This week’s trip report is a golfer’s paradise. Our member bluebagger recently headed to Europe to tick a few things off the bucket list. A visit to the Isle of Skye will be in order and it would seem that our member is a golf fan. Over two weeks they managed to get in six … Continued
A new member will soon begin commuting weekly between the Gold Coast and Sydney for work. While they are keen to maximise comfort and perks, they will be paying for all flights out of their own pocket. With this in mind, our member wonders whether the money saved by flying low-cost might outweigh the benefits … Continued
Flights to New Zealand will become $22 more expensive after the New Zealand government announced a new tax on arriving and departing passengers. The “border clearance levy” has been spruiked by the New Zealand government as a way to cover the cost of customs and border protection. Our members are not particularly thrilled about this. … Continued
With much hype, Virgin Australia recently introduced its “Fare Promise”. Under the scheme, Virgin claims it will match the prices of its own flights if they are cheaper on a third-party website. In addition, members with eligible claims will receive 500 Velocity points. It sounds good in theory, but a closer inspection of the fine … Continued
An airline passenger in the UK has come up with a clever way to avoid paying a “name change fee” on an airline ticket. The passenger was accidentally booked under the wrong name, but European low-cost airline Ryanair wanted to charge £220 (about $440!) for the name on the ticket to be changed. Instead of … Continued
Thanks to a good deal on flights with Turkish Airlines, one of our members recently visited the country of Israel. We don’t see many trip reports about this part of the world, but it seems Israel is a destination rich in history, culture and even food. Israel has always intrigued me as a travel destination. … Continued
Circle Pacific fares are not widely known, but they can offer some significant savings on multi-stop fares across the Pacific. More than a return ticket, but not quite a round-the-world ticket, Circle Pacific fares allow for two Pacific crossings with a typical routing taking passengers from Australia to Asia, and then onto North America before … Continued
One member is frustrated at what they perceive as a considerable devaluation of Virgin’s more expensive Flexi fares. They complain that while the benefits have decreased, the prices of Flexi fares have soared. Flexi fares often cost triple the price of a standard Saver ticket. Can someone enlighten me on the benefit of booking a … Continued
Virgin Australia began offering free food on all domestic flights last week. The news has been largely welcomed by our members, who have long complained of Virgin’s lack of consistency when it comes to in-flight service. Until now, those on flights between the east coast and Perth already received a complimentary hot meal. However the … Continued
The recent drop in the price of airfares between Australia and the United States is like music to the ears of many a traveller. In recent months we have seen some very good sales on this route, with Qantas selling off-peak tickets for under $1,200 and Virgin Australia undercutting that even more. But a current … Continued
Following the end of the price war between Qantas and Virgin, combined with the recent removal of Virgin’s cheapest Saver Lite fares, our members have noticed that Virgin Australia’s so-called Happy Hour specials have not been looking too happy lately. The Thursday afternoon specials once offered some great deals on flights to a selection of … Continued
Our member has noticed a dramatic price drop in tickets to Honolulu which they booked at the start of the year. The price for the four tickets flying Jetstar has dropped by $1600 in just a matter of months. Our frustrated member is Qantas Gold and is seeking our views on whether they have any … Continued