2PAXfly
WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT: First international passenger flights 100 days away
Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) will welcome its first overseas passenger flight on Monday, 26 October 2026, when an Air New Zealand Airbus arrives from Auckland. The same aircraft will then operate the first scheduled international passenger departure from the new airport, returning across the Tasman later that morning. Western...
Wild About Travel
Why Working From Cafés Around the World Reveals So Much About Culture
I just spent two hours in a café in Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, and ended up observing how differently cafés work here compared to other places. People were happily shouting to each other across the room, kids running and dancing and playing games or videos on their phones. One group took...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 19 July, 2026
Hello travellers, Greetings from Adelaide! I’m here visiting family and friends. It’s the second of two short domestic trips this week. The previous one was to Canberra to view the Arthur Boyd tapestries at the National Gallery of Australia, where I also sampled the Virgin Australia Lounge. What happened last...
2PAXfly
CATHAY PACIFIC: Adelaide to Hong Kong flights return for summer
Cathay Pacific will return to Adelaide for another Southern Hemisphere summer season, this time offering up to five weekly non-stop flights to Hong Kong during the busiest holiday months. The service will operate from 10 November 2026 until 27 March 2027. There will be three flights each week during November...
Also on BoardingArea
Eye of the Flyer
She Didn’t Know She Was Pregnant Until Hours Before Her Royal Caribbean Sailing
Where do I even start with this one? A Florida couple showed up ready to board a five-night Royal Caribbean cruise to Mexico. Instead, they left the pier as new parents. Lauren Siwinski and her fiancé, Gary “David” Glenn, had their bags packed and their sailing on the calendar when...
View from the Wing
Jewish Family Reports Being Denied Water In Business Class, Given Toilet Paper To Use As Napkins
An ITA Airways business class passenger says ordering a kosher meal identified his family as Jewish, after which the crew denied them normal service and even bottled water during a 14-hour flight. When they requested a napkin for their three-year-old, a flight attendant allegedly brought toilet paper from the lavatory...
Traveling For Miles
The Chase Sapphire Lounge in Dallas Fort Worth is now open
Chase has added another lounge to its growing Sapphire network, this time at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The lounge opened last week (on 16 July), it's one of the larger locations in the network, and it comes with a feature no other Chase Sapphire Lounge currently has.
One Mile at a Time
Philippine Airlines Orders Boeing 787-10, As Part Of Major Fleet Renewal
Philippine Airlines has just announced a new aircraft order with Boeing, and it’s a plane that seems like a great fit for the carrier.
Miles For Family
Hyatt Regency Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Airport Lounge with Free Massage
This is a continuation of my Asia trip report. See also Back from Thailand and Singapore: 7 Biggest Takeaways, Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class SFO to SIN to BKK, Cathay Pacific Premium Economy HKG to SEA, A Taste of Andaz Singapore, One Day in Singapore, Hyatt Regency Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and the...
Traveling For Miles
Emirates has built a neck pillow into its Economy Class seat
Emirates has announced what it's calling a “world first” for Economy Class, a new adjustable headrest that's already being fitted across parts of the fleet. It's called the U-Dream, and while the press release does its best to make this sound like a technological leap, what Emirates has actually done...
View from the Wing
Emirates’ New Economy Headrest Wraps Around Your Neck So You Won’t Ever Need A Travel Pillow Again
Emirates is rolling out a new economy headrest that unfolds around the passenger’s neck like a built-in travel pillow, supporting the head while sleeping upright. Three Airbus A350s have it today, with a broader rollout planned across the airline’s long-haul fleet.
Live and Let’s Fly
Emirates Unveils An Economy Class Headrest Designed To Make Travel Pillows Obsolete
Emirates is introducing a clever new headrest in economy class that may genuinely make sleeping easier, though a supportive headrest cannot compensate for an otherwise uncomfortable seat. Emirates Introduces “U-Dream” Economy Class Headrest That Cradles Your Neck Emirates has unveiled a new adjustable economy class headrest designed to support the...
One Mile at a Time
Mukbang YouTuber Apologizes After Ordering Food 20 Times On One Flight
A mukbank YouTuber posted a video of himself ordering food 20 times on a 15-hour flight, leading to a massive amount of backlash. What’s perhaps most interesting is that he ended up taking down the video, and issued an apology.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Israeli Airline Says ‘Foul Play’ Likely Responsible For Third Damaged Plane at London Airport in Less Than a Year
The Israeli airline Israir believes that its aircraft have been deliberately targeted by vandals at London Luton Airport, with ground service vehicles colliding with the carrier’s planes on three occasions in less than a year. The latest incident occurred on Friday, July 17, when a tug vehicle, which pushes planes...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Emirates is Introducing a ‘Game-Changing’ Economy Class Headrest That Will ‘Significantly Improve’ Long-Haul Comfort
While those in the know have been familiar with the fact that the Dubai-based mega airline Emirates has been rolling out a new type of headrest for Economy Class seats over the last couple of months, the airline has only now officially made the news public. A new headrest might...
Sam Chui
Airplane Models: GeminiJets April/May 2026 New Release + Discounts
I have been collecting GeminiJets airplane models since they launched 20 years ago! New Video Special Offer To purchase GeminiJets,…
One Mile at a Time
Emirates Unveils U-Dream Headrest: Does It Revolutionize Economy Class?
We frequently see the major global airlines invest in their premium cabin passenger experience, taking first and business class to new heights. However, we rarely see real innovation in economy class. That’s why it’s noteworthy that Emirates has just unveiled a new feature that it claims will revolutionize the economy...
