2PAXfly
RIYADH AIR: What are reviewers’ first impressions
Saudi Arabia’s new flag carrier, Riyadh Air, has now carried its first paying passengers in its own Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The early verdict from critics is fairly consistent. Riyadh Air looks exceptionally good. It is serving food, drinks and attention at a level many established airlines would struggle to match....
2PAXfly
INDONESIA/WEST PAPUA: Pilot killed and aircraft burned in remote highlands attack
An American pilot flying one of the small aircraft that keep Indonesia’s remote Papuan highlands connected has been killed after his Pilatus PC-6 Porter was attacked and burned at an isolated airstrip. This tragedy highlights the perils of flying into disputed areas, amid political turmoil. Captain Nicholas F. Gosselin was...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: EconomyFlex fares gain free same-day Fly Ahead feature
For those whose business meetings end early and want to get back home sooner, Virgin Australia is extending its Fly Ahead feature to eligible domestic Economy Flex passengers. This allows them to move to an earlier flight on the same day without paying a change fee or fare difference. It...
2PAXfly
EMIRATES: New-generation lounges roll out globally, but Sydney is still waiting
Emirates is rolling out a new ‘signature’ lounge concept across its global network, beginning with Munich and Frankfurt and continuing to Manchester, Mauritius and Istanbul later this year. The airline says it will spend more than AED50 million (AU$20 million) on each next-generation lounge. That is a substantial sum. Passengers...
Also on BoardingArea
Points With a Crew
How Hotels Game The Guest Review System (For As Little As $10)
Is it ethical for hotels to try and game the review system? Is it ethical as a guest to take advantage of a hotel trying to ...
Miles To Memories
United’s Inflight Meal Joke, Or Is It On Me?
My recent United inflight meal was memorable for all of the wrong reasons. But perhaps I should've known better.
The Gate with Brian Cohen
President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch in Vermont
Calvin Coolidge served as the thirtieth president of the United States; and he was born exactly 154 years ago today, Saturday, July 4, 2026 in Plymouth Notch in Vermont, where the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is currently located. Calvin Coolidge was...
Frequent Miler
Pick an upgrade within in-app check-in, a cheap flight challenge, angry hotel owners and more (Around the Web)
We periodically publish links to interesting tidbits around the web. This week, we have Hilton making it possible for elites to pick a complimentary upgrade during digital check-in, the demise of Lufthansa first class awards, a reddit challenge that sounds like it was made for Frequent Miler, and more. I’ve...
View from the Wing
After 24 Years Of Angering Airlines And Hotels, These Are The 5 Rules I Keep Coming Back To
After 24 years writing about airlines, hotels, and loyalty programs, the same themes keep coming up: be honest with customers, deliver what you promise, sweat the small details, stop hiding behind fake excuses, and respect shared spaces. Those principles explain why I get frustrated by resort fees, broken benefits, no-notice...
Miles To Memories
($30 Back!) Why I Love Target Circle Offers & How To Maximize Them
I share some tips on maximizing Target Circle offers to lock in some pretty great savings at a ton of different places.
Economy Class & Beyond
TRIP REPORT: Continued Innovation – More Innovations in Hamburg
Continued Innovation TRIP REPORT: More Innovations in Hamburg Time to wrap up this trip report, try to draw conclusions and understand what, if anything, we’ve learned during this trip. In this week of passenger experience fun: Back to Hamburg Again. And yes, keeping it simple To Heathrow Airport with FlixBus...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Flight Attendants Reportedly Refusing to Sign Up to New Biometric Controls That Let Them Skip TSA Security Checks
Flight attendants are reportedly refusing to give their consent to hand over biometric data to the federal government in order to use a new TSA line-skipping system that is being progressively rolled out at airports across the United States. Since 2011, flight attendants and pilots have been able to bypass...
View from the Wing
Why Banks Pay Out 100,000 Point Credit Card Bonuses, And Which Offers Are Actually Worth Taking
The fastest way to earn a large pile of miles is still a new-card bonus, and several current offers can jump-start a trip with 100,000 points or more. But a great initial bonus is not the same thing as a great long-term card: take the upfront value when the math...
Economondo
Leaving Sarawak on AirAsia: Miri to Kuala Lumpur
Come with me as I fly on the giant LCC AirAsia on a flight from Miri to Kuala Lumpur
Miles To Memories
Save $200 on Delta Vacations Booking with New Amex Offer
American Express has a new Amex Offer that can save you $200 on your next Delta Vacations booking.
Live and Let’s Fly
America The Beautiful: A Photo Essay
In my travels over the last two decades I’ve taken hundreds of thousands of pictures, the majority within the United States. In honor of America’s 250th birthday, I’m publishing a photo essay featuring some of my favorite photos I’ve taken over the years. The United States Celebrates 250 Years –...
The Bulkhead Seat
250 Years of American Travel Innovation: How the US Changed the Way the World Moves
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary today, it’s worth looking back at…
Points With a Crew
19 Tech and Travel Deals at Amazon This Weekend
Some decent Amazon weekend deals on travel and tech gear going on this weekend, including headphones, luggage, locks, packing cubes and supplies, travel books and ...
