Treating yourself with a little bit of luxury shopping has always been part and parcel of travelling. Whether it’s picking up a nice bottle of whisky in duty-free or investing in a new bag whilst you’re on holiday, it’s a time-honoured tradition – and represented one of the biggest money-making opportunities for luxury brands.

However, that’s changed in 2020 (like so many other things). Thanks to the complete drop-off in international travel thanks to The Bat Kiss, luxury brands are increasingly relying on domestic as opposed to international customers, Quartz reports.

RELATED: Is Fashion F*cked? Experts Reveal Who Will Come Out On Top Post Pandemic

Many of the world’s biggest luxury brands are European, and tourists in Western Europe have long been some of the most important customers for luxury brands. Not only is luxury shopping part of the glamour of a European holiday, but prices of luxury goods cheaper in Western Europe than they are in most other countries, particularly in emerging markets like China.

In particular, the dearth of Chinese and American tourists has dealt a massive blow to luxury brands’ bottom lines. But while travel retail has bottomed out, sales of luxury goods in would-be tourist’s home countries (i.e. sales in China and the US) have risen.

Indeed, Hermès has actually experienced growth at a time when most other brands are doing it tough – largely driven by Chinese shoppers making domestic purchases, the French brand reported last week. Italy’s Gucci, which has been hammered by COVID-19, has seen North American sales spike by almost 50% compared to last year – not quite enough to put them in the black, but a positive trend nonetheless.

 

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A post shared by Hermès (@hermes) on Oct 11, 2020 at 9:01am PDT

Australia is a comparatively small market that’s grouped as part of the Asia-Pacific region when you look at most brand’s quarterly reports – a particularly unhelpful grouping when it comes to discerning Australian trends, as our contribution to the region’s performance is a drop in the ocean compared to other countries that get bundled into the region, like China (the world’s biggest luxury market).

Australia, like Western Europe, relies heavily on tourists – particularly from mainland China – for local sales. Australia’s relative success when it comes to dealing with the COVID-19 crisis has meant that consumer confidence here is better than it is in many other countries (particularly in Europe, which is battening down the hatches in anticipation of a ‘third wave), but time will tell if that translates into a boost in domestic sales.

The theory goes that Australians might decide to invest in luxury goods instead of taking a holiday, with international and even domestic travel mostly off the cards this year. However, high domestic prices, tough economic conditions and that crucial factor – that lack of glamour and excitement that travel brings – might mean we keep our wallets in our pockets.

Read Nex

• Why Japan Has Always Been Miles Ahead In The Men’s Fashion Game
• Europe’s Runway Fashion ‘Shutdown’ Good News For The Rest Of Us

The post Luxury Brand Sales: Pandemic Provides Spike In Local Spending appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The majority of watch aficionados aspire to have at least one Rolex in their horological collections. The Swiss watch brand is, without doubt, the most famous maker of luxury watches worldwide, known for impeccable build quality, rock-solid movements and handsome aesthetics.

With such demand for Rolexes, naturally, comes higher prices, putting them out of reach for some. However, all is not lost as American watchmaker Timex has just dropped yet another Rolex alternative that is too good to pass up.

Launched in collaboration with outdoor gear specialist retailer Huckberry, the latest Timex – another addition to the brand’s ‘Q’ series of reissues which have previously taken inspiration from Rolex designs – has been designed to resemble the Rolex GMT Master II ‘Coke’ through the implementation of a black and red dial and bezel combination. Timex’s model is referred to as ‘Cola’, which we presume is for legality purposes.

It features a quartz movement and the now-familiar woven stainless steel bracelet. INDIGLO lume applied to the hands and hour markers make it easy to read in the dark and you also get 50-metres of water resistance.

The Rolex GMT Master II ‘Cola’ was first released with the reference 16760 and was available between 1983 – 1988 and re-released it as the reference 16710 between 1989 – 2007. This reference was also available with the ‘Pepsi’ blue and red bezel and a black bezel too. The ‘Pepsi’ has proven to be far more popular than the ‘Cola’ and is regarded as one of the most sought after models, which explains why you now need to pay around double its original retail price if you want to secure one for yourself.

Huckberry says it was designed from a blank canvas, “drawing on military style and 70s and 80s design.” But we all know where the real inspiration came from.

This Timex ‘Cola’ is only available at Huckberry so head there now to grab one for yourself.

