Chris Ashton

Brisbane International Airport’s independent loungescape is slipping to a single option from May 31, when the hub’s Plaza Premium Lounge shutters its doors for good. Perched on the mezzanine alongside the Air New Zealand lounge, the space has been the de facto hangout for business class passengers on the likes of Fiji Airways, Korean Air and Vietjet, with travellers gifted with single-use entry pass. It also unlocked its glass doors to Priority Pass and Lounge Key members, with the intimate p…

Pack your bags and leave your cares at the departure gate – Qantas and Virgin Australia are both jetting off from Brisbane to Vanuatu. Qantas is gearing up to launch as many as three flights a week on the route, with the option to increase to five per week during peak periods, following approval from Austalia’s International Air Services Commission (IASC). Exactly when these will begin is yet to be confirmed, with a spokesperson for Qantas Group saying it will “provide further details on our…

Is this Sydney’s best pay-per-use lounge?

Soba chicken noodle salad, cheese and chive crumpets with bacon, and corn fritters topped with a zesty relish are a few of the highlight dishes now available on Virgin Australia’s newly-refreshed business class menu. Taking flight from today, the airline says this latest food and beverage offering is one of the biggest investments to the menu in five years, with economy class also seeing a much-needed expansion of 12 dishes on its buy-onboard menu. In addition, travellers seated in economy…

Qantas is taking its ‘Spirit of Australia’ tagline to heart with an expanded mix of Aussie spirits including Four Pillars Gin, Byron favourite Brookie’s Gin and Starward Nova single malt whiskly now being served at lounges and on flights. And it’s not just a privilege for the pointy end, with Campari offered as an aperitif in economy on international cabins, as well as domestic business class. Qantas says some 400 tipples were tasted and reviewed in pursuit of the final spirits list, which al…

Neil Perry is waving the flag for Australia on a global stage after picking up the Icon award at the 2024 World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony in Las Vegas, with former recipient Dominique Crenn passing the baton to the chef. Selected by an academy of over 1,000 independent restaurant industry experts and globe trotting gourmets, the award recognises “an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the hospitality industry.” Citing his 45-plus year career, judges hailed long-time Qa…

More than a decade on from its last update, Qantas’ LA business lounge is still one of its best.

Air India isn’t playing when it describes its rebrand and fleet transformation as representing a “bold new India”. You only need to compare the airline’s old and new interiors to see this in action, and its latest aircraft retrofit is no exception. Embracing a trend offering greater seating flexibility on shorter flights, the New Delhi-based carrier is adding a sleek premium economy cabin to its Airbus A320neos. Taking off on domestic and short-range international flights from July 1, the 24…

It’s the roaring 1920s. Half a dozen cars are thundering around a rickety, timber speedway in Beverly Hills, California, to the rapturous cheers of thousands of spectators – many of them having placed bets in hope of winning big and starting a new life. A scent of danger and exhaust fills the air, with several vehicles unlikely to reach the finish due to sharp 45-degree banks and the ailing state of the wooden track… but that doesn’t stop racers rising to the challenge. This image couldn’t…

Australia’s major airlines are up in arms over a new bill proposing stricter compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, stressing such a move would not solve underlying causes and only drive up the price of tickets. That compensation is a core element of the Airline Passenger Protections (Pay on Delay) Bill, which is being introduced to the Australian Senate next week and would also see the creation of an airline code of conduct. While Australia already has an Airline Customer Advocate f…