Qantas has brought back its First Class experience on flights between Australia, Singapore, and London, thanks to the return of the A380 superjumbo aircraft and the reopening of the First Lounge at Changi Airport.

Starting today, Qantas will fly its recently spruced-up A380 aircraft, complete with 14 swanky First Suites, 70 Business Suites, 60 Premium Economy seats, and 341 Economy seats.

The on-board lounge has been given a makeover by David Caon, transforming it into a supper club-style space for 10 people with an exclusive snack menu.

Qantas has also reopened its First Lounge at Changi Airport. This gem first launched in December 2019 and quickly became one of the hottest lounges on the Qantas international network. Sadly, it closed just three months later due to the pandemic. But now, the First Lounge is back in action, right alongside the existing Qantas Business Lounge.

The Qantas First Lounge can host up to 240 guests and serves up a fine dining experience created by Neil Perry. The menu draws inspiration from Singapore’s vibrant food scene, showcasing dishes like signature Laksa with Crayfish and Rice Noodles, Barramundi with Sambal Browned Butter, and Shrimp-based Chicken Wings. Plus, there’s a gorgeous Carrara marble bar, where guests can sip on Champagne, bespoke cocktails like the Merlion Blush, and barista coffee.

Eligible visitors include first class passengers with Qantas and eligible partners, and those who hold Platinum or higher status with Qantas and eligible partners.

If you want to experience Qantas first class using points, a one-way ticket between Sydney and Singapore costs 102,600 Qantas Points plus taxes and fees.

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Virgin Australia is breaking new ground as the first Australian carrier to offer direct flights between the Gold Coast and Bali, connecting two top surfing and holiday destinations starting from next year.

Mark your calendars for 29 March 2023, because that’s when the daily services between Gold Coast Airport’s new International Terminal and Bali will begin.

With more than 2,200 seats available each week, you can already book your ticket starting today.

The announcement comes as Virgin prepares to restart flights to Bali from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this week.

Virgin Australia’s Short Haul International operations are growing, with plans to resume services to Vanuatu and Samoa alongside its services to Fiji, Bali, and Queenstown, New Zealand.

Direct flights from Brisbane to Port Vila, Vanuatu, will kick off on 10 March 2023, with up to five flights a week.

Services to Apia, Samoa, will start from Sydney on 21 March 2023, with up to three flights per week, and from Brisbane on 23 March 2023, with up to two flights per week.

This expansion means that holidaymakers now have a wider choice of Pacific Island destinations to explore. Plus, those eager to reconnect with friends and family in Samoa and Vanuatu can finally do so as these destinations open to international travel post-COVID-19.

To celebrate these new routes, Virgin Australia has introduced its Set Your Sights Overseas sale.

You can enjoy discounts of up to 30% on over 70,000 seats across all the airline’s Short Haul International routes, including the ones announced today.

And for you Velocity Frequent Flyer members, there’s a mega bonus: From 15 to 24 June 2022, you’ll get an extra 2,000 Velocity Points when you book Virgin Australia flights between Bali, Fiji, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Samoa, and Australia, for travel until 11 May 2023.

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Singapore Airlines is increasing the number of KrisFlyer miles required for flight redemptions and upgrades from 5 July 2022.

Increases will be made to the cheapest Saver Award seats on all sectors, with minor adjustments to the more expensive Advantage Award levels on selected sectors when flying with Singapore Airlines.

On average, Saver prices are going up by around 10%. For example, a one-way Saver business class fare from Perth to Europe goes from 121,000 miles to 133,500 miles – an increase of 12,500 miles or 10.3%.

Award seats with partner airlines and upgrades with Singapore Airlines are going up by a similar amount.

Click here to view the updated award chart and here for the upgrade chart.

If you have an existing booking and you need to change it, do so before 5 July otherwise the new pricing will apply.

The revised pricing will also apply to confirmed waitlist bookings ticketed on or after 5 July 2022. There’s no way to expedite those, unfortunately.

The airline is also changing stopover rules. Until now, you could pay $100 to add a stopover on a one-way Saver booking (eg. you could book a flight from Sydney to Europe, and pay for a stopover in Singapore). This option is being eliminated.

For one-way Advantage bookings or return Saver bookings, you can still enjoy stopovers for free. However, the stopover will now be limited to 30 days.

If you have an award booking or upgrade in mind, consider locking in the new pricing before the changes kick in on 5 July.

More information about these changes is available here.

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Virgin Australia has announced a new strategic partnership with Qatar Airways which includes a codeshare agreement and loyalty benefits for customers on both carriers’ networks.

This is a somewhat surprising move, given Qatar Airways is a oneworld member and hence a Qantas partner. But it’s great news for Virgin Australia customers, who now have another big international airline partner in the mix alongside Singapore Airlines, Etihad, United and others.