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• The Rolex Pepsi Inspired ‘Q Timex’ Is Back In Stock
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The post This $189 Rolex GMT Master II 'Coke' Alternative Is Too Good To Miss appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When the internet is full of free porn, why do people use OnlyFans?DMARGE spoke to Samantha X, a high class escort who has two OnlyFans accounts (a coaching one and a “raunchy” one), to get the inside word.“It isn’t hard to find sex these days, but I feel men are looking for something deeper,” Samantha told DMARGE exclusively. “They aren’t paying thousands of dollars for just sex. With OnlyFans, I think it is a way of men feeling connected to someone without meeting them, the safe connection from home.”“OnlyFans isn’t just about perving on someone’s naked body. My coaching Samantha X Only Fans has more members than my raunchy one. This tells me people want something deeper.”According to Samantha, who is in her 40s, to some degree, OnlyFans is similar to her escorting where “there is the physical side” but “it’s always quick, and my bookings last for hours.”“The hours aren’t spent being intimate, it is spent talking.”

“I charge $1200 an hour and $3300 for a dinner date – and men pay that to talk!”

“Some men open up so much it’s like they haven’t spoken to anyone in years about anything remotely personal. I’ve lost count the number of men I have seen cry. This is why I love men, I love my job and why I call myself an overpaid psychologist.”

“The number one reason men see escorts is because they are starved of emotional connection.”

Samantha also told us that it’s not just the clients feeling the love – many escorts and OnlyFans creators gain a sense of emotional fulfillment too.“Let’s not forget, escorts get their needs met too with clients. I am single and the companionship, intimacy, connection and cuddles fulfill my needs too. While escorting gives you freedom and flexilbility, it can also be very lonely and isolating. No one quite understands the job apart from other escorts. My time with my clients is special and I find they support me just as much as I support them.”A recent profile by The New York Times also suggests people use OnlyFans for the connection, not just the content.“You can get porn for free,” Dannii Harwood, one of OnlyFans’ top earners, told the New York Times. “Guys don’t want to pay for that. They want the opportunity to get to know somebody they’ve seen in a magazine or on social media. I’m like their online girlfriend.”Think: the thrill of exchanging DMs with a friend of a friend, but with the emotional support of a committed partner…“If a guy is a regular customer, she likely knows his birthday, the names of his children and his pets — even when to call after a surgical procedure.”“He may pay her to help him achieve an orgasm, though she is not a prostitute. He may purchase erotic videos from her, though she is not a porn star.”“On OnlyFans… subscribers — mostly male; straight, gay and beyond — pay models and social media influencers a fee, generally $5 to $20 a month, to view a feed of imagery too racy for Instagram. With that access, subscribers can also direct message and ‘tip’ to get pictures or videos created on demand, according to their sexual tastes.”The site also enables models to produce creative, custom content.“She introduced themed days like Mistress Mondays and Dare Dannii Tuesdays, when men bid to watch her drive around town in her underwear and order a pizza to her home, whereupon she would answer the door naked. She also chatted with fans daily, learning their habits, their sexual predilections and their insecurities.”“Ms. Harwood took out her phone and showed evidence of her theory. She brought home $29,420.47 in August, $34,303.24 in September, $52,693.29 in October and $52,760.49 in November.”The Economist’s sister magazine 1843 has also covered this trend, with Porchia Watson, a 32-year-old creator telling 1843 in January she would make, on average, about £10,000 a month on it (a number which, if lockdown statistics are anything to go by, could well have gone up since then).“As is the case with most forms of sex work, the dynamic between fans and creators is more than just a sultry exchange.”“People think that everyone who follows a girl on OnlyFans is being filthy, when in actual fact it’s just a lot of people who are lonely or unhappy in their marriages or who haven’t got a lot of friends,” she tells 1843. “I have quite a few guys who have social anxiety and would love a girlfriend but can’t speak to girls.”The mirage of proximity is crucial to OnlyFans’ appeal, 1843 reports, interviewing a a 42-year-old user – an engineer from Sheffield – who said, “Hardcore porn is easy to come by, but a relationship with a girl is hard to get.”“He’s been following Brooks since September 2018 and estimates he spends around £300 a month on her page,” 1843 reports, and “believes that Brooks does care for him.”“If I go quiet and don’t take part in things for a few days, she notices and will start messaging me and asking me how I am.”As for their “relationship? “It’s difficult to define,” he tells 1843. “There are times when it feels like we almost are a couple.”The trouble is, however, “there is no quick-fix for emotional connection,” Samantha X told DMARGE. “I would say talk to your friends which is what women do, but I know from listening to men, they find that hard.”RELATED: Australia Facing ‘Emotional Horniness’ Crisis, Relationship Experts ConfirmThis comes in the context of a crisis of “emotional horniness,” which Relationship Expert and Advisor to Channel 10’s The Bachelor Samantha Jayne recently told DMARGE has hit unprecedented levels this year.

