In two major rule changes from July 1, 2026, Qantas will reshape how travellers use lounge invitations and who gets through the door in the first place. This is going to be big for those sensible flyers who booked Jetstar fares direct and used Qantas lounges, or those who sold...

British Airways is heading back to Melbourne for the first time in two decades, and the timing doesn’t look accidental. As conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors, the UK flag carrier is launching daily flights between London Heathrow and Melbourne via...

With Australians being loyal to airlines based in the great southern lands, its cousins over the Tasman are often overlooked. Now, sometimes that ignorance is legitimate; they did have a very inferior Business Class cabin, or their fares always seemed pitched above those of Australian-based airlines. But now, Air NZ...

A vape device ignited inside the cabin of a Virgin Australia flight VA328 approaching Melbourne, prompting an emergency call from the flight crew and a precautionary response from airport firefighters. The incident occurred on Sunday, 15 March. As the aircraft descended toward Melbourne Airport, the device activated and began smoking...

I’m back in Sydney after spending nearly a week at the Adelaide Festival and catching up with friends and relatives. I also got to experience the new Economy Plus seats in row 5 on a Qantas B737, with extra legroom. It’s good.  I’m now putting the final touches to my...

There was a time when booking Malaysia Airlines to Europe felt like choosing price over style. The airline did the job, but it rarely turned heads. That view may have changed with the arrival of the Airbus A330neo across Australian routes. Commencing its rollout in 2025, with full deployment by...

Qantas has agreed to pay $105 million to settle a class action brought by passengers whose flights were cancelled during the pandemic, potentially delivering compensation to hundreds of thousands of customers. The settlement relates to flights scheduled between 1 January 2020 and 1 November 2022, when global travel collapsed due...

Melbourne is losing its Qantas Airbus A380 to Los Angeles. From 25 October 2026, the airline will remove the superjumbo from the route, switching the service to a daily Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner instead. Currently, the QF93/QF94 Melbourne–Los Angeles flights operate with a mix of aircraft. The Airbus A380 runs twice...

Delta began operating its new A350 aircraft to Melbourne late last year, giving travellers a third option, alongside Qantas and United, for direct flights to Los Angeles. The airline now flies from Melbourne and Brisbane three times a week, and daily from Sydney. Its Delta One Business Class seat has...

I’m in Adelaide for the annual Adelaide Arts Festival, catching up with friends, and sucking up the cultural events. Today is International Women’s Day. To celebrate, Qantas have more than 2,500 customers flying on Jetstar and Qantas flights operated by all-female crews. Virgin Australia is celebrating with the Future Aviators...

After years of speculation, Singapore Airlines is refreshing its long-haul Airbus A350 business class with privacy doors. The rollout begins in the first half of 2026, with retrofits phased across selected long-haul A350 aircraft. When do we see these refreshed cabins in Australia? Background I’m doing a series of posts...

Airspace is closed across parts of the Middle East due to attacks by Israel and the USA and consequent retaliation from Iran. This has left thousands of Australian travellers stranded or scrambling to rearrange flights. If you’re travelling through the region in the coming days or stuck there right now,...

What follows is practical advice for those travelling by air via the Middle East who will be affected by the conflict generated by the attacks on Iran. Background Escalating conflict in the Middle East has triggered major airspace closures and cascading flight chaos. Gulf hubs including Doha, Dubai and Abu...

It’s been a big week in Australian aviation, especially with the announcement of Qantas’ half-year results, a direct route from Brisbane to Las Vegas, and surprising changes to their loyalty scheme.  A lot of posts to catch up on in this Review, so read on: QANTAS: First International A321XLR route...