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Tasmania: Insider Travel Tips

Tasmania is known for its natural beauty, history, culture, good food and relaxed atmosphere. With so much to see and do, one member seeks the community’s advice on how to make the most of a two week Tasmanian holiday. We have two weeks (give or take) at end of March. Fly in and out of … Continued

12 Jan 2016 Destinations
Melbourne Emirates Lounge

Emirates Opens New Melbourne Lounge

Emirates has opened a brand new lounge in Melbourne to surprisingly little fanfare. The new lounge, which opened its doors for the first time on 30 December 2015, is around double the size of Emirates’ previous offering. It appears stylish, with a range of comfortable seating options and a reasonable selection of food & beverages. … Continued

11 Jan 2016 Emirates

Qantas Reduces Economy Reward Prices

Using your Qantas points for international Economy class flights has just become better value! Qantas has reduced the cost of some Classic Reward flights, lowing both the number of points required and the “taxes” that need to be paid in addition to the points. Economy Classic Reward flights on most Qantas international routes have seen … Continued

9 Jan 2016 Qantas

Qantas Lounge Tipping Scam

A number of members have observed Qantas lounge staff attempting to “scam” customers into leaving a tip. These members were not impressed, and believe that such behaviour detracts greatly from the premium experience of the lounge. The scam appears to be targeting customers using the showers in Qantas’ Los Angeles lounge. As recently as last week, … Continued

7 Jan 2016 Qantas

Etihad, Lufthansa & Japan Airlines: A Trip of Firsts

Many of us dream of flying in First class just once. But the first class dream doesn’t have to remain a dream. Thanks to frequent flyer points, it’s more attainable than you may think! In fact, thanks to points, AFF member boomy was fortunate enough to sample First class on three different airlines on a … Continued

6 Jan 2016 Flight Reviews

Why Flight Change Fees are so Expensive

If you’ve ever had to change or cancel a flight booking, you’ll probably be aware of just how costly it can be. For domestic bookings, Virgin Australia charges $80 plus any fare difference for booking changes or cancellations made on Saver tickets. Qantas charges an even higher fee of $88. In some cases the cost … Continued

5 Jan 2016 Planning & Booking

Qantas Points Back at Woolworths

It’s only a few months since Woolworths revamped its Everyday Rewards loyalty scheme, replacing it with the “Woolworths Rewards” program. As part of the changes, Qantas points would no longer be earned at Woolworths. But following a resounding customer backlash, Woolworths recently announced that it will reinstate the ability to earn Qantas points at the … Continued

4 Jan 2016 Woolworths Everyday Rewards

Earning Points as a Business Owner

If you own a small business, chances are that you’re paying business expenses on a regular basis. By paying with a point-earning credit card, you could be earning frequent flyer points for these payments! One new member, a small business owner, requests advice on maximising their credit card point-earning potential. I’m a small business owner, … Continued

2 Jan 2016 Credit Cards

Free Qantas Travel Out Of Reach?

Are Qantas points a valuable currency, or is the point chase futile because free reward travel is out of reach? The high cost of frequent flyer rewards tickets, combined with excessive fuel surcharges have led some members to claim that Qantas points are in fact worth very little. Firstly, they argue that other programs including … Continued

17 Dec 2015 Qantas

The Intrigue of Sri Lanka

The many trip reports on AFF don’t just make for captivating reading. They also offer inspiration and ideas for your own travels! Plus, as they are written by other AFF members, there is always an opportunity to ask questions and seek recommendations. Our member albatross710 recently had the chance to visit Sri Lanka. While researching … Continued

16 Dec 2015 Destinations

Best Value CommBank Awards Redemptions

Commonwealth Bank Awards points can be used in one of two ways. They can either be redeemed directly through the CommBank Awards program, or you can transfer CommBank Awards points to an airline frequent flyer program. Direct redemption options include gift vouchers, cash back and merchandise, while Qantas Frequent Flyer and Virgin Australia Velocity are … Continued

15 Dec 2015 CommBank

Emirates and Malaysia Airlines Announce Partnership

A troubled Malaysia Airlines has announced a new partnership with Emirates. Under the new agreement, which comes into effect in 2016, Emirates Skywards and Malaysia Airlines Enrich members will enjoy reciprocal benefits when flying on either airline. This includes the ability to earn and redeem points for each airlines’ flights. Malaysia Airlines will also codeshare … Continued

14 Dec 2015 Emirates