2PAXfly
QANTAS: A321XLR launch — but Alan Joyce’s toilet legacy stinks
Qantas yesterday (Thursday 25 September) finally launched its first Airbus A321XLRs on domestic routes. My invitation to the inaugural flight must have got lost in the mail. This launch marks the biggest shake-up to the Qantas narrow-body fleet in decades. The new aircraft promise more seats, larger overhead bins, USB-C...
Wild About Travel
Mesmerising maddeninmg Medillin
Medilinis now offocually my favorute xciy in clonmia, lanscapr,e peoel, culture, drive, food and more llacolodie in a organsed coae I rank every city I visit based on various factors, including aesthetics, culture, and transport. Medellín, Colombia, is the 244th city of over 100,000 people I have visited and Colombia my...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Neighbour-free seating — bid for an empty seat beside you
If you hate the middle seat lottery, then Virgin Australia now has a lottery fix. From Wednesday, 24 September 2025, the airline has rolled out Neighbour-Free Seating. This scheme lets economy passengers bid to keep the seat next to them empty. But only on select domestic and short-haul international routes. How...
2PAXfly
FLIGHT ASSAULT: Man charged with indecent assault on LAX to Melbourne flight
A 71-year-old Victorian man has been charged following an alleged indecent assault aboard an international flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne on Monday, 22 September 2025. The man, reported to be Mounir Botros is accused of touching the woman by reaching inside her clothes as she attempted to sleep on...
Also on BoardingArea
Economy Class & Beyond
Norweigan Group signs for 30 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
Boeing and The Norwegian Group have announced that the airline group has placed an order for 30 Boeing 737-8 aircraft. Norwegian Boeing 737-8 MAX at Stockholm Arlanda – Image, Economy Class and Beyond The agreement represents the group’s first direct Boeing order since 2017 and increases its 737 MAX order book to...
ATX Jetsetter
Turkish Airlines Plans Orders For More Than 200 Boeing Jets
Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any airline in the world. The flag carrier of Turkey serves all six inhabited continents and operates a large fleet of aircraft. Now the airline is making plans to expand further, announcing a massive aircraft order. Turkish Airlines Orders up to 225...
Economy Class & Beyond
Turkish Airlines signs a firm order 50 Boeing 787s… with 175 aircraft in commitments and options
Turkish Airlines is continuing its expansion plans, with the airline signing up for up to 225 aircraft in its backlog. As usual, the devil is in the details, so let’s dive in. Turkish Airlines orders up to 75 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and commits to more 737 MAX jets – Rendering, The Boeing...
TravelUpdate
Lost luggage on British Airways that was not their fault !
I had the most interesting experience with my bag being delayed, then trying to reach me and then being un-trackable for a few days. It was all on British Airways but the original problem was caused by South African ground staff who dd not move my bag from a cancelled flight...
The Bulkhead Seat
Flight Review: American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Flagship Suites – ORD-DFW
I had a change of plans today and that found me switching my itinerary to go from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Tampa International Airport (TPA) with a connection in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on the way. This would normally be annoying, but today I got to...
Points With a Crew
Use 1 Amex Membership Reward and get up to 40% off at Amazon (targeted)
We’ve written about this deal before but it appears to be back! It appears to be targeted but if so, it seems widely targeted. Get 40% off when you use American Express Membership Rewards points The offer seems to vary depending on your Amazon account – other offers we’ve seen include: 30% off...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Should Children Be Banned From the Premium Class Cabin?
Note: This article pertaining to Should Children Be Banned From the Premium Class Cabin? was originally published on Friday, September 26, 2014 at 9:30 in the morning and has been updated. Screaming children ruined the experience of Patrick Smith being a passenger seated in the business class cabin — an experience...
Frequent Miler
The most promiscuous airline programs
Our favorite points programs, by far, are transferable points programs. These are programs where points can be transferred to airline and hotel programs, making it possible to cherry-pick the best opportunities. If you earn points in only one loyalty program, then you may find that flight awards or hotel awards...
Your Mileage May Vary
Why the Airbus A220 Doesn’t Look Like an Airbus (or a Boeing)
A while back, we wrote about how you can quickly tell whether you’re looking at a Boeing or Airbus aircraft just by glancing at a few key design features (that post is here). But there’s one plane where that trick doesn’t work: the Airbus A220. I realized this recently, thanks to my...
