Travel Insurance is a popular topic of discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer website. We really believe that proper insurance cover is vital! We provide tips to help you decide which travel insurance policy is best for you.
On 25 March 2020, the Australian government banned citizens and temporary residents from leaving the country without a special exemption. This extraordinary temporary measure was introduced amid growing uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the Australian outbound travel ban was widely viewed as reasonable. It’s now the end of August. Not only is … Continued
If you’ve ever tried to redeem your frequent flyer points for an international flight in pre-COVID times, you’ve probably noticed that award availability can be difficult to find. To have any chance of success, you would often need to book early, be very flexible with travel dates and accept an indirect routing – especially if … Continued
Now that Queensland and South Australia have revealed when they will reopen their borders, it’s time to start thinking about travelling around Australia again. Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have also started adding additional flights, but there are also some great deals on one-way car hires, which can cost as little as $1 per day! … Continued
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to run its course, governments and health authorities are pleading with the public to stay home if they feel unwell. Airlines too are advising passengers with cold and flu-like symptoms not to travel. But if a passenger chooses not to take their booked flight because they feel unwell, they may … Continued
As the coronavirus crisis continues, many airline passengers are still waiting for refunds from cancelled flight bookings. Meanwhile, some passengers have discovered that they would have to pay extra – thousands of dollars, in some cases – to rebook their cancelled flights for a different date. This is exactly what happened recently to a Lufthansa … Continued
Numerous Australian travel insurers are now offering policy refunds or credits to customers that had to cancel their trip due to COVID-19 restrictions. If you had purchased a travel insurance policy before COVID-19 became a known event (around the end of January), and were either unable to take your trip or had to cut it … Continued
The federal court has approved a proposal by the Virgin Australia administrator to offer restrictive “conditional credits” to Virgin Australia customers instead of refunds. The new policy applies to Virgin Australia, Tigerair and Virgin Australia Holidays bookings made before the airline entered administration on 21 April 2020. Normal refund and travel credit policies – including … Continued
If you have a cancelled Virgin Australia flight, the airline says that you can still request a travel bank credit. If you bought a refundable ticket, such as a Freedom fare, you can also apply for a refund. But Virgin Australia is not currently processing any new refunds or flight credits. In fact, it hasn’t … Continued
If you’re currently booked on a Qantas flight for travel until 31 July 2020, and no longer wish to travel, you have until next Thursday to cancel for a flight credit voucher without paying any fees. Qantas has been actively encouraging passengers to request a credit voucher at the earliest opportunity. After all, this is … Continued
Last week, Matt was fortunate to be able to return home to Australia. But some Australians that are still stranded overseas have not been so lucky. In Episode 33 of the AFF on AIR podcast, Matt chats to Australian travellers that are currently stuck in Peru and India. Yasmin Uzunlar is one of around 200 Australians … Continued
There are currently thousands of Australians that are still stranded overseas and are desperately trying to get home. Many of their stories have come out in the media over recent weeks. Perhaps the most extreme stories have come from Australians stuck in Peru, after the Peruvian government imposed a national lockdown at short notice. It … Continued
The Australian government will temporarily close the country’s borders from 9pm on Friday, 20 March 2020 (tonight). The travel ban affects all international travellers except Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members. New Zealand already closed its borders to everyone except New Zealand citizens, residents, their partners and children, or air/ship crews. The … Continued
