Latest news

How to Get Good Qantas Customer Service for Under $3,000

The problems with the Qantas call centre are well-documented on Australian Frequent Flyer and elsewhere. Unless you happen to have Platinum or Platinum One status with Qantas Frequent Flyer, you’ll often wait hours on hold just to speak to somebody who isn’t trained properly, can’t help, puts you on hold, or hangs up on you. (Or … Continued

28 Mar 2022 Qantas

Many Australian International Routes Resume from 27 March 2022

Today marks the start of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) northern summer scheduling period, an industry-wide changeover date when airlines adjust their schedules for the northern hemisphere summer season. (27 March also marks the start of daylight savings in Europe for 2022, which is why this otherwise arbitrary date is used for the changeover.) … Continued

27 Mar 2022 Airlines, Miles and Points

Australia to End Pre-Flight COVID Testing

People arriving in Australia will no longer be required to get a pre-departure COVID-19 test, effective from 17 April 2022. This is the date that the federal government’s current Biosecurity Emergency Determination period will lapse. Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed yesterday that, “following medical advice”, the government will not renew this when it expires next month. … Continued

26 Mar 2022 Coronavirus and Travel

Qantas Brings Back Double Status Credits (or Points)

It’s been 10 months since Qantas last ran a Double Status Credits promotion. Since then, one of the most common and hotly debated questions on AFF has been “when will the next double status credits offer be?” The wait is finally over, with Qantas launching a new promotion today! This offer gives Australian-based frequent flyers … Continued

25 Mar 2022 Qantas

Singapore Ends Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL)

Singapore will scrap its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme, with quarantine-free travel to Singapore available to anyone who is vaccinated from 1 April 2022. There will still be some basic entry requirements to travel to Singapore under the new “Vaccinated Travel Framework” (VTF), which will replace the VTL scheme from next month. But arriving passengers … Continued

25 Mar 2022 Coronavirus and Travel

More Qatar Airways Rewards for Qantas Frequent Flyers

Qatar Airways is no longer giving reduced access to Business Class reward seats on its Australian flights to Qantas Frequent Flyer members. It comes as Qatar Airways also switches its points currency to Avios, and British Airways Executive Club drastically reduces the cost of reward seats on Qatar Airways flights. Qantas Frequent Flyers now have … Continued

25 Mar 2022 Qatar Airways

Virgin Business Class Better Value than Qantas in 2022?

In early 2021, I wrote that Qantas in-flight catering was miles ahead of Virgin Australia. But Virgin Australia has massively improved its Business Class offering since then… while also slashing its Business airfares. At a basic level, Qantas and Virgin Australia now provide very similar domestic Business Class products. Both airlines have lounges, the Boeing 737 … Continued

24 Mar 2022 Virgin Australia

Singapore Airlines Call Centre Woes

Prior to COVID-19, the Singapore Airlines call centre was generally excellent. It didn’t take long to get through to an operator, and the Singapore-based staff were able to competently assist with most requests. Unfortunately, it’s now quite a different story. It appears that Singapore Airlines has closed its Singapore-based call centre during the pandemic and … Continued

24 Mar 2022 Singapore Airlines

Air New Zealand Reopens International Lounges

Air New Zealand will reopen all of its international airport lounges over the coming weeks as New Zealand prepares to reopen its border to the world. Currently, all Air New Zealand international lounges are closed except in Rarotonga, Christchurch and Auckland. The Auckland lounge is currently only open until 3.30pm, meaning it is open for … Continued

22 Mar 2022 Air New Zealand

Podcast #80: Southeast Asia Welcomes Back Tourists

As far as international borders go, Asia has been one of the last parts of the world to relax COVID-19 restrictions and reopen their countries to tourists. But the tide is now starting to turn, with many Southeast Asian nations now welcoming back visitors from overseas. Singapore and Thailand already reopened late last year, albeit … Continued

19 Mar 2022 AFF on Air Podcast

Southeast Asia Welcomes Back Tourists – AIR080

  So far this year on the AFF on Air podcast, Matt has spoken to Australians who recently travelled to Canada, Fiji and the UK during this post-COVID era of international travel. In this episode, Matt talks to Ben Bartlett, an Australian who recently visited Thailand and the Philippines for a business trip. Thailand began … Continued

19 Mar 2022 AFF on Air (blubrry)

Virgin Australia Won’t Return to NZ Until November 2022

New Zealand will reopen its border to Australian tourists next month, with quarantine-free travel from Australia resuming from 13 April 2022. Following this announcement, Qantas quickly announced an increase to services from Sydney to Auckland from the date of the border reopening. It will also resume daily Brisbane-Auckland, Melbourne-Auckland and Sydney-Christchurch flights from 13 April, … Continued

18 Mar 2022 Virgin Australia