“Especially with the mix of social media, coronavirus and more and more people connecting virtually. Not to mention the boost in narcissists out there and people are afraid of getting hurt emotionally.”

“More and more people I speak to struggle to live with the fear of getting hurt so they live in their heads, they worry about what a person will do and their stops an emotional connection which leads to no relationship which then leads to more emotional horniness.”So: is OnlyFans a useful tool, or an expensive bandaid solution?Jayne told DMARGE: “Whilst technology has its benefits it has got more people in their heads and people need to be touched. We need physical contact to release the love cuddle hormone ‘Oxytocin’, to release cortisol from our bodies. This improves mental and physical wellbeing.”

“It’s a total band-aid solution. The reality is you to pay to get a connection…think about that… how does that feel? Would that person reach out to you and be there when you really needed something.. and paying for connection…Aren’t the best things in life for free?”

For her part, Samantha X told DMARGE, “Men are more starved emotionally than ever. While we live in an era of technological connection, we are more disconnected than ever. Men are either in unhappy marriages, divorced or looking for love – and all of which can be incredibly lonely. It’s not easy to start again, it’s not easy to find someone that ticks all the boxes either, and while there are endless dating apps, a lot of men are looking for something deeper.”Jayne gave DMARGE some advice to anyone out there feeling lonely.“If you’re feeling emotionally horny then you can change that, get in touch with feeling good within yourself, meet your needs personally. I don’t mean masturbate like crazy because that’s never going to work and will probably just lead to blisters and emptiness.”

“What I mean is fill your own emotional void, figure out what is going on. Why are you feeling empty, lonely is there pain that needs to be healed. Stop destructive behaviour such as alcohol, drugs, overeating or excessive porn. Instead get emotionally connected with friends, family and people that make you feel good, learn to trust people and yourself.”

“Become the best version of you, exercise, get outdoors, start reading inspirational books, look for role models that inspire you, people in your life or celebrities, or if you can’t think of anyone write down what you would like your ideal life to be. When you’re feeling better get out and online start meeting new people.”“If you’re in a relationship and you’re feeling the void then look at when this first happened and rewind to a time when you were happy in the relationship. What did you do differently?”This advice would appear to serve many couples well; just this week on Oops the Podcast, a listener wrote in with a plea for help which shows the weird space between porn and real-life cheating applications like OnlyFans now sit in.“We’ve been together for three years now and we have a healthy relationship,” the listener writes.“From the beginning, I have made it clear I do not care if he watches porn, but paying for it crosses a line for me.”“I have noticed recently he… is.”“I had a gut feeling he was paying for… something. I’m not proud of this but I did look through his bank statement. I found a $9.99 charge and a $7.99 charge. I know it’s from Pornhub Premium and Modelhub. I also know his favorite pornstar is on Modelhub and sells videos for those same prices.“He can spend money on [this] but when we go do something we always pay separately because he talks about how he is tight with money.”As the hosts concluded: this is not cool.For anyone seeking to get over this “hard addiction” for themselves, this guide is a good place to start.

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The post Why Is OnlyFans So Successful? Samantha X Explains The Secret appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

John Lethlean, arguably Australia’s most ruthless food critic, doesn’t mind jumping from frying pans into fires.

He has a strict moral code. And – though it may seem old school to those dancing in the worlds of ‘presets’ and ‘influencer marketing’ – he sticks by it admirably.

If he’s not calling out influencers for their lack of remorse during ‘these troubling times’ then he’s taking a dig at crap restaurants for their sacrilegious pizza recipes.

You would be forgiven for thinking, then, that Mr. Lethlean – being someone who makes a living by critique – would be a snob. But, judging by an image posted to his Instagram back in July, Mr. Lethlean is more a man of the people that we would’ve pegged him for.

