Wild About Travel
Pretoria (Tshwane): The Capital That Surprised Me
I arrived in Pretoria with low expectations. South Africa had been a mixed bag. The delights of the Garden Route, a superb Johannesburg, falling in love with Cape Town and almost getting mugged there, wonderful stops in Hermanus and Durban. And then the disappointments: Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Mossel Bay...
2PAXfly
NEW ROUTES 2026 #5: Singapore Airlines with new A350 business class with doors — late 2026
After years of speculation, Singapore Airlines is refreshing its long-haul Airbus A350 business class with privacy doors. The rollout begins in the first half of 2026, with retrofits phased across selected long-haul A350 aircraft. When do we see these refreshed cabins in Australia? Background I’m doing a series of posts...
2PAXfly
MIDDLE EAST: Advice for Australians caught in flight chaos
Airspace is closed across parts of the Middle East due to attacks by Israel and the USA and consequent retaliation from Iran. This has left thousands of Australian travellers stranded or scrambling to rearrange flights. If you’re travelling through the region in the coming days or stuck there right now,...
2PAXfly
DISRUPTION: Middle East carriers and airports in chaos. What to do if you are travelling soon
What follows is practical advice for those travelling by air via the Middle East who will be affected by the conflict generated by the attacks on Iran. Background Escalating conflict in the Middle East has triggered major airspace closures and cascading flight chaos. Gulf hubs including Doha, Dubai and Abu...
Also on BoardingArea
Frequent Miler
Wyndham Business promo: Join program & earn 15K bonus points + 2X on next stay
When Wyndham Rewards launched Member Month this past week, the press release mentioned there being a promotion for new Wyndham Business enrollees. That promotion didn’t materialize initially, but it is now available. It’s a pretty good promotion too. New businesses that enroll, then book and stay by the end of...
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 ...
The Bulkhead Seat
Southwest Flight Diverts to Atlanta After Mid-Air Security Threat Prompts Police Response
A Southwest Airlines flight traveling from Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International… The post Southwest Flight Diverts to Atlanta After Mid-Air Security Threat Prompts Police Response appeared first on The Bulkhead Seat.
Point Me to the Plane
11 Tips For Staying Healthy When You Travel
Staying healthy when you travel is key to having fun and enjoying yourself. Follow these 11 tips!
Your Mileage May Vary
Interline Baggage Rules: Which Airlines Will Check Bags Through on Separate Tickets?
Interline baggage agreements are arrangements between airlines that allow checked bags to be transferred from one flight to another, even when you’re flying on more than one carrier. In the…
Miles To Memories
Points and Miles Required Reading, Volume V
I'm back with fewer topics and plenty more depth in this latest edition of Points and Miles Required Reading.
The Bulkhead Seat
United CEO Warns Fuel Price Surge From Middle East Conflict Could Hit Airline Pricing
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said a sharp rise in jet fuel prices following… The post United CEO Warns Fuel Price Surge From Middle East Conflict Could Hit Airline Pricing appeared first on The Bulkhead Seat.
View from the Wing
American Airlines Passenger’s ‘Painter’s Tape Hack’ to Entertain Toddler Sparks Outrage—Selfish Or Brilliant?
A parent’s viral “painter’s tape hack” to keep a toddler busy by letting them stick and re‑stick tape all over their seat and tray on an American Airlines flight has ignited internet debate—some call it ingenious, while others say it’s inconsiderate and messy.
The Bulkhead Seat
Storm Chaos at Atlanta Airport Leaves Delta Passengers Stuck for Hours
Severe weather at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) triggered a wave of delays, diversions,… The post Storm Chaos at Atlanta Airport Leaves Delta Passengers Stuck for Hours appeared first on The Bulkhead Seat.
Frequent Miler
How you might be able to apply for the Robinhood Gold card (without waiting)
In Tim’s post the other day about the announcement of the new Robinhood Platinum card, he mentioned the Robinhood Gold card, which offers 3% back on all eligible purchases, being of interest “if you can get it”. That reminded me that I’d recently stumbled on a post at Reddit that...
One Mile at a Time
Iran Fires Another Missile At Dubai Airport, Apologizes, Promises To Stop
The past week has been incredibly challenging for airlines in the Middle East, after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, only for Iran to respond by firing missiles just about anywhere it could, including (in theory) ”friendly” countries in the region. This has caused massive disruptions at airlines like...
One Mile at a Time
Uganda Plans Gargantuan New Airport With VIP Runway, Horrible Logic
There are a lot of optimistic airport projects out there, with very questionable logic. However, this might be the most baseless airport proposal I’ve ever heard of. Goodness gracious, I really hope they don’t light money on fire in this way (thanks to Sean M. for flagging this)…
Miles To Memories
Last Chance For Fee Free Bonus Earning At Staples This Week
The Staples Mastercard gift card deal is ending today. It is your last chance to rack up some bonus points fee free.
View from the Wing
Marriott’s Worst Resort May Finally Close — A $50 Million Subsidized Redevelopment in the U.S. Virgin Islands Is Taking Shape
Marriott’s long-running embarrassment in St. Croix — the Carambola Beach Resort, stripped of its Renaissance flag and notorious for filthy conditions — may finally be heading for a shutdown. A government-backed, roughly $50 million redevelopment plan is moving through the U.S. Virgin Islands legislature, even as the hotel remains bookable...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
If I Want The Comforts of Home, I Will Stay at Home.
I often see articles pertaining to aspirational travel from other authors in the travel weblog space; and many of them profess about how you can travel in comfort for free — or for very little cost — often with the goal of hawking credit cards to readers. Unless you happen to...
