"Ask Me Anything" with AFF Editor Matt Graham (5-6pm on 2 July 2024)

[AFF Editor]

Ask AFF's Editor any question you like in this thread between 5-6pm on Tuesday, 2 July 2024​

Have a burning question you would like to ask me about frequent flyer points, airlines, travel, hotels, credit cards, AFF... or anything else?

I'll be hosting an "Ask Me Anything" session in this thread from 5-6pm (AEST) next Tuesday, 2 July 2024. All AFF members are welcome to participate and I'll endeavour to answer every question that gets asked in this thread during that hour.

I'll unlock this thread at exactly 5pm on Tuesday. Feel free to bookmark this thread and come back during the Ask Me Anything hour!

Looking forward to your questions and see you then,
Matt

 

[AFF Editor]

This will start in 5 minutes... get your questions ready

 

[AFF Editor]

Ready, set, go!

"Ask Me Anything" is now in session. I'll endeavour to answer any question that you want to ask in this thread until 6pm

 

[Human]

Hi Matt,

I love all your articles and contributions to this site! I have two questions (if it’s busy feel free to not answer both):

First, of all your travel experiences, what’s the one that you most enjoy recounting/talking to others about, and/or the experience that you look back on with the most fondness?

Second, conversely, which of your travel experiences was the most harrowing (either at the time, or as you look back on it now)?

Thanks Matt!

 

[Bundy Bear]

What was your best points redemption/trip, one that wasn't error fare but one that was good value that the airlines quietly revalued as they realized it was to good a value.
What frequent flyer top tier statuses do you hold.

 

[JBH]

Hi Matt,

I have a question - I recently noticed on my QFF online the my LTG is now named LT Qantas Club? any idea when/how this 'change' came into effect? Any idea why they changed from LIfetime Gold? Can it be changed back as that is what I specifically earnt back in 2010.

Cheers James

 

[Big John]

Hi Matt. Do you think we will ever get an Australian equivalent of EU261 ? Seems to me that getting compensation for delays & cancellations is too hard (by design).

 

[Nick_Flyer]

Hi Matt, I am really curious to know how many credit cards you would recommend someone applying for and holding at any one time to maximise their points but also ensuring their credit rating isn't negatively impacted. I have a business as well as personal cards I could use. What would your recommended strategy be to maximise points each year for the average person? Thank you for sharing your wealth of experience

 

[AFF Editor]

Hi Matt,

I love all your articles and contributions to this site!

Very kind, thank you!

I have two questions (if it’s busy feel free to not answer both):

First, of all your travel experiences, what’s the one that you most enjoy recounting/talking to others about, and/or the experience that you look back on with the most fondness?

I've been to a lot of very interesting destinations, so this is a tough question!

I think the trip I most enjoy talking about is my visit last year to Uzbekistan. It's such an amazing destination, with lots of fascinating history, things to see, great food and they somehow have better high-speed rail than Australia. As a destination it totally blew me away, and I've enthusiastically recommended it to many of my friends.

On a more personal level, I think the experience I look back on with the most fondness of all though was my first ever trip to Europe as a 17-year-old. I saved up for a year to travel to Germany, where I did an intensive language course and stayed with a local host family. I also had to spend quite a lot of time convincing my parents to let me go. So when I finally boarded the Qantas Boeing 747 to Frankfurt, it was like a dream come true. Even though I was up the back of economy, it was an experience I won't forget and I got a lot out of that trip.

Second, conversely, which of your travel experiences was the most harrowing (either at the time, or as you look back on it now)?

Thanks Matt!

I think I'm a fairly confident traveller and not much really scares me any more. But two experiences come to mind.

One was a flight I took on Scat Air from Astana to Shymkent (Kazakhstan) in the middle of winter. It was about -25 degrees, snowing heavily and there was a think layer of ice on the wings - but we took off anyway. The plane didn't crash but I wasn't feeling good during that takeoff and climb out.

