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Safari is said to have entered the English language in the late 19th century. It’s a Swahili word meaning long journey, thought to have taken its origin from the Arabic safarīyah or journey. Our members often take long journeys, but you only take real safaris when in Africa. This week, we look at a safari … Continued
American Express has long been known for its generous rewards program. With many suppliers taking Amex as payment, it often does not take long to amass a good haul. Having got those points, a common question is often asked, how best to spend them? I have approx 600k of American Express points and next April … Continued
For the past five or so years, our members have become used to the ever increasing presence of Emirates aircraft in Australia. Most capital cities have started with a service via Asia, or even a direct service from Dubai in the smaller 777s, often with onward flights to New Zealand to ensure the aircraft is … Continued
This week we look at the dynamics of check in and getting the right seat. A passenger is presented with many options when traveling in Economy class, but there seems to be a fewer options when travelling in Business class. Despite the hefty cost of Business class travel, one of our members discovers that’s no … Continued
For many Australians, the break between school and university is almost a rite of passage. Often known as gap year, it’s a chance to see the world and experience new cultures, while doing the odd job or two to fund your travels. For one of our members, the break before the start of university proved … Continued
We have all heard the stories or seen it in the movies. You rock up to the check in counter after a terrible day, desperate for a flight upgrade. You ask, and the agent, feeling sorry for you, makes your day. However, we all know life is more often than not, very different to that … Continued
An unexpected flight cancellation can cause havoc to a carefully scheduled itinerary. However, an unexplained and unexpected flight cancellation can cause havoc coupled with frustration which in turn can be a lethal travel combination! This week our members discuss whether a passenger has the right to know the reasons for flight cancellations. Many members felt … Continued
For a number of years now, members have been discussing IHG’s Priority Privilege program. Originally the Pacific Privilege program, when the local hotels were owned by South Pacific Hotel Corporation, it offers dining and accommodation discounts at IHG’s properties around Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and in some parts of Asia. Some customers, like … Continued
From time to time the need to have two separate bookings for flights on the same day will arise. It may be a case that the two airfares cannot be booked on the one booking, or it’s cheaper to purchase separate flights from different airlines. If two flights are on the one booking, often they … Continued
Ever since Qantas decided to reconfigure their A380s, our members have been interested in what upstairs economy would be like. It’s not the first time a Qantas aircraft has featured economy upstairs, the 747s have had it in the past. But this time, your sharing it with two other classes, Business and First. What’s the … Continued
When the Qantas and Emirates partnership first came to light, many of our members pondered on the impact it might have on services to New Zealand. While Qantas has been steadily reducing widebody capacity, in favour of more frequent 737 operations, Emirates have been putting their biggest aircraft on the route. Each day, an Emirates … Continued
This week one member feels that a recent problem with an ATM signals the death knell of customer service in Australia. This week our member had a particularly bad run with customer service. Our member had to drive twenty minutes to withdraw cash after coming across a non-functioning ATM and the bank did not assist. … Continued