2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 3 May, 2026
Greetings from Sydney. My month-long stay in the UK has come to an end, and I’m back home to enjoy the dwindling warmth of Autumn. It was a great time catching up with friends, seeing way too much theatre, and adding to my long list of galleries, museums, and artworks...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: More cuts to domestic flights but flights to Paris and Rome extended
Qantas has confirmed it will extend its 5% reduction in domestic capacity through to September, stretching what was initially a short-term cut from May–June into a full winter slowdown. Its low-cost sibling Jetstar is following suit, with both airlines also trimming flights across the Tasman and within New Zealand. For...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Restarting Doha flights with Qatar Airways from June
Although Qatar Airways has resumed some of its Australian network flights as of 1 May, Virgin Australia’s wet-leased flights using Qatar Airways aircraft are not returning until June The return to the wet lease agreement is cautious because of the Middle East conflict. Virgin Australia has confirmed its Doha flights...
2PAXfly
QATAR AIRWAYS: Network begins to rebound restoring Australian flights
Qatar Airways is ramping up flights to Australia, restoring capacity after months of disruption caused by Middle East airspace closures. From May, the Doha-based carrier is progressively returning to a full schedule across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with daily flights reinstated after a period of reduced services. Australian routes return...
Also on BoardingArea
TravelUpdate
Review: Porter Airlines PorterReserve Embraer E195 (YYZ to LGA)
Background and Booking For my trip from Toronto to New York, I decided to try a new airline!…
Miles To Memories
Say What?! Get 30,000 Bilt Points For Signing Up For A No Fee Bank Of America Card
Rakuten is offering an extra bonus when you apply for two no-fee Bank of America credit cards. Earn up to $300 or 30,000 points.
View from the Wing
DoorDash Is Bad For Restaurants, Drivers, And Customers — Why Does Everyone Keep Using It?
A viral restaurant owner rant lays out what makes DoorDash so frustrating: restaurants lose margin, drivers create headaches, customers pay more, and the food often arrives worse than it left the kitchen. Yet even with all of that, delivery apps keep winning because they offer reach, convenience, and incremental orders...
The Bulkhead Seat
Air Canada Suspends Several More US Routes as Network Adjustments Continue
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how Air Canada had suspended all flights…
You Are Travel
Allegiant and Sun Country Receive Approval to Continue Separate Operations, Keeping Merger on Track
​tl;dr – The $1.5 billion merger between Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines is expected to close on…
One Mile at a Time
Transfer Amex Points To JetBlue TrueBlue With 10% Bonus: Worth It?
The Amex Membership Rewards program in the United States has just introduced its newest transfer bonus, which isn’t valid for very long. While this offers an advantageous transfer ratio to a partner where we don’t often see such offers, is it worth it? Let’s take a look…
You Are Travel
Hilton Plans a 2027 Tokyo Debut for its LXR Hotels & Resorts Brand
​tl;dr – More luxury points hotels in Japan are always fun, and Hilton will add a historic one.…
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Two Days to Go Before Lufthansa Launches the Biggest Onboard Service Shakeup In Its 100 Year History… Here’s What’s Changing
With just two days to go before German flag carrier Lufthansa launches the biggest onboard service shakeup in its 100 year history, the airline has now revealed more details of what passengers should expect with the rollout of its highly-anticipated Project FOX. Lufthansa has been working on Project FOX for...
Frequent Miler
Rakuten “Big Give” week: 15X-20X on many popular travel brands (and Saks)
Shopping Portal Rakuten is out with its Big Give Week offers. Already today, we are seeing elevated offers from many popular travel brands, with numerous brands elevated at 15% to 20% cash back. Alternatively, those who choose to earn Bilt points will earn 15 to 20 Bilt points per dollar...
Live and Let’s Fly
United 767-400 Strikes Light Pole, Bakery Truck On Newark Approach
You don’t expect to be hit by a widebody jet while driving down the New Jersey Turnpike, but that’s essentially what happened when a Untied Airlines 767-400 struck a light pole and truck on final approach into Newark. United Boeing 767 Strikes Truck And Light Pole On Newark Approach A...
Monkey Miles
Rakuten – 15-20x on a ton of stores with Big Give Week
Rakuten is running a flash sale
The Points of Life
Simply The Best: April 2026
Get with it TPOL. Time to post more. Here’s what I did post from April. Go Blue! A777Neo Wins TPOL’s March Madness Bracket! St. Lucia Carnival: This Isn’t Trinidad World Cup 2026 Tickets: Did I Buy Too Many, Not Enough? Introduction: Michigan Basketball National Championship Trip Report Thank You Trump!...
Miles To Memories
Staples Brings Back Fee Free Bonus Points Earning With Visa Gift Card Promotion
There is a new Staples Visa gift card deal this week that allows you to earn some fee free bonus points & increase your earning elsewhere.
Frequent Miler
Fee-free Visa Gift Cards online and in-store at Staples
Staples is again offering fee-free fixed $200 Visa Gift Cards, this time both online and in-store through Saturday, May 9, 2026 (though I would expect the online offering might not make it that long). The limit is nine per customer per day in-store (although some stores may allow more), while the...
One Mile at a Time
New Lufthansa FOX “Premium Onboard Experience” Debuts In All Four Classes
Lufthansa is currently trying to improve its passenger experience, particularly on long haul flights. We’re seeing the airline progressively roll out its new long haul Allegris cabin concept, which includes a new first class and new business class, among other things.