 

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Seriously, who would say there’s not enough storage space on an old Vespa PX? #italianity

A post shared by John Lethlean (@johnlethlean) on Jul 24, 2020 at 12:02am PDT

Showing off the storage space offered up by a Vespa scooter John takes a break from critiquing Western Australians’ driving to reveal he’s a drinker of Lazzio coffee (and a keen Negroni fan, too). Now, we’re no coffee snobs, but Lazzio is one of the cheaper brands out there.

RELATED: Cappuccino Drinkers Are Killing Australia’s Coffee Culture 

Of course, a high price does not always equal higher quality, but for a man of John’s profession, we’d presume he’d spend more on his beans. Lazzio coffee is also sold by Aldi, where a kilo bag (such as John’s) will set you back around $12. Compare that to Sydney-based roaster Mecca, for example, and you’ll need to part with $16 for a 250g bag. A high price to pay for perceived quality.

While most users were in solidarity with his cocktail-to-be of choice, one commenter sided with his taste in caffeine,

“Ahahaha!! I can’t believe you like Lazzio coffee too. Is the most underrated coffee around. It cost nothing and is actually better the many other coffee around. People never believe me when I say that [sic].”

John replied to the above comment,

“This was actually on special, if you can believe that, 11.99. I buy it usually for either 13 or 14, something ridiculous.”

There you have it: high-quality products can be found in unlikely places. Oh, and while there’s a a lot Australians can learn from Europe’s coffee culture, there are some areas where we’re unmatched.

Our sense of responsibility towards our own snobbishness is one (it’s not the bean it’s how you brew it).

Our dogged persistence to create the perfect homebrew, despite the fact many of us go out to get coffee on the weekend anyway, is another.

As is (in most cases) the lack of pretension that often comes with true passion: as the above Lazzio photo shows, even Australia’s ‘foremost tastebud’ shops at Aldi.

Hell, even though our takeaway habits mean we don’t drink coffee in the same meditative state as Parisians (see: the French coffee skill most Australians lack), we’d argue when it comes to the physical quality of coffee per capita cafe, Australia has overtaken Italy and France (think about it: these days, even in a rural South Coast town or rural NSW holiday spot, you can pretty much always find a decent one).

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• The Coffee Skill Australians Think They Know But Really Don’t
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The post Australian Coffee Culture: Photo Proves Why We’re The Best In The World appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Vodka is one of the world’s most popular spirits, and underpins many of the world’s most common cocktails: the Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Screwdriver and of course, the vodka martini…

Part of vodka’s popularity stems from the fact that it’s relatively simple to produce and that it has a much less pronounced flavour than many other spirits, such as rum or tequila. That doesn’t mean that vodka’s in any way ‘basic’, however. There’s much more to the spirit than its characterisation as neutral, even boring alcohol that’s just there to hide under other flavours.

“Vodka doesn’t taste like ‘nothing’,” master mixologist and brand ambassador for Belvedere Vodka Garth Foster shared with DMARGE.

“Of all the spirits, vodka is the easiest one to hide… But that doesn’t mean you should use an inferior vodka.”

Just like whisky or cognac, there are multitudinous factors that can influence how a vodka tastes, and there’s a big difference between bad and good vodka. We picked Foster’s brain to hash out the must-know details.

Ingredients

Stereotypically, vodka is made out of potatoes. While some vodkas are indeed made out of the root vegetable, the vast majority of vodkas on the market are made from grains like wheat or rye. Other common ingredients include corn, grapes or even whey.

“Potato vodka isn’t very common these days, and is also isn’t very good for the environment,” Foster says. It can take upwards of 10kg of potatoes to make one bottle of vodka – grain vodkas need a lot less grain to produce a similar amount of vodka.

In terms of flavour characteristics, potato vodkas like Chopin – one of the best-known luxury vodkas – tend to have a thick, ‘oily’ taste, whereas grain-based vodkas are much smoother, generally speaking. Of course, not all grains are the same. Belvedere, which is made from rye, has a spicy, bold flavour which is drawn out through a distilling process by fire, that lingers longer compared to wheat vodkas: Russian Standard, for example, has a pure, neutral flavour with an intense burn, formulated with glacial water and minimum impurities.

Origin

While we normally think of vodka as being a Russian drink (indeed, ‘vodka’ is Russian for ‘little water’), it was actually invented by the Poles, with vodkas like Żubrówka Biała and Belvedere following 600 years of vodka-making history in the country.

“The earliest written record of vodka appears in Polish court documents from the 15th century,” Foster relates.