The other time was when I almost got mugged in Athens. A group of teenagers followed my friend and I off a train and started to surround us from different sides after we left the station. (I thought they were going to pickpocket us inside the train so that got my attention initially.) Luckily my friend and noticed and we quickly decided to return to the station and wait in a crowded place for the police to arrive.

 

[Flightseeker]

Hi Matt, I have noticed JAL taxes SYD HND have gone through the roof. Over $900 for 2 pax in business. In 2023 we flew through to HEL for around $320 for 2. Do you know what is going on? Qantas website

 

[kerfuffle]

Worst airline/hotel you've flown/stayed at?

Mastercard or Visa?

 

[AFF Editor]

What was your best points redemption/trip, one that wasn't error fare but one that was good value that the airlines quietly revalued as they realized it was to good a value.

I've definitely been able to take advantage of some great frequent flyer points redemptions, but one that particularly comes to mind was using 12,500 United miles to book RAR-AKL-SYD-HND-HIJ (Rarotonga-Auckland-Sydney-Tokyo-Hiroshima for those unfamiliar with the IATA codes). That included an overnight stop in Auckland and a full day layover in Sydney, where I got to visit family.

That particular trip was in Economy, but in 2020 I booked a Business Class version of this trip: TBU-AKL-SYD-HND-ICN, from memory, for around 37,500 United Miles. Sadly that got cancelled due to Covid and United has since devalued its award charts, but the South Pacific-Japan/Korea loophole is still there to an extent.

My grandmother also joined me to Rarotonga and it was the last big overseas trip we did together, so I have fond memories of that.

What frequent flyer top tier statuses do you hold.

Currently I have Qantas Platinum, Velocity Platinum, ITA Airways Club Premium (SkyTeam Elite Plus) and Turkish Airlines Elite (Star Alliance Gold).

 

[AFF Editor]

Hi Matt,

I have a question - I recently noticed on my QFF online the my LTG is now named LT Qantas Club? any idea when/how this 'change' came into effect? Any idea why they changed from LIfetime Gold? Can it be changed back as that is what I specifically earnt back in 2010.

Cheers James

Interesting question. I haven't noticed this but if you are Lifetime Gold (having earned 14,000 status credits), you should be able to enjoy the benefits of Gold for life rather than just Qantas Club. By any chance, did you buy a lifetime Qantas Club membership at some point?

 

[AFF Editor]

Hi Matt. Do you think we will ever get an Australian equivalent of EU261 ? Seems to me that getting compensation for delays & cancellations is too hard (by design).

I sincerely hope we do, and there has been some movement in recent years in this direction. Certainly, consumer groups like choice (and to an extent AFF) have been advocating for this, and the Aviation White Paper might make a recommendation in favour once the final version is released.

Unfortunately though, as we know, Australia's main airlines have a lot of lobbying power and I suspect will do everything they can to water down the final version of any EU261-style legislation to the point where it's not useful for most people.

We may at least get a proper airline ombudsman though to replace the Airline Customer Advocate, which has proven inadequate.

For what it's worth, I know people who have worked for both Australian and European airlines, and they have told me that the European airlines are much more careful to ensure their schedules are realistic and that they don't excessively oversell, to minimise their EU261 payouts. That's good for consumers as it means there are less disruptions (and people are compensated fairly when they are inconvenienced by commercial decisions that airlines have made).

 

[AFF Editor]

Hi Matt, I am really curious to know how many credit cards you would recommend someone applying for and holding at any one time to maximise their points but also ensuring their credit rating isn't negatively impacted. I have a business as well as personal cards I could use. What would your recommended strategy be to maximise points each year for the average person? Thank you for sharing your wealth of experience

Firstly, welcome to AFF!

Obviously I can't give you personal financial advice or recommend applying for any specific cards or number of cards. But as a general rule, I would probably suggest that people don't apply for more than one card every few months (and in some cases, depending on your credit rating, even that might be a bit much). Some AFFers churn through 5 or 6 cards per year, and it works for them, but there is a risk that you could start getting applications declined if you apply for too many cards in a short space of time.

