The Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) boasts a collection of over 60 aircraft, including a retired Qantas 747, Super Constellation and DC-3s. John Travolta’s Boeing 707 will also soon be added to the museum at Illawara Regional Airport, which is open daily to the public. In this episode, Matt chats to HARS President Bob de la Hunty. Also in this episode, the latest frequent flyer news and the plan to get rid of Melbourne Airport’s taxi touts.

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Earlier this year, German airline Lufthansa tried to sue a passenger that exploited the loophole of hidden-city ticketing by skipping the last flight on their ticket. This case has now finally be resolved in the German courts, and in a victory for frequent flyers, the airline did not win. In this episode Matt chats to Dr Matthias Böse, the lawyer who defended this fascinating case against Lufthansa in the German courts.

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Qantas and Virgin Australia are fighting over two rare and lucrative new landing slots for Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Meanwhile, four European airlines have gone bankrupt in a matter of weeks as this year’s European summer draws to a close. Speaking of summer in Europe, you won’t want to miss this fortnight’s interview with Bronwyn Turner from Award Flight Assist as she explains how to redeem your frequent flyer points and find award availability from Australia to Europe during the peak European summer season.

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The ACCC recently released a damning draft report into Australian loyalty schemes, calling out practices that it says may shock consumers and putting loyalty program operators on notice. In this episode, Matt chats to airline loyalty and data expert Mark Ross-Smith about the ACCC’s findings and recommendations. This interview covers topics including data privacy, the expiration and devaluation of frequent flyer points, carrier charges and much more.

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With less than two weeks until the upcoming Qantas Frequent Flyer changes, now is the time to make any last-minute Classic Flight Reward bookings! In this episode, Matt chats to Leon Loganathan about the process of redeeming Qantas points for a Onweworld Award. This episode also includes a segment on the important role of regional aviation, with a focus on a regional airline in New Zealand that does a particularly good job of serving its local communities.

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Later this year, Qantas will decide which aircraft it will use to operate non-stop flights from the east coast of Australia to London and New York – a feat it aims to achieve by 2022. In this episode, learn more about the mission Qantas is namimg “Project Sunrise”. This episode also includes an interview with AFF moderator “Princess Fiona” about Qantas Platinum One status, mid-air medical emergencies, and more.

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If you’re new to the world of frequent flyer points – or moving to a new country – it can be difficult to know where to start. In this episode, Matt discusses the considerations involved in selecting a new frequent flyer program. Also, you now have just over a month left to redeem your Qantas points before upgrades and premium cabin awards become more expensive.

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They say that if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel! In this episode, Matt chats to James Green about the importance of travel insurance, and what to look out for when purchasing or claiming on a travel insurance policy. Also, ever wondered what goes into an airline safety video? This episode includes some of the world’s best and worst airline safety demonstration videos.

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Learn how to fly around the world using your Qantas Frequent Flyer points as Matt chats to James Green, an award travel consultant at Frequent Flyer Solutions. This episode also includes the latest frequent flyer news and discussion on redeeming Alaska Airlines miles.

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Last week, Qantas announced a major shake-up to its Qantas Frequent Flyer program. In this episode, former Head of Loyalty at Malaysia Airlines, Mark Ross-Smith, joins Matt to discuss the changes, why Qantas announced them and what this all means for frequent flyers.

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