As the article notes, you can avoid high APD costs by flying from another airport in Europe. We were recently amazed at the size of the refund from Qantas when we changed our J class tickets to depart from Paris for Perth instead of from Heathrow. As as bonus, the connecting flight from Belfast t...

It seems that your infornation from the Lifetime Gold page and mine from the "Earning Status for Life" page (covering all three lifetime categories) are inconsistent. I think you're correct, however, based on my now hazy recollection of gaining LTG back in 2012.

Qantas has a similar requirement for lifetime status - "Only Status Credits earned for travel on eligible flights with a Qantas (QF) or Jetstar Group (JQ, 3K or GK) flight number within a Membership Year count towards the required threshold..." Granted, the Qantas-Emirates tie-up and other c...

I think the incompetence "tag" more appropriately applies to Qantas, which should have done its due diligence about security images.I find Australian airport security personnel friendly and professional. If you want brusque and sometimes rude, try some European countries or the US!

Nice story, David. QR’s leased Cathay planes probably have an Australian connection too. Much of Cathay’s fleet was parked at the APAS facility in Alice Springs for the duration of the pandemic.