Virgin Australia has today announced a significant expansion of its baggage tracking tool to include all domestic and international routes as well as additional tracking notifications for guests.
As part of the expansion of the tool, which previously only included a portion of the airline’s domestic network, customers can now track their baggage end-to-end via the Virgin Australia app, receiving push notifications when their baggage has been checked in, loaded onto the aircraft, transferred to a connecting carrier, and upon arrival.
The tool also advises the baggage carousel for collection once the guest is at their final destination.
The new ‘loaded’ feature, confirming the baggage has been loaded onto the aircraft, gives customers further visibility and peace of mind when travelling.
The tool is already proving to be popular, having been used more than 1.3 million times since it was first piloted in May 2023.
For passengers keen to use this feature, the process is:
Download the Virgin Australia mobile application.
Activate push notifications within the app.
Once enabled, a series of push notifications will be sent to your phone throughout the journey.
Virgin Australia Chief Customer & Digital Officer, Paul Jones, said: “Australians find comfort in the ability to track food deliveries, postal deliveries, technology, even their heart rate, all via apps, and it made sense for travellers to be able to do the same thing when flying Virgin Australia.”
“By further enhancing our Australian-first baggage tracking technology to include all international services and additional notifications, we are giving guests the peace of mind to know where their baggage is at every step of the journey,” said Mr Jones.
To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:
Virgin Australia and Link Airways have announced a new codeshare partnership that will significantly expand Virgin Australia’s reach into regional Australia.
Seventeen new regional codeshare services operated by Link Airways, the equivalent of 90 flights per week, will be added to Virgin Australia’s domestic network under the partnership.
The flights will go on sale today through Virgin Australia’s travel agency partners and will be available to book directly on the Virgin Australia website from March.
The new routes are:
Brisbane <> Coffs Harbour (BNE-CFS)
Brisbane <> Bundaberg (BNE-BDB)
Brisbane <> Biloela (BNE-ZBL)
Brisbane <> Inverell (BNE-IVR)
Brisbane <> Narrabri (BNE-NAA)
Brisbane <> Dubbo (BNE-DBO)
Brisbane <> Orange (BNE-OAG)
Brisbane <> Tamworth (BNE-TMW)
Brisbane <> Armidale (BNE-ARM)
Brisbane <> Wollongong (BNE-WOL)
Sydney <> Narrabri (SYD-NAA)
Sydney <> Inverell (BNE-IVR)
Melbourne <> Dubbo (MEL-DBO)
Melbourne <> Orange (MEL-OAG)
Melbourne <> Wollongong (MEL-WOL)
Canberra <> Hobart (CBR-HBA)
Canberra <> Newcastle (CBR-NTL)
Velocity Frequent Flyer members can earn points and status credits on these routes, with elite frequent flyers enjoying status perks like additional baggage allowance and lounge access.
Virgin Australia Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Alistair Hartley said: “Today’s announcement in partnership with Link Airways underscores our commitment to delivering great value, flexibility and choice to Australians, and boosting connections for customers living in regional Australia,” he said.
“Importantly, the partnership is also set to support regional trade and tourism in destinations like Inverell, Wollongong and Biloela, which are not currently serviced by any other major airline.
“Together, our networks will be operating up to 365 daily flights across Australia, offering 42 domestic destinations for guests to explore, all while ensuring guests can enjoy seamless connectivity and loyalty benefits under our award-winning Velocity Frequent Flyer program when they travel.”
To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:
Qantas is introducing a second international route from Darwin, directly connecting the Northern Territory capital to Singapore.
Starting in December, these flights are great news for both Territorians and overseas visitors, adding over 60,000 seats annually on this route.
If you’re planning a trip to Australia, Darwin just became an even more attractive entry point, offering easy access to some truly iconic experiences in the Top End.
For locals in the Territory, this is a game-changer. The direct flight to Singapore seamlessly connects to Qantas’ flight to London, QF1, or you can jet off to other destinations in Europe or Asia with partner airlines.
The flights, beginning on 9 December 2024, will initially run five days a week using the versatile Embraer E190 aircraft, with plans to ramp up to daily flights by March 2025. This is all thanks to the new E190 base at Darwin Airport.
The E190 features both business and economy class.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the Singapore service was a welcome addition to the airline’s international network out of Darwin.
“We’re thrilled to be offering our customers another new international route out of Darwin and strengthening the important trade, business and tourism links between Australia and Singapore,” said Mr Wallace.