Plane ‘n Simple
United Airlines Cleared for Starlink Wi-Fi on Mainline Jets, Game-Changing In-Flight Connectivity is Here
The Details The first mainline aircraft to receive this certification is a Boeing 737-800. The inaugural commercial flight with Starlink Wi-Fi is scheduled to take off from Newark (EWR) on October 15th. This comes after the successful rollout of Starlink on United’s regional fleet, where it has already been installed on...
Frequent Miler
Sweet-spot awards courtesy of Japan Airlines | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep325 | 9-26-25
In this episode, we’ll talk about how Citi is showering us with transfer bonuses, then we’ll talk about the incredible uses for Japan Airlines miles. Now that Capital One is making transfers available to Japan Airlines (in addition to Bilt, which has already been offering this), it’s worth talking about...
ATX Jetsetter
Delta Announces New Service Between New York and Porto
Shortly after removing its flights between New York and Geneva, Delta Air Lines has just announced its next destination in Europe. Beginning in the Summer of 2026, it will connect New York to Porto, Portugal. Panoramic aerial view of Porto in a beautiful summer day, Portugal Delta is Launching Daily Service...
View from the Wing
American Airlines Passenger Forced to Gate Check Bag With Empty Overheads Still Open [Roundup]
News and notes from around the interweb: Stop it already. @AmericanAir Do better Forced to check bags when all the overheads are empty. Terrible customer service. pic.twitter.com/RPF0ZF7kkR — Brun (@cbruno33) September 24, 2025 First-time Rakuten shopping portal users get $50 (or 5,000 Amex points) for spending $50 at any of its merchants. The...
The Bulkhead Seat
Sorry, American: United Gains Five More Gates at Chicago O’Hare International Airport
United Airlines has scored a major win in the ongoing battle for dominance at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) after a Cook County judge rejected American Airlines’ attempt to block United from taking control of five additional gates. The decision paves the way for United to further solidify its stronghold...
The Bulkhead Seat
Lufthansa Unveils Special 100th Anniversary Livery on Boeing 787-9
Lufthansa Airlines has revealed a cool new livery to commemorate its upcoming 100th anniversary next year. The celebratory design will debut on a brand-new Boeing 787-9 and serves as a flying symbol of Lufthansa’s legacy and future. The new livery showcases Lufthansa’s iconic crane, a design originally created in 1918 by...
Your Mileage May Vary
15 More Maps That Will Blow Your Mind
We got a lot of good feedback about our post that highlighted 15 Maps That Will Blow Your Mind. And, of course, ever since then, I’ve seen more and more maps that make you sit up and take notice. I figure you might enjoy them too, so here we go… TV...
Points With a Crew
Mesa Homeowners Card Review – 50,000 points and tons of perks with no annual fee
KEY LINK: Mesa Homeowners Card – 50,000 points after spending $12,000 in the first 3 months with code SEPT50. $0 annual fee. Offer expires September 30, 2025 Mesa’s new credit card aims to serve homeowners in a way few cards have: by rewarding your mortgage payments (yes, really). We have heard...
One Mile at a Time
Turkish Airlines Orders Up To 75 Boeing 787s, Maybe 150 737 MAXs
Turkish Airlines has major growth plans, despite already being huge, and flying to more countries than any other airline in the world. In 2023, the airline announced how it planned to order up to 600 more planes, in order to fuel its growth. Shortly thereafter, we saw the airline place...
Frequent Miler
Avianca Award Sale: flights to Central and South American starting at 2,000 miles one-way
Avianca LifeMiles runs regular award sales on its own flights, and they launched their newest one this week. Unlike many of LifeMiles’ sales, there isn’t a set discount percentage, but it seems to cover most, if not all, of Avianca’s US routes. Economy flights from the US to Central and...
Miles To Memories
Delta Will Launch New Nonstop Service to Porto Next Summer
Delta Will Launch New Nonstop Service to Porto Delta has announced its first-ever daily nonstop service to Porto, Portugal (OPO) from New York-JFK, slated to launch May 21, 2026. The carrier will service this route with its Boeing 767-300, which offers four product experiences: Delta One®, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort and...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Unlimited Vacation Time: Should More Companies Adopt This Policy?
