A quick note for anyone contemplating Virgin’s offer to status match with rival Frequent Flyer programs: that promotion is now set to end at midnight this Friday. Worth getting in if you’re eligible (my upgrade came through four days after I applied). [Virgin Australia Twitter]
Airline Virgin Australia is obviously taking its customer service battle with Qantas pretty seriously: it is offering to match the existing status of Gold or Platinum members from other airline frequent flyer programs, giving you the option to jump the ranks (and potentially get free lounge access) without taking a bunch of flights. More »
Yesterday, our Road Worrier column looked at the current state of checked baggage regulations and fees for Australia. There’s a lot of information to absorb in the rules, so here’s a simpler take on the same problem: how much would you pay to check a single bag onto each airline? More »
Regulations for airline baggage on domestic flights are tougher than ever, and if you don’t plan carefully you can get slugged significantly. Road Worrier rounds up the current rules on the four major domestic carriers, and looks at how you can get more bang for your luggage buck. More »
Competition by airlines for regular business flyers is fierce, so it makes sense that Virgin is offering free lounge access to Qantas platinum and gold flyers. The catch? It’s only for a couple of months in two cities. More »
Unlimited plans have their own traps, so many people prefer to stick to traditional postpaid cap plans, which promise large amounts of call value for a fixed monthly payment and will usually throw in a handset as well. But just how do they compare with each other? More »
It’s the quickest way to get there, but change often comes slowly in air travel. V Australia and Delta announced their plans to establish a joint venture for Australia-US flights in July 2009, and got ACCC approval late last year. However, those plans have hit something of a snag with the US Department of Transportation rejecting the proposal because of antitrust concerns. More »
Nick over at Gizmodo reports on how Optus (and Optus network reseller Virgin) are offering “2-In-1″ micro-SIMs for iPhone 4 buyers ahead of the July 30 Australian release. Customers who -signed up for iPhone 4 updates from either carrier can get sent a standard-sized SIM now, which will then be popped out converted to micro-SIM format when they purchase a new iPhone. It sounds like a nifty way to switch phones with minimal fuss, but from a consumer point of view, it’s a pretty risky thing to do. More »
From July 8 until July 14, Coles is offering the Virgin Mobile prepaid dongle for $44.50 — half its regular price, with 5GB of included data. More »
Air travel from Australia to the US is more competitive than ever, but that doesn’t mean that it is any more profitable for the carriers. Delta and V Australia have been looking to operate their trans-Pacific flights as a joint venture, and that move is looking more likely with the ACCC giving provisional approval for the deal. More »