What sets Polish vodka aside from other vodkas is the intense regulations that govern them, similar to the appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) system that regulates cognac, for example. Polish vodka can only be made from one of five grains (rye, wheat, triticale, oats or barley) or potatoes, and every stage of vodka production have to take place on Polish soil as well. This is in stark contrast to the laws in other countries, which very loosely regulate what vodka is or isn’t.

That’s not to say that non-Polish vodka isn’t any good – it’s like how sparkling wines that aren’t Champagne can still be delightful – but it’s certainly something worth considering next time you reach for a bottle.

“Russians mostly drink vodka as a shot, so Russian vodka tends to be quite abrasive with a strong burn,” Foster elaborates.

“In comparison, Polish vodka tends to be a bit creamier; a bit smoother, and lingers longer on the palate.”

Tasting Notes

Just like other spirits, vodkas can have many different tasting notes and evoke lots of different flavours, from vanilla or peach to savoury or smoky flavours. A lot depends on what it’s made out of, and how it’s made too. For example, many vodkas (particularly wheat vodkas) advertise themselves as being ‘triple distilled’ or ‘five times distilled’, but this can be somewhat misleading.

“Distilling something further doesn’t actually make it any better,” Foster says.

A great way to reveal the flavour complexities of vodka is to pair it with foods, like you would with wine. Foster explains that vodka naturally has quite an interesting umami flavour, which pairs well with similar ‘umami bombs’ like olive or coffee. It’s perhaps no surprise that those two ingredients find their way into martinis, then.

Another great pairing is with oysters or caviar – “say what you like about the Russians, but they got that one right,” Foster jokes.

Cocktails

The beauty of vodka is that it’s a very versatile spirit, but that doesn’t mean you should just dump any old vodka into any old mixer. Take care to taste a vodka on its own and discern what it pairs best with, Foster warns.

Some foolproof uses include a vodka spritz (essentially, a combination of soda water with juice and vodka) or a Moscow Mule (vodka, ginger beer, a squirt of lime and a lot of crushed ice, traditionally served in a copper mug).

Read Next

• The ‘Neat’ Whisky Drinking Rules You Need To Know, According To Experts
• I Tried Sydney’s Most Expensive Coffee & It Ruined Me For Life

The post How To Drink Vodka: Expert Tier Tips Every Gentleman Should Know appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Football megastar Cristiano Ronaldo is always playing with on trend looks. Whether he’s showing us how to dress for summer, how to shred for summer (no matter how unachievable) or his questionable taste in watches, the arguably greatest player ever is a role model for many.

Here at DMARGE, we regularly cover Ronaldo’s ever-changing hairstyles. Hell, we even predicted the fresh cut he debuted in May would be the talk of summer. It seems, however, that those trendsetting days are over – for a good couple of months, at least – as the Portuguese striker recently revealed he’s shaved his hair clean off.

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A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Oct 22, 2020 at 5:28am PDT

Arriving late to the isolation party and looking almost unrecognisable without his trademark slicked-back locks, Ronaldo, who is currently serving 14 days in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday 13th October 2020 – and has reported having tested positive for a second time on Wednesday 21st October – was instead following the at-home haircut trend that many men have succumbed to in mid-2020.

It is, in fact, the second time Ronaldo has shown us the results of an at-home haircut. Although given the results from the previous occasion in which his girlfriend took the clippers to his famous follicles were a little less than successful, he’s played it safe this time around with a complete shave.

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“El éxito en la vida no se mide por lo que logras, sino por los obstáculos que superas”

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Oct 21, 2020 at 3:58am PDT

Never one to shy away from the camera, however, a second video shows Ronaldo being filmed by a friend (on the other side of some glass) working out on an exercise bike. He wouldn’t want to let his enviable rig go to waste, would he? Looking in high spirits and grinning from ear to ear, the ball-controlling trickster gave the camera a thumbs up to show he’s doing just fine. He accompanied the video with a caption written in Spanish, which roughly translates to the following.

“Success in life is not measured by what you achieve, but by the obstacles you overcome.”

When you consider the state of his home gym and the views he’s afforded, we imagine overcoming the obstacles presented by COVID won’t be too arduous for the Juventus talisman.

The necessary isolation measures have forced Ronaldo to miss out on some games for both Juventus and Portugal, although under UEFA ruling, only needs to test negative 24 hours before the planned match against Barcelona on Sunday 28th October in order to be deemed fit to play.

