2PAXfly
NEW ZEALAND: Flight from Blenheim to Wellington on Air New Zealand
Our return to Wellington was from Blenheim Airport (BHE). It’s a tiny airport adjacent to a New Zealand Air Force facility. No lounge, and not much of anything else except a big waiting room with two ‘gates’, one at either end. The Airport Facilities are minimal, no lounge, for example,...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 10 May, 2026
Greetings from Sydney. As you will find out below, I have been battling an awful case of jet lag. It has filled me with brain fog, sleep deprivation, irritability, and a general lack of thought capability. I’ve written a post about what I should have done to combat it. What...
2PAXfly
JET LAG: I have been suffering the worst jet-lag of my life. Here is what I should have done
About a week ago, I returned from London to Sydney via Istanbul and Singapore. My flights were mostly with Turkish Airlines, with the last leg on a wet-leased Finnair A330 on a Qantas ticket. It’s been a week, and I am still desperately sleep deprived, irritable, brain fogged, and useless....
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Double Status Credits in ‘Pick your bonus’ promo. A longer runway than Qantas
Virgin Australia has responded to Qantas’ latest double rewards offer with its own ‘Pick Your Bonus‘ 2026 promotion, giving Velocity Frequent Flyer members the choice of double Status Credits or double Velocity Points on eligible flights. Qantas’ current offer is limited to flights between 12 May and 31 August 2026....
Also on BoardingArea
One Mile at a Time
Lufthansa Group Acquires Majority (90%) Stake In Italy’s ITA Airways
In early 2025, we saw Lufthansa Group acquire a 41% stake in ITA Airways, the national airline of Italy (formerly known as Alitalia). We knew that Lufthansa Group had the option to acquire a majority stake in the airline after some amount of time, and that’s now happening.
Eye of the Flyer
Talk Is Cheap(er): Business Platinum and Business Gold Add $300 ChatGPT Credit
Two heavyweight business cards just added a new perk worth up to $300 a year — and it's aimed squarely at anyone already paying for ChatGPT (or thinking about it). Here's how to stack it, who qualifies, and whether it's worth enrolling.
Frequent Miler
Bilt Palladium Priority Pass now includes non-lounge experiences: Restaurants, spas, etc.
When Bilt launched its premium Palladium card earlier this year, one of its benefits was a Priority Pass membership for the primary cardholder and authorized users (albeit with a $95 annual fee for each authorized user card). In keeping with the vast majority of Priority Pass memberships that come as...
View from the Wing
Over 60 Wheelchairs For One Flight — Are Passengers Faking Disability To Skip Airport Lines?
Southwest’s switch to assigned seating may have cured many of its wheelchair “miracles,” but the airport line-skipping incentive has not gone away. A single U.S.-bound flight from Taipei reportedly had more than 60 wheelchairs waiting — proving that when everyone gets airport priority, nobody does.
One Mile at a Time
Choice Privileges Promotion Offers 8K Bonus Points After Two Stays
Choice Privileges has just launched its newest promotion, which members can start taking advantage of for stays as of tomorrow. It’s a pretty typical offer from the program, and has the potential to be pretty lucrative.
One Mile at a Time
Buy GHA Discovery Dollars (D$) For 15% Off: Intriguing, But Worth It?
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is an alliance of (mostly small) hotel groups that dont otherwise belong to major hotel loyalty programs, and GHA Discovery is the loyalty program of these hotels.
Live and Let’s Fly
Qatar Airways Makes Avios More Secure, But Far Less Flexible
Qatar Airways is tightening the screws on Avios redemptions, and while this is being framed as an anti-fraud move, it also represents a real loss of flexibility for Privilege Club members. Qatar Airways Adds New Avios Redemption Limits To Combat Fraud Currently, you can book an award from your Qatar...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Southwest Airlines Flight Diverts After Cockpit Windscreen ‘Shattered’ as it Cruised at 31,000 Feet Over Oklahoma
A Southwest Airlines flight from Albuquerque to Baltimore was forced to make an emergency landing on Monday afternoon after the cockpit windscreen on the Captain’s side of the flight deck suddenly shattered as the plane cruised at 31,000 feet over Oklahoma. The incident involved a 19-year-old Boeing 737-7 that was...