TravelUpdate
Deadly Virus Spreads On Atlantic Cruise, Leaving 3 Passengers Dead
3 passengers just died due to a virus during a recent cruise. How severe is this virus and how quickly can it spread?
One Mile at a Time
Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Review: Big Annual Fee, Bigger Benefits
Link: Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
View from the Wing
American Airlines AI Gave Away Their Seats — Even Though They Made It To The Gate On Time
American Airlines passengers made it to the gate on time in Miami, with boarding still underway — but their seats were already gone. The likely culprit is American’s automated rebooking system, which can give away seats from passengers it predicts will miss a connection before they actually do, leaving these...
TravelUpdate
Amex Platinum Card Refresh Numbers, New Amex Gold Card Benefits & more…
The success of the Amex Platinum Card refresh, new Amex Gold Card benefits and more as we recap the top stories from the week gone by.
Eye of the Flyer
150,000 Points: The Chase Sapphire Reserve®’s Best Offer in History
If you’ve been eyeing the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card and looking for a sign that it’s time to apply, this might be it. Chase’s premium travel, lifestyle, and rewards product now features a limited-time promotion — the card’s biggest offer ever. Earn A very conservative value of 150,000 Chase points...
BoardingArea
Review : Salon Odyssee, Desjardin – Plaza Premium Lounge – Montreal (YUL), Transborder Concourse
The only lounge in Montreal’s transborder (US) concourse that is not operated by Air Canada remains one of the oddest lounges I have visited The summary This lounge remains the only choice for travelers leaving Montreal for the US that are not flying Air Canada (or Star Alliance carriers). It...
View from the Wing
Delta Air Lines Once Offered Hot Towels And Multi-Course Meals In Economy — Now Passengers Are Roasting This Sad Sandwich [Roundup]
Delta once tried to make economy class feel premium, with hot towels and multi-course meals on long-haul flights. Here's just how far the airline’s onboard experience has fallen. Plus United looks to save money on business class amenity kits, airlines rushing in to back fill for Spirit Airlines and more.
You Are Travel
Marriott Brings W Hotel to this Quaint Seaside Italian Town
​tl;dr – The W Sardinia – Poltu Quatu is now open. ​Marriott recently fully launched its third W…
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Singapore Airlines Chooses Ultra-Fast Starlink Wi-Fi But Passengers Could Be Left Disappointed… Here’s Why
Singapore Airlines has become the latest major international carrier to sign a major deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet company for fast and free in-flight Wi-Fi at 38,000 feet. Unfortunately, Singapore Airlines’ plans for Starlink aren’t nearly quite as grand as many of its rivals. Announcing the Starlink deal on...
2PAXfly
INTERNATIONAL FLYING: Middle East conflict and fuel crisis cuts one in four flights
Almost a quarter of international flights from Australia were cancelled in April. That’s according to the AFR, as airlines scrambled to deal with soaring fuel prices and widespread airspace disruptions. The trigger is the escalating conflict involving Iran, which has effectively shut down large parts of Gulf airspace since late...
2PAXfly
EMIRATES: Talk of First Class private suites with en suite bathrooms
Rumours are mounting that Emirates could be working on a new First Class concept featuring private suites with their own en-suite bathrooms. It sounds ambitious, but this is the airline that already put showers on board the Airbus A380 and introduced fully enclosed suites on the Boeing 777. If any...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: New open skies deal between Australia and Canada opens more flights and destinations
A new open skies agreement between Australia and Canada has removed limits on flights between the two countries, giving Qantas the green light to expand its services. The updated air services arrangement allows unlimited passenger capacity for Australian carriers, replacing the previous cap that effectively limited Qantas to a daily...
2PAXfly
FIJI AIRWAYS: Dallas USA flights dropped from September
Fiji Airways is reshaping its network, cutting its Dallas route while boosting capacity on other key services amid rising fuel costs. The airline will suspend flights between Nadi and Dallas Fort Worth from 7 September, marking a retreat from one of its longest and most operationally demanding routes. That removes...
2PAXfly
EMIRATES: A380s to get Starlink WiFi
The first Starlink-equipped superjumbo is now in service, marking the start of a rollout the airline says will extend across its entire fleet by mid-2027. And, it’s free. Emirates is ditching its current pay-to-use model, which charges up to around US$20, in favour of complimentary high-speed access for all passengers....
Wild About Travel
Draft Future of First Class?
From Railway to Runway I juts tcked ofve r 1800 flights. of hthsoe, just 23 havebeejn fistc alss Some quick history. The class system in air travel, evolved from the British railways of the 1830s and originally aligned closely with the British Class System. Understanding this evolution from railways to...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 26 April, 2026
I’m still in London, but will be departing soon. It’s really begun to warm up now, just in time for the London Marathon today. Not that I’m a participant. In fact, the only reason I know is because of its effects on public transport. And there seem to be a...
2PAXfly
SYDNEY AIRPORTS: July will see changes to flight paths as Western Sydney Airport starts cargo flights
Sydney’s skies are about to change, and if you live under a flight path, brace for impact. A shake-up of airspace across the city kicks in on July 9, paving the way for the first cargo flights into Western Sydney Airport later that month. It’s all part of getting the...