Great news for Singapore Airlines frequent flyers and those sitting on piles of KrisFlyer miles expiring in 2022: the airline is once again extending a range of benefits and the validity of miles due to the impact of the pandemic.

Extension of KrisFlyer Miles, PPS Rewards and KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards

If you have KrisFlyer miles expiring between January 2022 to December 2022, they are eligible for a 6-month extension. This extension will be processed automatically, and no action is required on your part. This means that no miles will expire in 2022, and extended miles will only begin expiring from January 2023.

This also applies to miles that have been previously extended. For example, miles that originally expire in January 2022 will be extended by 6 months to July 2022. In July 2022, if you still haven’t used these miles, they will be extended by another 6 months to January 2023.

Rewards earned from the PPS Rewards and KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards that are due to expire in 2022 will be extended to 31 December 2022.

Extension of PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Memberships, Rollover of Elite Miles

All PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses that are due to expire between March 2022 and February 2023 will be automatically extended for another year.

Elite miles earned in the 12 months prior to the extension will be credited back into members’ accounts after the extension to help you requalify for status in the following membership year.

More information about these changes is available here.

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Virgin Australia has cancelled a quarter of its flights scheduled for January and February due to the effects of COVID on staffing and travel demand.

The airline said it would reduce frequencies on busy routes and temporarily suspend 10 routes from late January. Affected customers will be moved to alternative flights or may be eligible for a credit or refund.

In a major announcement, Qantas has named the Airbus A320neo and Airbus A220 families as the preferred aircraft for its long-term domestic narrow-body fleet overhaul.

The airline is expected to make a firm commitment to order 40 aircraft — 20 A321XLR (extra long-range) and 20 A220 aircraft — from Airbus by the end of FY22. This decision comes after extensive discussions with employees about the operations of these new aircraft types and a final green light from the Qantas Board.

Qantas has also secured an additional 94 purchase right options on aircraft over a period extending beyond 10 years. As its current fleet of Boeing 737-800s and 717s are gradually retired, these options will provide the airline with flexibility to manage its fleet.

This deal is an extension of an existing agreement between Jetstar and Airbus for over 100 aircraft from the A320neo family. The twist in this new agreement is the combination of these two orders, giving the Group a whopping total of 299 deliveries from both the A320 and A220 families. These aircraft can be drawn down as required over the next decade and beyond for Qantas, QantasLink, and Jetstar.

Pending finalisation, this deal is set to go down in history as the largest aircraft order ever placed in Australian aviation.

The A321XLR is capable of carrying around 15 per cent more passengers per flight than the airline’s current B737-800s, making it an ideal choice for high-traffic routes between cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Furthermore, its longer range opens the door for new city pairs.

The A220s, on the other hand, offer flexibility for the Group to deploy these aircraft throughout most of its domestic and regional operations. These aircraft could be utilized during off-peak times between major cities and on key regional routes to increase frequency.

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Virgin Australia has just announced a fresh partnership with United Airlines that promises to multiply the airline’s reach into the Americas threefold.

This means more destinations and more benefits for those travelling to various cities across the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America.

The partnership with United will replace Virgin’s current codeshare and frequent flyer relationship with Delta Air Lines, which has stood for over a decade.

The partnership, which will officially take off in April 2022, establishes codeshare cooperation between the two airlines. This is great news for Velocity Frequent Flyer members, as they can now earn, redeem, and receive tier benefits when travelling on United’s comprehensive domestic and international network. This includes connections from United’s various Australian gateways.

United Airlines, already known for its significant presence in Australia, will extend its reach further. As the U.S. carrier with the most flights to Australia, United offers daily direct flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Sydney. Flights from Houston and direct services to Melbourne are also on the itinerary for later in 2022.

With this new partnership, United’s customers can now enjoy seamless access to major Australian cities through Virgin Australia’s extensive domestic network.

Eligible Velocity and United MileagePlus members will receive the following benefits when travelling on Virgin Australia and United services worldwide:

• priority check-in
• priority boarding
• priority baggage delivery and additional baggage check allowance
• priority security clearance
• lounge access.

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Virgin Australia is gearing up to restart flights between Sydney and Canberra, starting from the 30th of January 2022. This announcement comes as part of an exclusive agreement with Link Airways, promising over 50 services a week between these two capital cities.

Virgin Australia had initially paused these services in April 2020, right when the global pandemic was at its peak.

Now, Virgin Australia will be operating these services using Link Airways’ Saab 340 B Plus aircraft and crew. There are up to 9 flights per weekday that can be booked right now at virginaustralia.com.

This is welcome news for everyone – whether you’re travelling for business, leisure or government purposes. With the resumption of these services, there’s now more choice and flexibility for those flying to and from the capital.

For those short trips with Link Airways, Virgin Australia customers will receive complimentary tea, coffee, and water.

This partnership with Link Airways is a strategic move for Virgin Australia. It allows them to expand their domestic network into markets like Sydney-Canberra, which were previously difficult to serve efficiently with their 737-800 aircraft.

To cap it all off, today’s announcement also included the reopening of the Canberra Lounge, with a fresh and improved menu.

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