Personally I apply for around 2-3 cards per year and try not to keep more than around 2 or 3 cards open at any one time. I keep one card always open which has a low credit limit but that I use for recurring subscription payments, etc. But everyone's personal situation is different.

Obviously earning as many points as you can from everyday expenses (and business expenses, using your business card/s) is a great idea. But in Australia, the system is really set up to favour people who churn through sign-up bonuses. This isn't the case in other countries, such as Singapore.

If you're new to the world of credit cards, I'd highly recommend that you take our AFF training course on Credit Cards. This is free for all AFF members (as is the first course in our Frequent Flyer Training) and has lots of tips, strategies and also lists the current sign-up offers etc. You just need to be logged in to access that course:

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/course/2-credit-cards-airport-lounges/

You can read more about our Frequent Flyer Training courses here:

Become a Points Expert with AFF's Frequent Flyer Training Courses!

Learn how to travel better for less with Australian Frequent Flyer's comprehensive training courses.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[kamchatsky]

Hi Matt,

1) which airline miles are you focused on collecting now?
2) Boeing or Airbus?
3) What about cruises? What is your best experience at the sea?

 

[AFF Editor]

Hi Matt, I have noticed JAL taxes SYD HND have gone through the roof. Over $900 for 2 pax in business. In 2023 we flew through to HEL for around $320 for 2. Do you know what is going on? Qantas website

Japan Airlines does adjust its carrier charges/fuel surcharges every couple of months. They are based on your point of sale, the route and the current fuel price situation.

At the moment, JAL's carrier charges on flights from Australia to any destination (be it just to HND or with a connection) are $347 for a one-way reward booking. However JAL is planning to reduce this to $298 for bookings ex Australia that are made between 1 August and 30 September. They will announce at a later date what the surcharge will be from 1 October until 30 November, etc.

Interestingly, JAL's fuel surcharges are not necessarily the same from Australia to Japan compared to the Japan-Australia direction. However, it's based on the "Point of Origin" on your ticket. So if booking a return ticket from Australia to Japan, you get the Australian surcharge both ways. Booking 2x one-way redemptions could change the surcharge in your favour.

 

[Human]

I think the trip I most enjoy talking about is my visit last year to Uzbekistan. It's such an amazing destination, with lots of fascinating history, things to see, great food and they somehow have better high-speed rail than Australia. As a destination it totally blew me away, and I've enthusiastically recommended it to many of my friends.

OK, I want to go to Uzbekistan now.

Did you do a trip report? And/or can you point me in the direction of a website, blog or agent that's a good place to start re trip planning?

 

[AFF Editor]

Worst airline/hotel you've flown/stayed at?

I really disliked Iberia Express for their absolutely abysmal legroom. When the passenger in front reclined their seat, my knees were practically crushed.

As far as the worst hotel - I recall one in Istanbul that looked nothing like the photos and smelled of sewerage. It had great reviews on the various booking websites, so that came as quite a surprise. Turns out that most of those reviews were fake and had been written by the owner. After I discovered this, I reached out to two of those booking websites that had the most amount of fake reviews - one removed the fake reviews, the other did not.

Mastercard or Visa?

I honestly don't really notice much difference between them. It's not a factor that I consider when applying for a credit card.

That said, I'm currently on a trip in Mongolia and not able to receive any SMS codes from my bank etc. Because of this I can't make any online purchases using my Mastercard because they almost always send an SMS code. My Visa card doesn't send codes for everything (which I can't receive from here), so this week I'll say Visa.

 

[scottm38]

Hi Matt - thanks for doing this AMA - a great idea!

I've just got a question I've been puzzled about recently. I hold the Citibank prestige credit card ($700 annual fee) and all international transactions are charged at 3.4%. Whereas there are other free annual fee credit cards (28 degrees) that don't charge any foreign transaction fee.

Do you have any idea why this is the case? You would assume if the banks can wave foreign transaction fees on a free credit card why they cant do this on the 'higher end' credit cards aswell?

Thanks Matt.