“The direct service is not just great news for Territorians wanting to visit Singapore, but also for those travelling to London, Europe and across Southeast Asia, with connections to popular destinations like Phuket and Kuala Lumpur with our partner airlines, saving hours of travel time.”
Qantas has a long history of flying between Darwin and Singapore, with Darwin being the final Australia stop-over on the original Kangaroo Route from Australia to London in 1935.
More recently, Qantas last operated direct flights between Darwin and Singapore in 2006.
Eligible Qantas customers and Frequent Flyers will have access to the Qantas Club in Darwin prior to clearing immigration and security. On their return, eligible customers will have access to the Qantas International First or Business Lounge at Singapore’s Changi Airport.
Fares start from $690 return and are available from today via qantas.com or through travel agents. As of writing, reward seats have not been released.
To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:
South African Airways (SAA) and Thai Airways have both today announced a comeback to Perth, with new regular flights scheduled from Johannesburg and Bangkok respectively.
Starting 28 April 2024, SAA will launch three weekly flights – the only direct connection between the two cities.
Flight SA280 will depart OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 20h55 and arrive at Perth International Airport the following day at 12h20.
Flights from Perth (SA 281) will depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 14h40, arriving the following day at 19h35 in Johannesburg.
For the “launch phase” of the route, SAA will operate an Airbus A340 – 300, with a total seat capacity of 253 (38 business class seats in a 2-2-2 layout and 215 economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout).
Thai Airways is joining the party too, resuming daily flights between Perth and Bangkok starting 31 March.
This will be the only direct flight on this route until Jetstar launches later in the year.
Using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the 7-hour Bangkok-Perth flight departs at midnight or 7.20am on alternate days, while the return Perth-Bangkok flights depart at 9.20 am or 4.20pm depending on the day.
The aircraft feature a 2-2-2 layout in business class and 3-3-3 in economy.
Both Star Alliance members will use the Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand lounges in Perth.
Bookings are now open – so start packing your bags!
To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:
This article was prepared in partnership with B2Bpay
Are you a savvy business owner who likes to earn reward points on business expenses?
If so, there’s a way you can pay nearly all expenses with a credit card and earn full points on the transactions – even on government payments like tax – thanks to the innovative Aussie firm B2Bpay.
Based in Sydney, B2Bpay provides a secure online payment portal that is trusted by over 25,000 Australian businesses in a wide range of industries. Any business with an ABN can join, including sole traders.
B2Bpay also lets businesses earn points when they pay expenses via their bank account, as well as when receiving payments from customers.
For many businesses, that can add up to piles of points for use on future travel.
If you’re a business owner who loves to collect points and redeem them for high-value rewards like business class flights, you’re probably keen to know more – so let’s dig into the details.
Earn full points on credit card payments
B2Bpay lets you pay invoices and bills with a credit card via its online portal, even where the supplier/biller doesn’t accept card payments directly.
The way it works is that B2Bpay charges your card and deposits funds to your biller/supplier by EFT or BPAY within 3 business days.
You can use any Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club credit, debit or charge card.
Since your card issuer treats the transaction as a purchase (not a cash advance), it earns full points, like other regular card purchases.
That means you can earn full points with government agencies, insurance companies, utilities and telco firms, which otherwise earn no or limited points on most cards.
Separately, you’ll also earn Qantas Points, thanks to B2Bpay’s partnership with Qantas Business Rewards. You’ll receive:
1 Qantas Point for every $7 paid by card for government payments
1 Qantas Point for every $10 paid by card to other suppliers.
These Qantas Points will be credited to your business’s Qantas Business Rewards account.
Qantas Business Rewards is the loyalty program built for Australian small and medium businesses. You just need an active ABN, and can join for free via B2Bpay if you’re not already a member (saving $89.50).
From your Qantas Business Rewards account, you can use points to book flights and upgrades~~ or transfer your business’ points to any Qantas Frequent Flyer account to use on hotels, car hire, wine or choose from over 20,000 products from Qantas Marketplace.>
For card payments, B2Bpay charges a processing fee of 1.2% plus GST for a standard Visa or Mastercard, 1.55% plus GST for premium / corporate Visa or Mastercard, 2.2% plus GST for American Express and 2.4% plus GST for Diners Club – all of which are tax deductible.
Earn Qantas Points on payments from your bank account
To earn even more Qantas Points, you can take advantage of B2Bpay’s new Bank Accelerator Plus
feature, which lets you earn Qantas Points on every payment from your bank account (with a 1.87% fee).
