Author: Mark

Velocity has announced that it is increasing the carrier charges on Reward Flights on 8 January 2020. The increase comes almost exactly one year after they were introduced on Virgin Australia flights. What are Carrier Charges? You may have noticed that when you redeem a flight, the airline often asks for a cash payment as well. This is on top of the points and covers a range of fees. Some of these are genuine taxes and charges that the airline is simply passing on. For example, you could find departure taxes, airport levies, and so on. Into that mix, airlines…

It has been two years since Qantas announced a mid-life update of its A380 fleet. Finally, the first of the refurbished A380s has taken to the skies. On its first service since being updated, VH-OQK operated the London to Sydney QF2 service on 1 October. The Changes Your view of the changes will partly be determined by the cabin you fly in. Some cabins have had a significant makeover, while others have had less significant changes. Let’s start at the top and work our way down. First If you’re lucky enough to travel First, you’ll find things much the same.…

Qantas Frequent Flyers will now earn more Points and Status Credits when flying American Airlines to North America. In addition, a range of flights within North America will also receive a boost. Coming into effect today, the changes largely reverse the changes that came into effect in 2017.  The move follows approval of a joint venture between Qantas and American Airlines. The previous reductions came into play when the original joint venture was rejected. The Changes Qantas have made the changes in two places. Firstly, they have adjusted the Partner Earning tables. Form most flyers, this will give the most…

IHG has announced a new partnership with the travel club Mr & Mrs Smith. The partnership will allow IHG Rewards members to earn and redeem points at 500 selected properties around the world. IHG says this will double the number of luxury and boutique hotels available to its members. On the surface, this all sounds good. Having said that, there is only limited information to go on at the moment. We will have to wait next year to find out the full details. For example, we do not know which 500 hotels will be participating. Mr & Mrs Smith Mr…

Would you like to earn Qantas Points while trying to lose weight? If so, the the CSIRO Total Wellbeing diet is currently offering up to 18,000 Qantas Points for successfully completing a 12 week program. Under the program, there are normally 10,000 Qantas Points up for grabs. You will receive these points after signing up for the program, and these continue with this promotion. The additional 8,000 Qantas Points is paid on successful completion of the program. This gives you some incentive to lose weigh through the 12 week program. To get the Qantas Points, you will need to sign…

Priority Pass will be increasing its fees for chargeable visits to $US32 from 1 October 2019. This is a $US5 increase over the current $US27 fee. What is the Priority Pass Visit Fee? The Visit Fee is a charge payable if you take lounge visits over and above the visits included in your membership. For example, many Priority Pass cards issued by banks offer two visits per year. If you make a third visit to a lounge during a year, Priority Pass will charge you the visit fee. This will then be passed on to you, through your connected credit…

The IHG Ambassador program has launched the Ambassador Membership Extension option, allowing a once-off membership extension. Depending on how long you have been a member of the program, you will be able to extend by either 2 or 6 months. The Ambassador Membership Extension – Why? Life has a way of interrupting the travel plans of even the most frequent traveller. You may be welcoming a new addition to your family. You could be starting a new job. Or you could even be helping someone else with a life challenge. As an InterContinental® Ambassador, you now have the option to…

While many members of Qantas Frequent Flyer are aware that they need to keep ‘earning and burning’ to prevent their Qantas Points Expiring. On the other hand, it still pops up in the media – someone has logged into their account, and the points have gone. In this post, I will look at the rules around expiring points, how you can keep them active, and look at what you can do if they have already expired. When do Qantas Points Expire? According to rules, you need to have some activity on your account (either earn or spend), at least once…

The Adnate, Perth’s first Art Series hotel, is opening on October 1. Named after Matt Adnate, an influential big mural artist, it becomes the first Art Series hotel styled around street art. Situated at 900 Hay St, the hotel will consist of 250 rooms. In the past, the site was occupied by Musgroves Music, a musical instrument shop dating back to 1922. Art Series Perth Externally, the hotel features a striking 25 storey mural. The mural features faces representing the cultural history of Perth. Internally, the hotel will feature both original works and reproductions of some of Matt’s work. Each…

Priority Pass members can now access The House lounges in Sydney and Melbourne. But, there is a catch. If you want in, you will also need to pay a $20 fee at the door on your way in. So, you will not just use one of your Priority Pass visits, you will also be up for a $20 fee. The same deal applies to members using LoungeKey. You will also need to stump up the additional $20 to access the lounge. The House Lounge If the name sounds familiar, it’s because The Lounge at each airport is the home of…