Live and Let’s Fly
A Chilling Warning From United Airlines CEO On Airfares
Airline tickets could soon become more expensive as rising oil prices driven by the escalating Middle East conflict begin to ripple through the aviation industry. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is already warning that if fuel prices remain elevated, airlines will soon have little choice but to raise fares. Rising...
One Mile at a Time
Odd: Uganda Airlines Grounds A330neo Fleet For “Unscheduled Maintenance”
In recent years, we’ve seen Uganda relaunch its national airline, in the form of Uganda Airlines. The airline has a modern fleet of Airbus A330-800neos and Bombardier CRJ-900s, though unsurprisingly, profitability has been a bit of an issue. But perhaps an even bigger issue than profitability is reliability, as both...
Monkey Miles
How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to travel partners
How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to travel partners The post How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to travel partners appeared first on Monkey Miles.
One Mile at a Time
Storm Causes Delta Meltdown In Atlanta, Passengers Trapped On Planes For Hours
The past day has been really rough for Delta Air Lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), with a ton of very unhappy passengers (thanks to Ben and Scudder for flagging this).
View from the Wing
No Matter How Much You Pay Southwest Airlines, You Can’t Move to an Empty Seat [Roundup]
Southwest is now charging for seats, but passengers report that even after paying for premium emergency-row seating they’re still not allowed to slide into an empty seat when the cabin has open rows. Plus, the JFK AirTrain price goes up again, American flyers gripe about ads before onboard Wi-Fi,...
Live from a Lounge
Swiggy HDFC Credit Card split into BLCK and ORNGE variants: here is what changes
Big change on the account of the popular Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Cards. New customers will get one of the two variants of the card here on. The post Swiggy HDFC Credit Card split into BLCK and ORNGE variants: here is what changes appeared first on Live From A Lounge.
Eye of the Flyer
Terrifying 777 Windshear Landing Video, Uber Driver Carjacked & Suspect Brags Online, CDC Polio Warning Expands, NCL Relaxes New Dress Code Rules
Here are this week’s travel and cruise headlines and news from around the web and interweb: Huge delays for LAX rail connection now four years late — and may miss the World Cup CDC Issues Urgent Travel Warning: Polio Spreading in 32 Countries An Air Canada Boeing 777 encountered dangerous...
One Mile at a Time
Cool: GOL Launches Rio De Janeiro To New York A330 Flights As Of July 2026
I recently covered how Brazilian airline GOL has long haul expansion plans, as the company intends to take delivery of at least a handful of Airbus A330-900neos, complementing the carrier’s current all-Boeing 737 fleet. We knew that the long haul expansion would be happening at some point this year, but...
Frequent Miler
Winning tools, capturing coupons, passing on Platinum and more (Week in Review)
This week, I recorded a guest spot on the Milenomics Travel Stories podcast that should air in the next week or two (bookmark that link and check back). One of the questions that Trevor asked me on the show was whether Lifemiles is still worth the effort, noting that he...
Wild About Travel
Flying via the Middle East right now. Practical tips, not panic, for travellers.
Are you about to fly internationally? With a Middle Eastern airline or to, through or over the Middle East? Many airlines and transit hubs are affected, with flights paused, rerouted or heavily delayed across the region. Check your specific airline and route for the latest status before you travel. Before...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 1 March, 2026
It’s been a big week in Australian aviation, especially with the announcement of Qantas’ half-year results, a direct route from Brisbane to Las Vegas, and surprising changes to their loyalty scheme.  A lot of posts to catch up on in this Review, so read on: QANTAS: First International A321XLR route...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: First International A321XLR route announced — Brisbane to Manila
According to a story on ET, the first international A321XLR route will be Brisbane to Manila, commencing on 25 October 2026. But don’t get too excited, because there won’t be any flat beds, just domestic Business Class recliners. So, aside from a newer, quieter, more highly pressured plane, it’s a...
Wild About Travel
Qantas’ “New Era” For Status
Qantas has just made it more expensive to stay loyal. Funny how that works. The airline is calling it a ‘new era’ for its Frequent Flyer program. I’d call it a quiet price hike dressed up in marketing language. This is a change I’ve been waiting on for months. After...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: MASSIVE overhaul of Qantas Frequent Flyer program. The good and the bad
Qantas is making it easier to earn Status Credits without setting foot on a plane, but there are positives and negatives. As part of its sweeping overhaul of the loyalty program, the airline will lift the annual threshold required to retain status, even as it introduces rollover credits and more...
Wild About Travel
Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth): A City That Feels Lost.
I had just had an amazing week on the Garden Route, exploring wineries, seeing whales, and enjoying hikes, coffee, food, and South African hospitality. Enjoy some of the photos! When my Baz Bus minibus (great service by the way) reached Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth, we arrived in a very different world....
2PAXfly
QANTAS: New search tool allows region-to-region Classic Rewards search across partner airlines
Qantas is promising to roll out a major upgrade to how members search for Classic Reward seats in March 2026. It could dramatically improve your chances of finding low-points Classic Rewards redemptions. Over at ET they have seen a preview, and this is what they found. Region-to-Region search The new...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Frequent Flyer changes evaluated, and when they roll out
Qantas is billing these largely status-related changes as a ‘new era’ for Frequent Flyers. Here’s what’s coming, what I think of it, and when it will arrive. Read on to find out what it means if you’re chasing Silver, protecting Gold or sitting comfortably at Platinum. March 2026: A better...