One Mile at a Time
Today Only: Up To 4x Bonus Airline Miles On Apple Purchases
Online shopping portals can be a great way to pick up additional miles and points for purchases youd make anyway. Just for following a specific link, you can earn bonus points in addition to the ones youd earn for credit card spending.
Frequent Miler
When do Hyatt certs expire? Perhaps a day earlier than you think.
The answer to the question posed in the title might seem obvious. After all, the expiration date of Hyatt free night certificates is listed clearly in the ‘My Awards’ section of your World of Hyatt account. However, I encountered a situation this weekend where I learned that the expiration date...
2PAXfly
WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT: First international passenger flights 100 days away
Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) will welcome its first overseas passenger flight on Monday, 26 October 2026, when an Air New Zealand Airbus arrives from Auckland. The same aircraft will then operate the first scheduled international passenger departure from the new airport, returning across the Tasman later that morning. Western...
Points With a Crew
5 reasons I keep recommending the Chase Sapphire Preferred for people starting out (Higher Welcome Offer)
Amongst my friends and family, I'm considered the "credit card guy". When I'm asked for recommendations, most of the time it's the Chase Sapphire Preferred...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
The Westernmost Point in Europe: Látrabjarg Bird Cliff in Iceland
If you have ever wondered where the westernmost point in Europe was located, Látrabjarg is the spot at 65°30’ north and 24°32’ west as the largest bird cliff in Iceland. At 14 kilometers or 8.75 miles in length and up to 441 meters or 1,447 feet in height at a spot...
The Bulkhead Seat
Taste Test: Palermo Meal Service in Polaris® on United Airlines
While flying home from Palermo’s Falcone Borsellino Airport (PMO) yesterday, I got to try…
Economy Class & Beyond
Airplane Art Extra- Iberia Airbus A330-300 on final approach to Chicago O’Hare
It’s just about Sunday still, so it’s time for Airplane Art Extra, because you’ve all been good and your author is still awake. For this second post this evening, and for no reason at all related to any football-related tournaments, we have an Iberia Airbus A330-300 on final Approach to...
Frequent Miler
Does being an authorized user affect your eligibility for a new credit card offer? | Question of the Week Ep9 | 7-19-26
Does being an authorized user affect your eligibility for a new credit card offer? Reader Mike emailed us with this question: My wife has the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and I am an authorized user. Now, I want to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for myself. Is being...
Your Mileage May Vary
A Woman Stole A Hotel Vase. Then The Story Took A Delightful Turn.
Hotel managers will tell you that theft happens all the time. In fact, it happens enough where surveys have been done to determine the items most often stolen from hotels…
The Bulkhead Seat
Funny Because It’s Accurate: Parody Video Roasts Ryanair’s Customer Service and Policies
A parody video poking fun at Ryanair’s customer service and policies popped up in…
Miles To Memories
Begrudglingly Benefiting – Lame Credit Card Perks I Keep Using
I like certain credit card perks more than others. These benefits annoy me, but I'll keep leveraging them, anyway.
2PAXfly
LOUNGE REVIEW: Canberra Virgin Australia Lounge
I just had my first experience of the Canberra Virgin Australia Lounge. Yesterday, I spent time in Canberra seeing the Arthur Boyd tapestries at the National Gallery of Australia and the John Brack and Noel McKenna exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. I had one of those lingering credits with...
2PAXfly
UNITED AIRLINES: WTF! Adds European Business class rows to 321XLRs
Oddly, that is not how United Airlines is promoting this ‘innovation’. They are adding the curse of European Business Class blocked-off centre seats. British Airways call this arrangement ‘Club Europe’. United is promoting it as ‘Economy Plus Seats with Extra Elbow Room. They should hang their heads in shame! A321XLR...
2PAXfly
AIR NEW ZEALAND: B777s are getting new business class suites, better than on new Dreamliners
Air New Zealand has revealed the replacement for the ageing Business Premier seats on its Boeing 777-300ERs. These older aircraft may end up with an off-the-shelf business class seat that many travellers will prefer to the bespoke product installed on its newer Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. From 2027, Air New Zealand’s...
2PAXfly
SYDNEY AIRPORT: Pay AU$20 to skip the international security queue
Passengers departing from the T1 International Terminal can now pay AU$20 per person for access to a priority queue at the main security checkpoint, regardless of airline, travel class, or Frequent Flyer status. The new SYD Fast Track service effectively opens Sydney Airport’s existing Priority Entry pathway to any international...
2PAXfly
LOUNGE REVIEW: Qantas First check-in and Lounge, Sydney
This is the second instalment of my Oh Canada! Trip Report. I’m lucky that many of my international trips start at Sydney Airport at the Qantas First Check-in facility. And that is closely followed by a visit to the Qantas First Lounge. That was the case this day, with my...
Wild About Travel
My ATM Rules to Keep You and Your Money Safe
At an ATM, distraction is all it takes. Last week, I was coming out of a metro station, when I noticed two European backpackers staring at an ATM. As I rode down the long escalator behind them, I could see they were squinting at the screen, unsure about fees or...
2PAXfly
AUSTRALIA: Goodbye orange arrival card. Digital passenger declarations go national
That mid-flight scramble for a pen, finding your flight number, address in Australia, and other details will soon be over. Wondering if you need to declare that wooden statue/shell necklace you bought in Bali/Fiji (you do). Not to mention declaring that jar of home-grown honey your aunt gave you in...
2PAXfly
TRIP REPORT: Oh Canada! Introduction
This is my most recent trip, completed in June 2026. It’s my first time in Canada, and we crossed the country from Vancouver on the West Coast to St John’s on the East Coast. The trip lasted about three weeks. This trip was in paid Business Class on Qantas and...