Frequent Miler
How to keep airline / hotel points and miles alive (2026)
How do you keep your points and miles alive? What counts as a qualifying activity to extend the life of miles? Here are the policies for major US airline and hotel programs, as well as those that partner with credit card issuer transferable points programs This post has been extensively...
Points With a Crew
Which Chase Ink card is best? ($1,000 or 90,000 Points)
There are 4 Chase Ink cards with increased bonuses right now (up to $1,000 or 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points). The best Chase Ink card is probably...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Metropolitan Oakland International Airport Has Successfully Changed Its Name to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport
Metropolitan Oakland International Airport has finally successfully officially changed its name to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, which became effective as of Tuesday, April 28, 2026 when the trademark lawsuit over use of the name was legally resolved — and the terms of the agreement were memorialized in a formal...
Monkey Miles
American Express® Gold Card As high as 100k referral page
Check out what reader referral or one of our reader's referrals to the new American Express Gold Card
Monkey Miles
Monster 300k! The Business Platinum Card® from American Expess Referral Page
American Express Business Platinum 95k Referral Offer
Monkey Miles
American Express Platinum Card® as high as 175k referral page
American Express Platinum Referral Offer - leave you links so you can earn referral points as well
Frequent Miler
Sixt offering prepaid fuel for $49.99 for rentals in the US for Sixt ONE members
Sixt Rent-A-Car is offering Sixt ONE members the opportunity to pre-pay for up to a full tank of fuel upon return for $49.99 for rentals picked up between now and May 31st, 2026. That’s not necessarily a great deal for a tank of gas, depending on the vehicle and the...
Monkey Miles
Ends Today! Rakuten – 15-20x on a ton of stores with Big Give Week
Rakuten is running a flash sale
View from the Wing
Dulles Airport Could Finally Kill Its Mobile Lounges — But The Rebuild Plan Now Costs $22 Billion
Washington Dulles may finally get the rebuild travelers have wanted for decades: real rail-connected concourses, the end of its “temporary” C/D complex, and a move away from mobile lounges. The catch is the price tag has climbed to $22 billion — enough to push airport costs above $90 per passenger...
Your Mileage May Vary
Why I’ll Always Travel With A PIN-Capable Card Again
I used to tell people that Chip + PIN cards weren’t nearly as important for international travel anymore. And for years, I honestly believed that was true. Most of the…
The Bulkhead Seat
Promo: Up to $80 in Uber Credits on Eligible Delta Comfort Flights
Delta Air Lines has rolled out a new limited-time promotion that gives eligible SkyMiles®…
Frequent Miler
Targeted Barclays spending offer: 2500 Atmos points after five $50 purchases
Barclays is targeting some Hawaiian Airlines Atmos cardholders with an offer to earn 2,500 bonus miles after making five $50 purchases between registration and June 8, 2026. We frequently see these targeted Barclays spending offers around a cardholder’s anniversary date as a way of encouraging them to keep their card...
View from the Wing
Air France KLM Just Put A Real Points Expert In Charge Of Flying Blue
Most loyalty programs are run by people who understand spreadsheets better than members. Flying Blue just went the other way, tapping someone who has spent years on the member side of loyalty: helping travelers understand points, search awards, and navigate the programs from the outside. That is rare — and...
Miles To Memories
Primm Closing Shock, MGM Buffet Rumors & Vegas’ Huge Fireworks Summer
Vegas fireworks all summer long, shocking closure of casino resort, MGM's cool new barcade and a huge rumor about the end of Vegas buffets.
View from the Wing
Resorts Across Europe Scramble To Stop Pool Chair Towel Hogs — After Court Rules Missing Loungers Mean Refunds
Pool chair towel hogs are no longer just a resort annoyance. After a German tourist won a refund because guests monopolized loungers with towels, resorts across Europe are scrambling to enforce chair rules before missing loungers become a legal and financial problem.
One Mile at a Time
There’s A New Head Of Flying Blue, And I Couldn’t Be More Excited!
I frequently write about interesting executive appointments in the airline industry, but heres one that hits very close to home
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Double Status Credits surprise, but only for Australia and New Zealand
Qantas has launched a short, sharp ‘double rewards’ offer for Frequent Flyer members. You can choose between double Status Credits or double Qantas Points on eligible flights within Australia and across the Tasman. The booking window is tight. You need to register and book between 12.01 am AEST on 5...
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...
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...