Qatar Airways currently flies to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Virgin Australia customers and frequent flyers will be able to access Qatar Airways’ global route network, which includes more than 140 destinations. They’ll be able to earn and redeem Velocity Points when flying on Qatar Airways, and vice versa.

Frequent flyers of both airlines will also be able to enjoy status privileges such as lounge access, extra baggage allowance, priority check-in and priority boarding.

Qatar Airways is one of the best airlines in the world, and its Qsuite business class product is widely loved.

Qsuite

Redeeming Velocity Points to fly in Qsuites will definitely be one of the best uses of those points.

Stay tuned for more info when the partnership launches later this year.

As always, we’ll inform our e-news subscribers as soon as reward seats become available.

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After years of planning and delays due to Covid, Qantas has today confirmed it will finally launch direct flights from Australia’s east coast to New York, London and other destinations from 2025.

These ultra-long haul flights will be operated by 12 brand Airbus A350-1000s specifically configured for the marathon journeys. Deliveries will begin in 2025 and complete by 2028.

The aircraft will have the range for direct flights between Australia and any city in the world.

They will carry 238 passengers across four classes (first, business, premium economy, economy), with more than 40 per cent of the cabin dedicated to premium seating.

It’s likely Qantas will update its existing international long-haul economy, premium economy and business class seats, as seen on the Dreamliner and A380 fleets.

The airline has promised 4 inches more legroom in premium economy and 1-2 in economy on the A350s.

A380 economy

A380 premium economy

A380 business class

In first class, Qantas has released renders showing it will install brand new fully enclosed suites with separate chairs and beds. There will be six suites arranged in a 1-1-1 layout.

The aircraft will also sport a ‘wellness’ zone for all passengers to enjoy to break up the long journey.

This will be especially welcomed by passengers in economy and premium economy.

Wellness zone

The first A350 flights will launch from Sydney in late 2025, with Melbourne to follow. It’s likely other destinations will be announced soon, such as Paris.

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Virgin Australia has finally raised the curtain on its much-anticipated, invitation-only Beyond Lounges in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.

These secretive sanctuaries are exclusively reserved for corporate partners, select high-status Velocity Frequent Flyer members, and key influencers across the nation.

The relaunch of this elite network of lounges, previously known as ‘The Club’, is an essential perk of the new Virgin Australia Beyond loyalty program, announced last year.

The unveiling of the lounges marks a significant milestone in the airline’s transformation strategy, which has seen numerous customer enhancements since the airline’s relaunch in 2020.

The Beyond program is now the highest tier of loyalty for Virgin Australia customers.

Beyond members can look forward to a range of benefits, including an annual membership with the option to nominate a spouse or partner for the same privileges. Membership is reviewed each year.

Other perks include access to the exclusive Beyond Lounges, a dedicated phone concierge service, four complimentary business class upgrades each year, and a complimentary Velocity Gold membership for the primary member’s executive assistant.

Beyond membership is granted by the CEO and executives of Virgin Australia for the airline’s most loyal guests. Business leaders interested in being invited to join Beyond can speak to their travel manager or Virgin Australia account manager.

Beyond Lounges

Members will find their way into the Beyond Lounges via a discreet, unmarked door, with access granted through a sustainable digital membership card.

The entrances are strategically placed near Virgin Australia’s regular domestic lounges in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.

Once you’ve navigated the hidden entrance, you’ll be greeted by a peaceful, welcoming environment, complete with leather-clad walls, oak timber features, plush Chester-style armchairs, and bright greenery.

The space also includes privacy pods, a favourite feature among members, with built-in charging stations and transparent frosted glass for natural light while maintaining discretion.

Shower facilities, towels, and premium bathroom amenities will also be available from July 2022 onwards.

Private offices and boardrooms can be booked by members for use on their travel day.

To accompany the grand opening, Virgin Australia has also launched a new à la carte menu, featuring fresh food options prepared with premium Australian produce.

To top it all off, Beyond members will also have access to a wide range of handpicked beverages, including spirits, Australian wines, cocktails, fresh juices, and more.

In line with the unique Beyond service experience, the airline is committed to providing an atmosphere of tranquillity in the lounges. Boarding announcements will be replaced with personalised invitations from the Beyond Lounge Hosts, who will also recommend meals from the all-day à la carte menu based on the duration of the members’ pre-flight visit.

Since its relaunch in 2020, Virgin Australia has refocused on its core customers, including value-conscious corporate and small to medium-sized business travellers and premium leisure travellers. The airline has significantly increased its share of the domestic market in Australia and aims to maintain its market share at 33% over time.

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