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The post Cristiano Ronaldo’s Aggressive New Haircut appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Your 30th birthday. Baldness. An Instagram food porn addiction. There are a lot of things we feel coming but don’t want to admit to. Qantas’ latest announcement may pierce the denial many Australians are feeling about travel in the same way.

In two speeches this morning, Qantas’ CEO Alan Joyce and Chairman Richard Goyder gave Australians a harsh dose of reality.

There’s probably not going to be flights to the UK or US from Australia until at least the end of 2021.

This marks a five month push back from Qantas’ previous prediction of mid-2021.

RELATED: Eerie Photos Show Impact Of Covid Curfew On Paris

Mr. Joyce said, “For some of our big destination[s] like the United States and the UK, it’s going to need a vaccine given the high prevalence of the virus in both of those locations,” news.com.au reports.

“We are getting more and more confident about the opportunities and the potential for a vaccine in helping getting those operations up by potentially by the end of 2021.”

There is more hope on the pacific front, with Mr. Goyder saying Qantas is looking at new markets that might open up as a result of pacific travel bubbles – including places that weren’t part of Qantas’ pre-COVID network.

“By early next year, we may find that Korea, Taiwan and various islands in the Pacific are top Qantas destinations while we wait for our core international markets like the US and UK to re-open.”

“We’re already doing this domestically – adding new destinations that suddenly make sense – and it’s the kind of flexibility we need to make the most of any cash positive opportunities in the year ahead.”

Mr. Joyce added, “With most international travel off-limits for a while, we’re expecting to see a boom in domestic tourism once more borders open up.”

“And when international travel does eventually return, our market share is expected to grow too, as overseas carriers take a conservative approach to capacity and focus on opportunities closer to their own home markets.”

Both speakers highlighted the importance of Australia opening its domestic borders as soon as it is safe to do so, with Mr. Goyder questioning the slovenliness with which we are re-opening domestic borders.

“[Staying closed] doesn’t seem to be based on the actual health risk. And that seems to ignore the broader economic and social risk involved with staying shut – especially as Federal income support winds down.”

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The post Qantas International Flights 2021: News Nobody Wants To Hear appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

2020 has heralded a motoring renaissance in Australia. With public transport during a pandemic seeming a dicey option, and not much else to spend your money on other than a ‘statecation‘ or having a ‘flutter’ on the stock market, many Aussies have instead chosen to sink their hard-earned coin into picking up another set of wheels – largely on the second-hand market as opposed to in car dealerships.

RELATED: 2020 Might Be Australians’ Best Chance Yet To Sell Their Old Cars

While the most popular new car models also tend to be the most popular on the used car market – think Ford Rangers and Toyota Corollas – there’s also been a lot of interest in used European cars, as Carsales shared exclusively with DMARGE.

Their data reveals that interest in performance-oriented German luxury cars (in particular Mercedes-Benzes, Porsches and BMWs) has been incredibly high in Q3 2020. For example, the BMW 318i has seen an over 1200% growth in search traffic compared to Q3 2019.

The most popular European used car? That’d be the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG S, which saw over 642,000 searces in Q3 2020 alone. Other desirable models include the Porsche 911 and Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG – indeed, four of the top ten most searched for European used cars were AMG models.

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A post shared by Porsche Australia (@porscheaus) on Oct 3, 2020 at 10:00pm PDT

Moreover, two entries in the top ten were simply ‘hotter’ versions of other cars on the list: the Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S, plus the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and C63 AMG S. Mercedes was the clear winner when it comes to popularity, however, with six of the top ten most searched models from the Stuttgart brand.

The data also shows a clear preference for performance models – with that AMG badge a consistently coveted item. That’s no big surprise, Mike Sinclair, Editor-in-Chief of Carsales told DMARGE.

“Australia is one of the biggest markets for AMG, BMW M, etcetera. It’s not a surprise that there’s demand on the used market.”

He also points out that BMW, Porsche and Mercedes dominating the top ten has a lot to do with their reliability. Late-model cars from other European marques such as Audi, Maserati or Jaguar aren’t as safe of a bet (that said, you probably shouldn’t be buying a luxury or performance car if reliability is your chief concern).

RELATED: Auto Expert Pinpoints Financial ‘Sweet Spot’ When Australians Should Upgrade Their Cars

Sinclair also suggests that Mercedes’ popularity also stems from how easy it is to find good deals on late-model Mercs. So we pressed him on that: what would be his recommendations for anyone looking for some Mercedes second-hand goodness?