Point Me to the Plane
Using Sister Cities to Find Your Next Great Travel Destination
How many of your hometown's Sister Cities can you name? Have you visited any of them? Here's everything you need to know about Sister Cities and how they came to be.
One Mile at a Time
Best-Ever Chase Ink Business Unlimited Bonus: Earn 100K Bonus Points
The Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card is part ofthe Chase Ink Business card portfolio, and is one of the best no annual fee cards out there. A few weeks ago, we saw a massive limited time welcome offer rolled out on this card, which is the best that we’ve ever...
The Bulkhead Seat
Hotel Review: Courtyard by Marriott Orlando Lake Buena Vista at Vista Centre
Last month, we had to be in Orlando for a pickleball tournament. The Courtyard…
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Driving on Colonial Parkway in Historic Eastern Virginia
July 4 is the celebration of the independence of the United States from England back in 1776 — and it all began with Jamestown, which started as a fort in 1607 and became the first permanent English settlement in the western hemisphere. Other colonies — such as Williamsburg and Yorktown —...
View from the Wing
16 Guerrilla Travel Tactics To Save Miles And Money On Flights, Hotels, Rental Cars, And Uber
These 16 guerrilla travel tactics can save miles and cash across flights, hotels, rental cars, and rideshare, from throwaway award segments and partner-booking tricks to backup tickets, schedule-change plays, fuel dumps, hotel repricing, off-airport rental pickups, and leaving the terminal before calling Uber. Some are fragile or gray-area, but each...
Miles To Memories
(Free Museum Weekend) Bank of America Museums on Us, List of Dates & Participating Museums
The Bank of America museums on us program returns for 2026. Find out dates, how to qualify & how to check out certain museums for FREE.
The Bulkhead Seat
Grounded Again: United’s New Boeing 787-9 Suffers More Issues After Boeing Repairs
United Airlines’ newest Boeing 787-9 continues to experience technical problems despite spending more than…
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Saudi Arabia Distances Itself From Illicit Sanctions-Busting Sale of Five Boeing 777s to Iran
Saudi Arabia and its aptly named state-owned airline Saudia have distanced themselves from the sale of five ageing Boeing 777 widebody aircraft to Iran, despite long-running U.S. sanctions, which are meant to prevent the Iranian regime from getting its hands on Western aircraft and spare parts. Earlier this week, it...
Miles To Memories
Last Chance For Fee Free Visa Gift Cards & Bonus Earning At Staples This Week
A reminder that the Staples Visa gift card deal is ending tonight. Grab those fee free bonus points while you can.
One Mile at a Time
United Pilot Sues Marriott After Hotel Room Invaded By Bats, Leading To Bites, Rabies Shots
An airline pilot staying at a Marriott affiliated hotel was reportedly attacked by a swarm of bats while sleeping in his hotel room. The hotel didn’t even offer to let him move rooms, and he has spent over $100K on rabies shots, according to a lawsuit. Wow…
2PAXfly
QANTAS: COVID credit class action means more than a million customers will receive payout notices
More than one million Qantas customers are set to receive notices explaining how to claim compensation. These customers were issued flight credits, rather than refunds, for cancelled flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Law firm Echo Law began contacting eligible customers on Monday, 29 June. This follows Qantas’ March settlement of...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Flooding closes LAX First Lounge, premium dining moves next door
Qantas’ Los Angeles First Lounge has been temporarily closed by flooding, according to the Qantas Lounge page. That means the closure of one of the best overseas lounge experiences for premium passengers on the long trek to Australia. The airline has not set a reopening date on its lounge website....
2PAXfly
VIETJET: launching Australian airline to rival Qantas and Virgin
Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet is reportedly seeking the approvals needed to launch an Australian subsidiary, in a move that could create a new domestic competitor for Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia. According to reporting by Ayesha de Kretser in the Australian Financial Review, VietJet has approached the Civil Aviation Safety...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: No First Lounge for London. Premier dining room instead
The original plan was to have a new First Class Lounge at London’s Terminal 3. It was to be ready for the debut of the Project Sunrise flights. Qantas has quietly shelved those plans, to the indignation of premium frequent flyers and passengers. Instead, the airline will refurbish and enlarge...
2PAXfly
CHINA AIRLINES: More flights to Australia from October, 2026
Taiwan’s China Airlines is increasing flights to Australia from late October, giving travellers more non-stop choices between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Taipei. The headline act is Sydney, where China Airlines will lift its Taipei service to daily from 25 October 2026. Melbourne follows on 28 October with a fifth weekly...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Lounge pass rules change from 1 July 2026
From Wednesday 1 July, Qantas will tighten the rules governing Complimentary Lounge Invitations, ending the long-standing ability to transfer a pass to any other Frequent Flyer member, regardless of whether they are travelling with you. If you have a stash of passes, you only have days to give them away!...
Wild About Travel
concordes at last
She was the most beautiful aircraft ever created. She was the fastest passenger aircraft ever to fly. She was created through the cooperation of two countries, and the technology that came with her is still being used, with the breakthroughs she sparked continuing to impact aviation today. One fatal crash...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 28 June, 2026
Hello travellers, Well, I’m in Sydney, but not quite home yet. If you have ever had a renovation done, you will understand. I have spent the last week at a Meriton Suites in central Sydney. It’s been a mixed experience. Living in central Sydney has some great advantages, especially on...