About

  Many previous episodes of the AFF on Air podcast have explored the difficulty of getting back to Australia during the pandemic. Navigating the current system is clearly a nightmare for travellers. In this episode, we’ll get an airline’s perspective. Karl Schubert is the Public Relations Manager for Singapore Airlines in the South West Pacific region, and he joined Matt for a chat about the challenges Singapore Airlines has faced in operating over 5,000 flights to Australia since April 2020. Singapore Airlines has maintained vital air connectivity in and out of Australia throughout COVID-19. But its operations have been hampered by ever-changing regulations and the Australian government's inbound arrival caps, which have just caused another 88 flights to be cancelled in the next month alone. Currently, despite enormous demand for seats into Australia, the airline is only allowed to sell tickets to as few as 12 passengers per flight. This episode also contains lots of Australian airline and frequent flyer news from the past fortnight. Episode contents: 1:17 - Fortnightly news round-up 13:28 - Interview with Singapore Airlines spokesman Karl Schubert   Links: AFF on Air Discussion thread - a dedicated AFF thread to discuss the podcast and ask questions   Frequent Flyer Gazette articles referenced in the fortnightly news round-up: International Flights on Sale for December 2021: Will They Fly? Passport Renewal Delays Expected Alitalia is Shutting Down: Impact on Velocity Members? Hilton Honors Extends Status Until March 2023 Niche New Routes Launched to Launceston Jetstar Ancillary Revenue Up 33% During COVID-19 New Marriott Competition for Vaccinated Australians