First Class is a popular topic at the Australian Frequent Flyer. And for obvious reasons - we all aspire to travel one day in First Class!
Redeeming points to North America is always a little tricky if you want to fly in a premium cabin or during school holidays – but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! In Episode 84 of AFF on Air, Matt explains your options to redeem Qantas and Velocity points to fly from Australia to the USA or … Continued
Qantas has revealed how it plans to configure its new Airbus A350-1000 long-range aircraft which will fly non-stop from Australia to cities including London and New York from late 2025. The airline yesterday announced a firm order for 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft which will be delivered between 2025 and 2028. These will be used for … Continued
Prior to COVID-19, the last major downturn to hit the aviation industry was the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Following this event, fewer people were choosing to spend money on travel. Crucially, for airlines, many business travellers were also no longer buying profitable Business or First Class tickets. There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has … Continued
Qantas will reopen its international Business Lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on 27 March 2022, as more international flights resume. This will relieve some of the pressure on the Qantas First Lounges in Sydney and Melbourne, which had been getting quite full lately during peak times as more people return to the skies. Meanwhile, … Continued
Qantas has brought its double-decker Airbus A380 back into service earlier than anticipated, with the first Qantas A380 passenger flight in almost two years jetting off from Sydney to Los Angeles on Tuesday night. But there have been some teething issues, with the in-flight entertainment not working on the very first flight. The first aircraft … Continued
Qantas is bringing back its Airbus A380 with First Class from next March, with 6x weekly A380 flights between Sydney and Los Angeles now on sale from 27 March 2022 (previously 1 July 2022). The Qantas A380 has 14 First Class seats, so the reintroduction of the A380 also means the reintroduction of Qantas First … Continued
As the end to major COVID-19 travel restrictions draws tantalisingly close, demand for air travel is starting to return. Many countries, including Australia, are starting to ease border restrictions for vaccinated travellers. As a result, airlines are starting to return their largest planes to the skies! In aircraft terms, the super-jumbo Airbus A380 was one … Continued
Qantas is planning to bring five of its Airbus A380s out of deep storage and back into service from the middle of next year. The airline has also committed to bringing back a further five A380s by around 2024, meaning only two of the airline’s fleet of 12 super-jumbos face early retirement. The first two … Continued
Emirates First Class is arguably one of the best ways to fly, and before the pandemic it was a hugely popular frequent flyer points redemption for Australian frequent flyers. But Emirates has been quietly making it a lot harder for frequent flyers to book or upgrade into a First Class seat using points. Emirates eliminating … Continued
Qantas will reopen its international First Class lounges in Sydney and Melbourne on Monday 19 April, along with its international Business Lounge in Brisbane, to coincide with the launch of the long-awaited trans-Tasman travel bubble. This is not just good news for Qantas Platinum & Platinum One members travelling across the Tasman with Qantas or … Continued
With the resumption of international flights sadly still a long way off, Qantas is once again clearing out its excess supplies of Business and First Class wine, pyjamas, amenity kits, slippers and almonds. If you’re missing flying, you’ll be able to buy one of the premium “Business and First Class experience at home” care kits … Continued
Amid the current downturn in international air travel, many planes have been retired, returned to lessors or placed into deep storage – perhaps never to fly again. Larger and older aircraft are particularly affected, and Qantas & Virgin Australia have been no exception. Sadly, one of many unintended consequences is the indefinite loss of Australia’s … Continued