The earn rate is an impressive 1 Qantas Point per $1 paid, with no caps or limits.
Bank Accelerator Plus gives you an alternative to paying bills with a credit card – perhaps because you may earn more points this way, or because you’ve reached your card limit or monthly points earning cap.
It’s also a handy way to earn points when paying off your monthly business credit card bill.
In addition, you can earn up to 3 Qantas Points per $1.50 paid to businesses that are registered as B2Bpay Bonus Billers.
Other benefits of making payments via B2Bpay
As well as building your points balance faster, other benefits include:
improved cash-flow when paying by card, since you have up to 55 days to pay off the card without incurring interest
saving time: you can connect to Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks to autoload bills, then make one off, bulk automatic or future dated payments, with fast and simple reconciliation.
Earn Qantas Points when customers pay you
You can also use B2Bpay to accept payments from customers and earn Qantas Points in the process.
It’s free and easy to become a B2Bpay Biller and start accepting payments.
Once your branded payment page is set up on B2Bpay’s website, simply include the link in the payment info section of your invoices.
Your customers can follow the link to pay you by card, with funds transferred to you by EFT or BPAY within 3 business days.
You’ll earn 1 Qantas Point for every $20 paid to you by Visa or Mastercard (there’s no points earned for American Express or Diners Club).
There’s no cost to you unless you choose to absorb the payment processing fee that your customers will be charged (1.2 – 2.4% plus GST depending on the card they use).
As well as earning points, accepting payments from customers via B2Bpay can help you get paid faster and saves you time thanks to automatic reconciliation with Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks.
How could Qantas Points give your business a boost?
Let’s say you earn 150,000 Qantas Points through a combination of making payments by credit card and bank account and receiving payments from customers via B2Bpay (fees apply).
With 150,000 Qantas Points, you could:
fly Premium Economy on Classic Rewards from Sydney to Singapore return (at a cost of 102,600 points plus taxes and fees)+
book a two-night stay in Singapore’s iconic The Fullerton Hotel (145,471 points)*
power your business with a 10.2-inch Apple iPad on Qantas Marketplace (121,270 points).±
Use points towards upgrading your next flight
Summing up
If you’re a business owner who loves to earn points on business expenses, B2Bpay solves several problems.
It lets you earn full points on credit card transactions like government payments and use your card to pay suppliers who don’t accept cards directly.
On top of that, you can also earn Qantas Points on bank account payments and when customers pay you.
That can add up to a lot of points, which in turn could help fund work trips or holidays.
To find out more about all these benefits and sign-up, visit B2Bpay here.
Important Information
~~ A business can redeem Qantas Points directly from their Qantas Business Rewards account on Classic Flight Rewards or Points Plus Pay flights, paid seat selection and additional baggage allowance (when purchased at time of flight booking).
> In order to transfer Qantas Points from a Qantas Business Rewards account to an individual’s Qantas Frequent Flyer account, the business account must have a balance of at least 3,000 Qantas Points. You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn and redeem Qantas Points. A joining fee may apply. Membership and Qantas Points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions. We recommend you consult your accountant or tax adviser to ensure you understand possible tax implications, for example fringe benefits tax (if applicable).
+ A business can redeem Qantas Points directly from their Qantas Business Rewards account on Classic Flight Rewards. Classic Flight Rewards are available on Qantas, Jetstar and partner airlines. Classic Flight Reward seats are subject to capacity controls, availability is limited and some flights may not have any Classic Flight Rewards available. The Qantas Points stated are accurate as at 1 November 2023 based on return flight from Sydney to Singapore departing 2 May 2024, and returning 6 May 2024, but may vary at the time of booking. Taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to points required for Classic Flight Rewards. Status Credits and Qantas Points will not be earned on Classic Flight Rewards. Visit Classic Flight Rewards for more information.
*Qantas Points rate is correct as at 1 November 2023 based on a check in date of 25 April 2024 in a Premier Courtyard Room for 2 nights for 2 adults. Points required are subject to change. Availability may be limited. Qantas Classic Hotel Rewards must be booked using Qantas Points only. Members cannot redeem points for additional hotel charges for extras (including cots, breakfasts and other incidentals) on check-in or check-out (as applicable). Qantas Points cannot be earned on Classic Hotel Rewards. Read the full terms and conditions.
±Points required are correct as at 1 November 2023. While stocks last.
