2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 24 May, 2026
Greetings from Sydney. Back at home for a week or so before I head out on my next trip. Later this week, I’m heading eastward to the Americas. Precise location and cities to visit will be revealed as the trip progresses. These will all be totally new destinations for me,...
2PAXfly
WEBJET: Travel agent squeezed as Virgin Australia cuts commissions
Webjet is warning investors that trading conditions remain “fluid and challenging” after Virgin Australia cut the commissions it pays the online travel agent, according to an article in the SMH. For travellers, that could mean fewer sharp Webjet airfare deals on Virgin flights. For Webjet, it is another revenue hit...
2PAXfly
UNITED STATES: Trump administration floats airport squeeze on ‘sanctuary cities’
I have refrained largely from reporting on USA affairs. That’s partly because I don’t want to besmirch my reputation if I decide to travel to the USA again. However, there are just some things that need to be reported in the interests of Australians travelling to the USA. The Trump...
Wild About Travel
Dubrovnik. Dragons, Demons,
Dubrovnik looks almost unreal at first glance. Terracotta roofs stacked above polished limestone streets, all wrapped in thick medieval walls with the Adriatic on three sides. It is indeed a real‑world city. It became King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. Many key scenes were filmed in and around its medieval...
Also on BoardingArea
Live and Let’s Fly
Norse Is For Sale, Europe’s Long-Haul ULCC Needs A Buyer
Norwegian Air died and Norse picked up the bones. Now JPMorgan is shopping the airline, and your cheap Europe fare is on the clock.
One Mile at a Time
Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330neos Get New Premium Layout, 48 Upper Class Seats
In July 2025, Virgin Atlantic announced plans to invest in its passenger experience, including all-new cabins on its fleet of Boeing 787-9s. This is overdue, since the Dreamliners have the worst interiors you’ll find on Virgin Atlantic’s ”next generation” fleet, with herringbone seats in business class.
Frequent Miler
Last Chance Deals: Flying Blue & Hilton transfer bonuses, Choice & Hilton points sales, & more
Welcome to our weekly list of what’s ending this week as well as a collection of some other deals that are due to end soon. Several deals are expiring this week. That includes transfer bonuses to Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Hilton, as well as the latest points sales for Choice...
Points With a Crew
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card Review – How To Get The Annual Fee Waived
The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card has outstanding benefits and a hefty welcome offer. If you're looking for a new card to earn Hilton points, make sure you ...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
What Is Wrong With This Photograph? Part 354
Set.me offers secure and reliable remote instant access with a simple link to other computers with unlimited unattended devices, unlimited file transfers, unlimited remote connections, and end-to-end encryption for absolute privacy. For this edition of this popular game, can you guess what...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 24 May, 2026
Greetings from Sydney. Back at home for a week or so before I head out on my next trip. Later this week, I’m heading eastward to the Americas. Precise location and cities to visit will be revealed as the trip progresses. These will all be totally new destinations for me,...
Frequent Miler
5 reasons I’m glad I got to live the nomad life…and the 10 reasons I don’t miss it (A Carrie commentary)
People often ask me if I miss being a digital nomad, living the full-time travel life, which I did off and on for the better part of a decade. The short answer is…”no”, but of course, there’s a long answer too. If the long answer piques your interest, this post...
Your Mileage May Vary
How To Negotiate An Airplane Seat Swap Like A Boss
Whether you want to switch seats or someone asks to swap with you, there’s a right way — and a very wrong way — to handle it. It’s getting harder…
Live and Let’s Fly
Introduction: My Odd Spring Break To Europe On United And SWISS
Welcome to my next trip report, which will detail my rather odd but still restful spring break in Germany, with flight reviews on United Airlines and SWISS. Spring Break In Switzerland + Germany On United + SWISS Spring break came at an inopportune time, as my wife Heidi was scheduled...
View from the Wing
Uber Says Widow Can’t Sue In Court Over Husband’s Fatal Airport Ride — Because She Had Her Own Rideshare Account
A man died in an Uber crash on the way to Midway Airport. Now the Illinois Supreme Court is considering whether his widow can sue Uber in court — or whether her own unrelated Uber app account forces her wrongful-death claims into arbitration.
Economy Class & Beyond
Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond (23rd May)
We’re into the second May Bank Holiday weekend in England, and of course, half-term as well. But it is still Saturday at the time of writing, so it’s time for your weekly dose of headlines from Economy Class and Beyond. And yes, it’s also Pride Weekend in Birmingham. Because Love...
One Mile at a Time
Weekly Review: May 23, 2026
I hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far! I’m at home with family, but have a big summer trip planned for a couple of weeks from now, which I’m still finalizing arrangements for (it takes a bit more effort when traveling with two little kids!). Given that it’s...
The Bulkhead Seat
Sad: Video Shows Spirit Airlines Airbus A320neo Being Scrapped in Phoenix
Spirit Airlines ceased operations on May 2nd after a 34-year run. It was sad…
Points With a Crew
Did I Just Get Scammed By Rome Taxi Drivers?
I think that a Roman taxi driver tried to scam me by charging an inflated price to go from Rome to Fiumicino airport, which seems par for the course for taxis in Rome...
