Author: Mark

Qantas is continuing to expand its international network – announcing a new service from Sydney to Rome via Perth. For now, it is a seasonal service and will run between 22 June and 6 October.  This takes in the peak European holiday season. Using the 787-9 Dreamliner, it will offer the first non-stop commercial flight between Australia and Italy. Indeed, the new flight will cut three hours off the current faster travel time to Rome. For Perth, it will be the second long-distance non-stop service, following the Melbourne-Perth-Londo n flight, launched back in 2018. While currently flying via Darwin, it…

Virgin Australia has announced that it will be forming a new partnership with United Airlines. As a result, its current partnership with Delta will be coming to an end. Kicking off in April 2022, the alliance will include reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, in addition to a codeshare agreement between the two airlines. Frequent Flyers Velocity members will be able to earn Velocity Points and Status Credits when travelling on United Airlines services. On top of that, members holding Silver and above status will receive tier benefits when travelling with United. Finally, United Airlines will be offering Reward Seats to Velocity…

Marriott Bonvoy have announced a range of partnerships over the Australian summer. And with these partnerships they will be offering a number of experiences through their Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform. Partners included this summer include Tennis Australia, Sydney to Hobart, Carols by Candlelight, Mardi Gras, Diner en Blanc, and TEDxMelbourne. Tennis Marriott Bonvoy will be the official hotel partner for the 2022 Australian Open. Through this partnership, Marriott Bonvoy members will have access to more than 100 unique Marriott Bonvoy MomentsTM. This will include access to all matches and Marriott Bonvoy’s private hospitality suite, food and wine packages, tennis clinics,…

World of Hyatt has announced its first promotion for 2022. Going by the name of Bonus Journeys, it will run from 15 January through to 20 April 2022. While it does not kick in until 15 January, World of Hyatt has already opened registration for the promotion. Playing off the year 2022, the promotion is offering members 2,022 bonus points for every 2 qualifying nights. There is a maximum of 20 qualifying nights, which means you could earn a total of 20,220 bonus points during the promotion. Key Details Offer: Bonus Journey – Earn 2,022 bonus points for every 2…

The Global Hotels Alliance (GHA) has launched its new, updated program – now known as GHA Discovery. GHA Discovery has been ‘leaking’ information about the program over the last month or so. We have previously covered the new paths to status, and their new ‘currency’, Discovery Dollars. Now that the program has launched, we will bring the details together in this post. Global Hotels Alliance (GHA) First off, let’s take a quick look at the who and what of the Global Hotels Alliance. They are basically a coalition of a number of smaller chains, that to some extent operate independently…

Qantas is launching a second Points Auction! In the latest round of the auction, Qantas will put 10 experiences under the hammer. The auction itself will take place over 9 days, with one experience up for grabs each day. To round out the 10, the final day of the auction, day 9 sees two prizes up for grabs. What’s on Offer? The auction is running from 1 December through to 9 December. Each day will see a different experience up for grabs, as follows: Date Offer Minimum Bid 1 December 2021 ‘Devour South Australia’ for two South Australia at its…

Qantas is introducing a new Qantas Frequent Flyer Green tier. The new tier centres around encouraging frequent flyers to make sustainable choices when they fly, and around the home. The new Green Tier will sit beside the existing Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum One tiers. What will make the new tier different is in the way it is earned. Rather than earning Status Credits from flying, you’ll earn Green by making sustainable choices. In order to encourage members to reach the Green Tier, Qantas will be offering rewards, such as Status Credits, or Qantas Points, to members that achieve…

Qantas is offering Frequent Flyers triple points on eligible flights to the Northern Territory. The promotion covers domestic Qantas flights to Darwin, Alice Springs, or Uluru/Ayers Rock. In addition, you can also score triple points if booking a Jetstar Max fare on Jetstar flights to Uluru/Ayers Rock. Key Details Offer: Triple Qantas Points on travel to the Northern Territory Register: You must register for this promotion by 30 November 2021. Bookings: Book an eligible Qantas or Jetstar fare between 26 November and 30 November, 2021 Travel Period: You must book to travel between 18 January 2022 and 24 November 2022.…

GHA Discovery has spent the last month or so drip-feeding information on a new program launching in December. This week’s snippet from them gives us a view of the Rewards side of the program. The current program has not really focused so much on rewards. There have offered the rather unique Local Experience program, but outside that, there has been very little. Discovery Dollars Under the new program, GHA Discovery will be introducing Discovery Dollars (D$) as a new currency, instead of points. To keep it relatively simple, 1 D$ will initially have a value of 1 US$. Having a…

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I guess Velocity thinks the idea of a Points Plane is a good one, as they have now launched their own version. For two days, you’ll be able to book an Economy seat on the Virgin Australia network as a Reward seat. That clock is already ticking, and if you want to nab one of these seats, you have until midnight AEST Tuesday 23 November. Key Details The key details you need to know: Offer: Every Economy Seat is a Reward Seat Booking Dates: Book by midnight (AEST) 23 November…