Loyalty Program is a popular topic at the Australian Frequent Flyer. All frequent flyer programs are essentially loyalty programs. But there are other non-airline loyalty programs, such as the loyalty programs associated with hotels.
The Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards programs will combine under a new brand from next month. On 13 February 2019, the three programs will merge to become the “Marriott Bonvoy” loyalty program. This will be the final step in the ongoing merger of Starwood and Marriott. The Starwood Preferred Guest, Ritz-Carlton … Continued
Qantas Frequent Flyer has increased the fee it charges members to join the program to $99.50. The new Qantas Frequent Flyer joining fee, charged to Australian residents, represents a $10 increase on the 2018 membership price. At the beginning of this year, Qantas also increased the membership fee charged to New Zealand residents from NZD50 … Continued
In this episode, Matt Graham discusses the 2019 American Express Membership Rewards changes in Australia, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer changes, the recent Cathay Pacific mistake fares, and more. Episode 2 of the AFF on AIR podcast also features an interview with Clifford Reichlin, the founder of Australian Frequent Flyer. Listen now to AFF on AIR Episode … Continued
Singapore Airlines has announced a raft of changes to its KrisFlyer frequent flyer program, taking effect from January 2019. The 2019 KrisFlyer changes are largely bad news for frequent flyers, with the cost of some Singapore Airlines award flights and upgrades increasing. We’ve put together this detailed guide with everything you need to know about … Continued
On 1 January 2019, transfers between Velocity Frequent Flyer and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer will become more expensive. It’s currently possible to transfer points between each program at a 1.35:1 rate. But next year this will increase to a 1.55:1 conversion, representing around a 15% devaluation. Given the upcoming changes to KrisFlyer transfers, you may be … Continued
Commonwealth Bank has increased its CommBank Awards airline and hotel transfer partners overnight from 2 to 12! In addition to Qantas and Virgin Australia, CommBank Awards points can now be transferred to airlines including United, Japan Airlines and Air France. On 5 November 2018, CommBank awards also added Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program to its … Continued
Guangzhou-based China Southern will exit the SkyTeam alliance from next year. The airline announced last Thursday that it will not renew its SkyTeam membership from 1 January 2019. The move has fuelled speculation that China Southern could join Qantas in the Oneworld alliance. For most Australians, China Southern leaving SkyTeam is no great loss. Very … Continued
At least three AFF members, as well as their family members, had their Velocity accounts suspended last week. These members all received emails from Velocity Frequent Flyer stating that unusual activity had been detected on their accounts, and that they would be suspended for up to 30 days while an audit is conducted. The affected … Continued
Qantas’ double status credit offers are extremely popular among AFF members looking for a shortcut to earning or retaining Qantas status. Status credits are used to determine your membership level in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. So earning bonus status credits means you can achieve a higher status by taking fewer flights. Qantas has run … Continued
If you have a Westpac credit card that earns Altitude Rewards points, now is your last chance to transfer your points before the upcoming devaluation. On Friday 9 November 2018, Westpac will increase the number of Altitude Rewards points required when transferring to most frequent flyer program partners. This also means you’ll soon earn fewer airline … Continued
Singapore Airlines, Aegean Airlines and United all have excellent Star Alliance frequent flyer programs. As a result, these airlines rightfully receive plenty of attention. But, bizarrely, one of the very best value Star Alliance frequent flyer programs is virtually unknown in Australia! In our view, Asiana Club is the most undervalued Star Alliance frequent flyer … Continued
If you’ve been looking for a Star Alliance status match, now could be your chance! Air New Zealand is currently offering a complimentary Gold status match to Australian and New Zealand residents that already hold status with another airline. It’s no coincidence that this offer comes in the middle of a bitter break-up between Air … Continued