Your Mileage May Vary
That Discontinued Credit Card In Your Drawer Might Still Be Worth Keeping
Once you’ve been collecting credit cards long enough, one of them will eventually be discontinued. The bank stops accepting new applications, the card disappears from the website, and suddenly you’re…
Miles To Memories
Get an Extreme AAdvantage Award Makeover with this Simple Method
Lock in an acceptable American Airlines award flight now and flexibly change to a cheaper one later with this handy AAdvantage trick.
The Bulkhead Seat
2026 Weekly Review: May 23rd
Greetings from Tampa! I spent this past week in Atlanta and Toronto. It’s good…
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Memorial Day: Suggested Reading
Monday, May 25, 2026 unofficially heralds the summer season of the year as Memorial Day — even though summer does not officially begin for another month — and having a weekend of three days prompts people to either travel or enjoy cooking out delicious food on the backyard grill at...
flight attendant shares day in the job (l) Flight attendant tries to do beverage service (r)
BoardingArea
Flight Attendant Tries To Do Beverage Service. Then She Comes Across 2 People Holding Hands Across The Aisle: ‘We Cannot Let Go’
"Am I about to play London Bridges?"
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Airline Was Within its Rights to Fire Pilot Arrested On Rape Charges Even Though All Charges Were Dropped, Tribunal Rules
The British low-cost airline EasyJet was justified in firing a pilot who had been arrested and charged with rape, even though he was later acquitted of all charges when prosecutors dropped the case, an employment tribunal has ruled. The pilot had been employed by EasyJet as a First Officer since...
View from the Wing
Avis Demands $1,278 For A Rental Car Dent — But Its Own Photos Show No Dent [Roundup]
Avis wants $1,278 for a rental car dent, but its own photos allegedly do not show the damage — and the dispute site is down while the charge still looms. Plus: Air Transat flight attendants cannot use cannabis even off-duty, Delta Sky Club lines hit 30 minutes, and Minneapolis airport...
Your Mileage May Vary
Some Hotel & Cruise Safes Have ANOTHER Secret Way To Break In
Most travelers assume the biggest vulnerability with hotel and cruise safes is someone knowing the override code. Turns out some safes may also have another hidden way in. Years ago,…
Miles To Memories
Quick 15,000 Bilt Points / $150 Bonus With New Kraken Account
The $150 Kraken Sign Up Bonus is once again live on Rakuten. This is about as good as it gets with this deal, and is easy as pie.
woman shares traveling experience (l) entrance to vacation stay (r)
BoardingArea
Woman Always Books ‘The Cheapest Place’ While Traveling. It Finally Backfires In A Big Way
“Genuinely how much was this?"
Wild About Travel
Berlin: Cities I Love #2
I have been coming to Berlin since the Wall fell. I have watched it change beyond recognition and yet remain, stubbornly, itself. It is a city that has survived everything history has thrown at it, and it wears that history openly, without flinching. There is nowhere else like it. 01...
2PAXfly
AIR NEW ZEALAND: How to book the new Economy Skynest sleep pods
Air New Zealand’s much-hyped Economy Skynest is finally going on sale. Yep, those at the bunk beds you can rent by the four hour period. From this week (18 May 2026), passengers booked in Economy or Premium Economy will be able to add a four-hour lie-flat sleep session on selected...
2PAXfly
THAILAND: Visa-free stays for Australians cut back to 30 days
The Thai government has approved changes that would end the current 60-day visa-free stay for Australians and visitors from more than 90 other countries. That generous 60-day exemption only arrived in July 2024, when Thailand was still trying to goose its post-pandemic tourism economy. It applied to passport holders from...
2PAXfly
AIR NEW ZEALAND: Koru program replaces Airpoints
Air New Zealand has officially launched its refreshed loyalty programme, Koru, replacing the long-running Airpoints brand and shifting more than five million members into a new tier structure from 22 April 2026. Existing Airpoints and Status Points carry across, so members are not starting again from scratch. The less thrilling...
2PAXfly
AIR SERVICES AGREEMENTS: Direct flights to Maldives from Melbourne, and Western Sydney Airport to get Gulf carriers
The Australian government has signed four new or updated aviation agreements, opening the door to more flights and more codeshares. Although, as ever with aviation bilaterals, permission to fly is not the same thing as an airline actually putting metal in the sky. The Albanese Government says it has negotiated...
Wild About Travel
Navigating the world’s best airport: a flawless experience.
Changi, Singapore. Everything you need to know. Stunning takeoff out of Singapore Changi (SIN) after a transit between my flight from Sydney and to Asia. I have been through this airport 82 times flawlessly. There are few airports where anyone can say that about. The others that follow it in...
2PAXfly
NEW AIRLINE: proposed ultra low cost carrier ZINC claims place as Australia’s Ryanair
Australia has a long and fairly brutal history of killing every attempt to form a third domestic airline to compete with Virgin Australia and the Qantas Group. Compass flamed out in the early 1990s. Impulse was folded into Qantas. Virgin Blue survived, but only after Ansett’s collapse turned it into...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 17 May, 2026
Greetings from Adelaide. I’m here for one of my regular catch-ups with family. You will be pleased to know that after more than 10 days, the jet-lag-induced brain fog I have been suffering from seems to have abated. My cold also seems to be receding. So, I hope to return...