Travel Pointers Ep 2 – Airplane Seat Selection Strategies & Status Matches

Join Point Hacks News Editor Chris Chamberlin and Australian Frequent Flyer Editor Matt Graham for the second episode of Travel Pointers – ‘Airplane Seat Selection Strategies & Status Matches’.

Launched last month, Travel Pointers is a brand-new podcast for frequent flyers. In our second episode, Chris and Matt regale the story of how they ended up aboard a flight to Kazakhstan, sitting next to a ‘windowless’ window. Naturally, the pair share tips and strategies you can follow to avoid the same thing happening on your travels!

Chris and Matt also dive into the world of status matching. This includes how you can leverage your frequent flyer status with one airline to gain elite status with another – often, before you’ve even taken your first flight with that carrier. Airlines such as Qantas, Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines and Vietnam Airlines have status match offers running right now, which you could point on for elite status across oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam.

Show notes: Airplane Seat Selection Strategies & Status Matches

Each episode begins with a segment discussing a selection of recent news relevant to Australian travellers. In this episode, Chris and Matt discuss: 

• Qantas lifts the curtain on its new domestic Business and Economy cabins
• Aviation White Paper lets down Australian consumers
• Australians to finally get US Global Entry in 2025
• Virgin Australia orders Embraer E190-E2 jets
• Hawaiian Airlines prepares for a future in the oneworld Alliance
• SkyTeam’s ITA Airways inches closer to joining Star Alliance
• Which airlines could still join a global alliance?
• SkyTeam plans review of international-only lounge access policy
• Fiji Airways to become a full oneworld Alliance member
• Oman Air to join oneworld Alliance in 2024
• Qantas is surprising Platinum flyers with free upgrades

To learn more about the other topics discussed in this episode, you can also read: 

• Subscribe to the Point Hacks reward seat availability alerts newsletter
• Where to find accurate airline seat maps to help with seat selection in 2024
• How to get a Qantas Tier Accelerator status challenge
• Etihad’s status match for Australian residents
• Turkish Airlines offers status match to Star Alliance Gold
• Learn more about Australian Frequent Flyer memberships
• Learn more about Australian Frequent Flyer webinars

How to listen to our podcasts

You can subscribe, rate and review Travel Pointers wherever you get your podcasts. Here’s how you can listen via some of the most common podcast players.

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• Audible
• iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music
• PodBean
• Fountain
• Podchaser
• Player FM
• Listen Notes
• RSS

You can also read more about Travel Pointers, and access newer episodes of the podcast when they are published.

Featured image by Chris Chamberlin.

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Find Out More & Apply

Read the guide

Sign-up Bonus:

Up to 90,000 bonus Qantas Points¹

Rewards Earn Rate:

1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible everyday purchases. 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 at government bodies in Australia. After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.

Annual Fee:

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Offer expires

13 January 2026

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