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Fast-track to Virgin Velocity Status

Gold status with Virgin Australia’s Velocity program can be a valuable asset for frequent travellers. Benefits include complimentary lounge access, increased upgrade opportunities, bonus points and even the ability to change to an earlier flight for free. Virgin status can be earned by flying with Virgin Australia and its partner airlines. Often the path to … Continued

3 Nov 2015 Virgin Australia

Etihad launches A380 flights to Melbourne

Etihad Airways will begin flying its flagship Airbus A380 to Melbourne from June next year. The A380s, which already fly daily to Sydney, offer a more comfortable journey in all classes of travel. But First Class passengers can expect to be especially pampered. The A380 is equipped with “apartments” in First, as well as on-board … Continued

2 Nov 2015 Etihad Airways

Hilton Hotels: Upgrading 101

It’s always nice to get an upgrade. Upgrading flights to Business and First Class is often discussed on our forums. But hotel rooms can also be upgraded – sometimes for little or no cost! Hilton Hotels offers two different ways to upgrade. These methods can be used to upgrade at Hilton properties including Conrad, Waldorf … Continued

31 Oct 2015 Hilton Honors

Woolies Axes Qantas Points

Woolworths is ditching its long-standing partnership with Qantas Frequent Flyer. Instead of Qantas points at the checkout, the supermarket will now offer “Woolworths Dollars”. In the new program, only specially marked items earn “dollars”. The number of dollars up for grabs will vary from product to product, while many items will not earn anything at … Continued

29 Oct 2015 Woolworths Everyday Rewards

A South-East Asian Adventure

This week we’re treated to a trip report from the heart of South East Asia. After being blown away on their first trip, our member puppysparkes recently returned to Vietnam and Cambodia for a new adventure. The trip got off to a fantastic start on arrival into Ho Chi Minh City. As an Accor Le … Continued

28 Oct 2015 Destinations

Bridging a Frequent Flyer Points Gap

Many frequent flyer point collectors save up for years in order to redeem those points for Business class flights to Europe. But if you still don’t quite have enough points to cover the trip, what other options are available? I’m a Gold FF with about 250k points. I’m going to Europe with the wife in … Continued

27 Oct 2015 Qantas

Etihad Guest Miles Now Available at Coles

In a supermarket shake-up, Etihad Guest miles can now be earned at Coles. As part of the new tie-up between Etihad Guest and Coles’ Flybuys loyalty program, shoppers can now even earn tier miles towards Etihad elite status while buying groceries! Flybuys points can be converted to Etihad Guest miles in blocks of 10,000, with … Continued

26 Oct 2015 Flybuys

British Airways: A Smart Alternative to Qantas Frequent Flyer?

After a series of recent changes that have effectively devalued the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, many are looking towards alternatives. Virgin Australia is an obvious choice, while the American Airlines AAdvantage program is a popular program within the oneworld alliance. But the British Airways Executive Club program is rarely given a second thought by most … Continued

24 Oct 2015 British Airways

QF Freq Flyer Changes: A Dog’s Breakfast?

Qantas has quietly slashed the number of frequent flyer points and status credits earned when flying on many partner airlines. It’s the second major change in as many years, and many members are not happy. Status credits determine a member’s elite status level with the airline, so a decrease in the number of status credits … Continued

22 Oct 2015 Qantas

Discover the Hidden Beauty of Iceland

Iceland is not a holiday destination on the radar for many… but perhaps it should be. The island nation, situated in the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America, is known to many as a place to view the northern lights. But it seems there is a whole lot more to see and do during … Continued

21 Oct 2015 Destinations

Avoid the One-way Flight “Tax”

If you’ve ever tried to book a one-way international flight, you’re probably aware that these tickets can be very expensive. Airlines often penalise passengers flying one-way in the form of higher prices and in many cases, a one-way international flight is more expensive than a return ticket on the same route! Cruise passengers often face … Continued

20 Oct 2015 Planning & Booking

Qatar Airways announces daily Adelaide flights

Qatar Airways will commence daily flights to Adelaide from next year. And as an added bonus, the flights will be operated by Qatar’s newest state-of-the-art aircraft, the Airbus A350-900. Qatar will be the second airline to offer direct flights between Adelaide and the Middle East, with Emirates already flying daily to Dubai. Both airlines will … Continued

19 Oct 2015 Qatar Airways