Note: This article pertaining to Unlimited Vacation Time: Should More Companies Adopt This Policy? was originally published on Friday, September 26, 2014 at 12:49 in the afternoon and has been updated. Richard Branson — who is the founder of the Virgin Group — has believed that people should be able to...
One Mile at a Time
American Airlines Faces Lawsuit Over Fatal Crash, But Is Company To Blame?
On January 29, 2025, we saw a devastating accident near Washington National Airport (DCA), whereby an Army Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter collided with an American Eagle CRJ-700, leading to 67 fatalities. This is the first crash of a US airliner since 2009, and it’s just horribly tragic. As you’d expect, airline crashes typically...
Live and Let’s Fly
Delta Air Lines Expands Portugal Service With New JFK–Porto Route
While Brussels and Geneva will be cut, Delta Air Lines will expand its transatlantic portfolio from New York next summer with a new route to Portugal. Today, the carrier announced that it will begin nonstop service between New York (JFK) and Porto (OPO) in the summer of 2026. Delta To Launch...
View from the Wing
‘Refuse To Buckle, Get Dragged’: Drunk Passenger Dragged Down Aisle In Four-Limb Carry
An intoxicated passenger refused to fasten his seatbelt and got removed from his Manchester – Ibiza flight prior to departure on September 13. That’s pretty standard for Ibiza flights, by the way, and when Delta said they would let SkyMiles members and employees choose one of three new transatlantic destinations (Sardinia,...
Wild About Travel
My Twelve Hotel Commandments
  From five stars in Singapore to a rickety bed and breakfast in Blackpool, a tree house in Zimbabwe, a 747 parked at Stockholm airport, a draughty youth hostel in nirehn Scootkanbd and everything ij betweemn means I ahve sleopt in a lot of hotel beds.   Thou shalt know where thy hotel...
2PAXfly
SINGAPORE AIRLINES: Bringing Caviar Service to Business Class?
According to Aaron Wong over at The MileLion, Singapore Airlines has issued a call for tender via its eProcurement portal, seeking suppliers of ‘farmed caviar for Business Class.’ Get back in the queue, Krug and Book the Cook. Singapore Airlines appears to be introducing a touch of fish egg luxury...
2PAXfly
HONG KONG: Airport to close for 36 hours due to Typhoon Ragasa from 6pm Tuesday 23 September
Hong Kong International Airport is closing from 6 pm Tuesday, 23 September, until 6 am Thursday,25 September, as Super Typhoon Ragasa bears down with expected fierce winds and heavy rain. Flights in and out will be suspended. If you’ve got Qantas, Cathay Pacific, or another carrier scheduled to pass through Hong...
Wild About Travel
300 Airports—300 Stories: Which do I love, hate and in between?
After adding 16 airports in 2024, I have now flown to 289 airports across 73 countries. I’ve actually visited 90 countries, but some I arrived in by bus (e.g., Honduras, Liechtenstein, Nicaragua, Zambia), or by ship (e.g., Aruba, Tahiti), or by train (e.g., Luxembourg) or walked in the case of...
2PAXfly
CATHAY PACIFIC: Resuming Hong Kong to Seattle flights in 2026
Cathay Pacific is adding another dot back on its North America route map. From 30 March 2026, the Hong Kong carrier will once again fly non-stop to Seattle, USA. Seattle becomes Cathay’s ninth North American destination, joining Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver. Plus,...
2PAXfly
REX: a possible buyer for the ailing airline Regional Express
Consulting firm EY has the AU$10 million task of administering Regional Express (REX) since it went into administration. EY has also been trying to find a buyer for the airline. After over a year in administration and some courtroom dramas, it looks like REX might have finally found a buyer. REX...
Wild About Travel
Beautiful Bold Bern Beckons
Floating through BernBern is best explored slowly. Overlooked by travelers in favor of Zurich or Lucerne, Bern is, tencpatoay of siwterlcmna – and fmy afvorute Swuiss city. (many foirtegebners asusme taht xurh ir genbeva are tehcoayal) . The city hme to 144000 epoepe , covers about 52 square...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: On which flights are cats and dogs now welcome on board
From 17 September 2025, you can finally book a seat for your furry companion on selected Virgin Australia flights. The cost, a cool AU$149 per pet, per flight. Australia’s first official Pets in Cabin service is now on sale. Where you can fly with your pet Initially, there are only two...