“You can pick up a good W211 E-Class convertible for around $30,000. If you’ve got $60,000? Why not a CL500.”

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The post European Cars: The Brands & Models Australians Can’t Get Enough Of appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Virgin Australia was sprung last week for serving two-minute noodles in business class.

Passengers took to Facebook, outraged at receiving a $2 meal after paying $2,500 for their tickets.

However, in a case of ‘be careful what you wish for,’ some business class customers are claiming the healthier option that has since been provided is even less filling.

Frequent flyer and Flight Hacks founder Immanuel Debeer told DMARGE the initial ‘Noodlegate‘ was part of an “appalling” cost-cutting trend.

“I think Bain is on a cost cutting spree and these days you can get away with almost anything in the name of Covid.”

“Virgin used to have (in my opinion) the world’s best domestic business class product in terms of food, service and seats. Now we’re seeing the ‘Americanisation’ of business class.”

“Aussies are used to getting better so it’s no wonder the Bain ‘budget carrier’ approach won’t go down well unless the prices of the tickets reflect the actual service.”

The saga also raised questions around the uniquely Australian phenomenon of providing passengers with international style business class on domestic trips, suggesting the business class arms race between Virgin Australia and Qantas is now over, and that we may all need to adjust our expectations.

Virgin at the time claimed the limited onboard service was part of its plan to minimise interactions between flight crew and passengers, with a spokesperson saying, “We are… re-imagining what our onboard catering offer will be longer-term, and are looking forward to developing a new experience to suit customer needs.”

In the interim, however, the airline keeps getting scalded, with some business class enthusiasts complaining the new lunch is worse.

“I actually prefer the 2 minute noodle than cracker dip! At least the 2 minute noodle can fill me up more,” one user wrote in the comments of Executive Traveller’s article, “Instant Noodles axed but Virgin’s business class ‘meals’ still snacks.”

Frequent flyer Immanuel Debeer told DMARGE, “Personally I think instant noodles are better than ‘crackers and dip,’ unless said crackers are truly exquisite.”

The new ‘interim’ lunch and dinner offering is a snack box of crackers and dip, a muffin, barbecue roasted chickpea mix and a square of Australian dark chocolate.

“By comparison, Executive Traveller points out, “Qantas’ current roster of business class meals includes the likes of lamb shank with minted onion sauce and potato mash, and chicken parmigiana with sweet potato puree and greens.”

This led into a broader discussion (between Executive Traveller commenters) around the various excuses that can be made for, and gripes that can be had with, Virgin Australia.

“Virgin seem to have a fetish for chickpeas (and no, ‘barbecue roasted’ doesn’t make them taste any better). It’s all I’ve ever got on the MEL-LST evening flights for the last 2 years,” one commenter wrote.

“In administration during a global pandemic, we’re lucky they’re still in the air. Virgin 2.0 hasn’t launched yet so lets not get ahead of ourselves. I’m sure most people will make up there minds once they let us know what their premium product will actually be,” commented another.

The highlight of the discussion? The comment “the phrase mutton dressed as lamb comes to mind with Virgin under Bain ownership” being responded to with “most Virgin passengers would happily eat either at this point.”

All up? As one commenter concluded: “Virgin are going to need to get this all sorted ASAP. People are already watching and making up their minds on how they feel about Virgin 2.0 and whether it’s going to be an airline for them.”

Given the other comments kicking around (see: “Do they think we are stupid? Both airlines should just be honest in their coms. Cost saving and running down inventory for the new owners,”) this time appears more crucial than ever for both Virgin Australia and Qantas to set expectations correctly.

Rico Merkert, USYD Professor of Transport and Supply Chain Management, told DMARGE this shakeup is part of Virgin Australia’s transition to a middle market carrier: “The new CEO of Virgin will position to airline closer to the LCC business model and passengers (say business) will be able to add extra services to their seat a la carte and will be expected to pay for those add-ons.”

“As such, you could argue that Qantas has won the business traveller market in the domestic Australian market. There may be a little bit of competition with Rex and Alliance though and to some extent even with Virgin as some corporate travellers may now at least initially be price sensitive.”

“International[ly],” however, Merkert told us, “it is a totally different picture as Qatar, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and a few others pose strong competition to Qantas, in particular as they are currently flying in and out of Australia while Qantas is not.”

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The post Virgin Australia Replaces Instant Noodles With Healthier Lunch Option appeared first on DMARGE Australia.