Members of Rex’s frequent flyer program Rex Flyer can now use their points to book flights with the airline.
Rex today confirmed the second phase of the program’s staggered rollout had been completed, enabling members to use their points to redeem flights with three flight reward options – Anytime, Getaway and Ultimate, each with varying points cost and seat availability (the easiest available option will also cost the most).
The Rex Flyer program sees all unsold seats progressively available at the cheapest reward redemption rate (Ultimate) from 48 hours before a departure.
Since the program was launched on 2 October, Rex Flyer members have been earning up to seven points for every dollar spent every time they’ve flown and up to five points for each dollar spent on selected Rex Extras such as additional baggage and seat selection.
More than 60,000 travellers have become registered Rex Flyer members in the last seven weeks. The program is free to join.
Until 2 January every new member receives a 5000-point sign-on bonus while all bookings before the New Year will earn double reward points regardless of the date of travel.
In term of status, customers will earn one status point per dollar, with the goal of reaching one of three levels – Sapphire, Emerald and Diamond.
Tier benefits are set to launch in early 2024 and will include such things as free business class upgrades, extra legroom economy seating, lounge access, priority check-in and boarding, and higher baggage allowances.
It’s expected the airline will offer a status match for Virgin and Qantas elites.
“The program with its superior benefits means we can at last reward our passengers for the loyalty they have shown us over many years as we have fought hard – often against almost impossible odds – to provide them with safe, affordable and reliable air services,” Rex Deputy Chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM, said.
The staggered rollout of Rex Flyer will also be accompanied by new airport lounges planned for Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with construction commencing imminently.
Full details of the of the Rex Flyer program and details of how to register to become a member can be found at rex.com.au.
To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:
Qantas Frequent Flyer members will be able to earn and use Qantas Points when booking live events and experiences, enjoy special pre-sales, and access new ticket and travel packages as part of a new partnership between Qantas and Ticketek.
From March 2024, frequent flyers will be able to use Qantas Points towards select Ticketek events and experiences, with the ability to earn Qantas Points on select Ticketek products following shortly after.
From today, members will receive access to exclusive pre-sales and special offers, as well as new entertainment packages that combine event tickets with flights and hotels.
The new ticket and travel packages are designed to make event experiences more seamless for the millions of people who travel to events every year.
To mark the announcement of the partnership, Ticketek and Qantas Frequent Flyer have today released three entertainment packages, available exclusively at Qantas Experiences.
The newly announced Jerry Seinfeld Live – Third Sydney Show, Qudos Bank Arena, Sunday 16 June 2024 (including exclusive pre-sale access from 11am today)
Australia vs West Indies Cricket Test Series, The Gabba, 25 – 29 January 2024
Lightscape Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens, 14 June – 4 August 2024
Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said the partnership with Ticketek would expand the ways that Qantas Frequent Flyer could reward its members.
“Making it easier for our members to enjoy special moments and memorable events has always been a key part of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, and this partnership is going to make more of those experiences possible,” said Ms Wirth.
“With more than 20,000 live events each year across entertainment, sport and theatre, partnering with Ticketek opens up significant opportunities for Frequent Flyers to get even more value from their membership and their Qantas Points.
“We know that live events are a big driver of travel so we’ve worked with Ticketek to curate packages for our members that bundle tickets, flights and accommodation for an all-inclusive and seamless experience.”
Stay tuned for more info about earning and using points next year.
Love Qantas Points? Score 60,000 bonus points, a $450 travel credit and lounge passes with our favourite Qantas card: the Qantas Amex Ultimate Card!
To get tips like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:
In a move that will surely please most travellers in economy, Qantas is now serving complimentary beer and wine on shorter domestic flights departing from midday instead of 4pm.
Longer flights (over two and a half hours) will continue to see a beverage service from 9 am.
In its latest email newsletter, the airline states: “Happy hour now starts at midday – As we continue to focus on improving your flight experience, complimentary beer and wine on domestic flights will now start from 12 noon instead of 4pm.#
#Beverage offerings vary between flights and cabins. Changes to beer and wine service timing excludes select domestic flights that are more than two and a half hours in duration, which offer service on flights departing from 9.00am.”
This is a welcome step in Qantas’ efforts to improve relations with customers, following a horror year.
More information about onboard dining is available here.
Love Qantas Points? Score 60,000 bonus points, a $450 travel credit and lounge passes with our favourite Qantas card: the Qantas Amex Ultimate Card!
To get tips news this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:
