year, it will become much more difficult to earn and maintain status with the program. Le Club is the loyalty program of Accor-branded hotels including Novotel, Sofitel, Mercure, Ibis and Pullman. The major change is the way in which status is … Continued

25 Apr 2016 Accor Live Limitless

No Cathay Pacific Lounge Access in San Francisco?

Qantas launched flights to San Francisco last year. As Qantas does not operate a lounge in San Francisco, eligible flyers are directed to use the Air France lounge. However, in our members’ experience, the lounge is too small and offers a sub-par experience. The AF lounge is now completely full so anyone coming in late is … Continued

23 Apr 2016 Airports & Lounges

Parental Status Pause: Qantas vs Virgin

New parents can now elect to pause their Qantas Frequent Flyer membership for up to 18 months. The family-friendly change has been welcomed by our members, but how does it compare to Virgin’s “Membership Pause” policy? Qantas’ new “Status Hold” is available to new parents, including foster parents, for up to 18 months. During the hold period, eligible members … Continued

21 Apr 2016 Airlines, Miles and Points

Six Days of Luxury for $1,200!

Six days of ultimate luxury, involving First class flights and five-star hotels may sound like merely a dream. But this is exactly what one AFF member was recently lucky enough to experience. After flying from Australia to the UAE in First class on Etihad Airways, our member Moindardt spent three nights at a popular 5-star hotel in … Continued

20 Apr 2016 Flight Reviews

New Restrictions on Qantas Award Availability?

It appears that Qantas is now severely restricting Classic Flight Reward seat access to Bronze frequent flyers, particularly in premium cabins. Members of oneworld and other partner airline programs wishing to redeem points for Qantas flights may also be affected. Our members have noticed a significant difference in the award availability seen on the Qantas website by … Continued

19 Apr 2016 Qantas

Macquarie Cuts Qantas Points

Macquarie is the latest Australian bank to slash the value of its credit card rewards offering. From next month, both of Macquarie’s Qantas Frequent Flyer-linked cards will see new caps on the number of Qantas points that can be earned at the full rate each month. Both the Macquarie Platinum and high-end Macquarie Black cards … Continued

18 Apr 2016 Credit Cards