BoardingArea
United + American? The Trump Whisper, the Kirby Grudge, and the One Thing You Actually Need to Know
Scott Kirby may have floated the biggest airline merger fantasy since the last airline merger fantasy — and yes, President Donald J. Trump was reportedly in the room. But before you start repainting tails and holding a candlelight vigil for AAdvantage, let’s discuss the one thing that actually matters. There...
BoardingArea
WebFlyer’s Legendary Mileage Calculator Is Back, and Yes, the Routing Nerds Are Thriving Again
Gooood morning, mileage millionaires and loyalty lunatics. Your captain of sarcasm at 35,000 feet has spotted something on the radar that many frequent flyers assumed had long ago vanished into the aviation boneyard. No, not free meals in coach. I’m talking about the return of an old friend: the legendary...
Traveling For Miles
Why the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is weak
There are premium credit cards that charge high annual fees and can justify them. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is not one of them. At $650 a year, this card needs to work hard to earn its place in a wallet, and right now I don't think it's...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Qantas Will Conquer the ‘Final Frontier of Long-Haul Travel’ With 22 Hour Non-Stop Flights Between London and Sydney
London has just been named as the first-ever ultra-long-haul destination to connect to Sydney, Australia, with 22-hour non-stop flights. If all now goes to plan, Australian flag carrier, Qantas plans to launch the bum-numbing service in October 2027, using specially adapted Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The announcement was made on Wednesday...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Emirates Has Just Created its Own Version of European Passenger Rights, But You Have to Pay Extra For It
The embattled Persian Gulf mega airline Emirates has just created a travel insurance product that largely mimics the protections offered under Europe’s famous EU-261 passenger rights regulations… There is, however, one very significant difference. To take advantage of the Emirates insurance protections, you have to pay extra for them. Emirates...
View from the Wing
Wyndham’s New Credit Cards Get Richer And Pricier, But The Best Old Benefits Are Long Gone
Wyndham’s new Barclays credit cards offer bigger bonuses, richer credits, redemption discounts, and higher annual fees. The Business card remains the most interesting, but the old magic is gone now that Wyndham business card Diamond no longer matches to Caesars Diamond and Vacasa redemptions are no longer offered.
One Mile at a Time
Earn Delta SkyMiles Elite Status (MQDs) With Hotels, Rental Cars, And More
Delta SkyMiles has launched a promotion whereby hotel stays, vacation rentals, and rental cars, can count toward elite status for a limited time. We saw a similar promotion from Delta three times in both 2024 and 2025, and we’re now seeing this return for a third time in 2026 (and...
Miles For Family
Booked a last-minute getaway on miles and points
I just got back from a trip to Asia, and re-entry has not been easy. So I must be crazy to think about traveling again in the near future, right? Well, having miles and points makes you do crazy things. After discovering my work schedule is giving me an extended...
Economy Class & Beyond
Norweigan to purchase Nordic Leisure Travel Group
It seems that Norwegian (operators of Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe) is on a strengthening spree, with the group to acquire the Nordic Leisure Travel Group. The Nordic Leisure Travel Group (NLTG) is a leading company in hotel and leisure travel experiences in the Nordics. The transaction brings together household...
View from the Wing
Thousands Of American Airlines Employees Said New Uniforms Made Them Sick. 10 Years Later, Appeals Court Says They Couldn’t Prove It
Thousands of American Airlines employees claimed the carrier’s 2016 uniforms caused rashes, respiratory symptoms, and other health problems. A federal appeals court has now ended one major case, ruling the employees lacked admissible expert evidence proving the uniforms caused their symptoms.
Traveling For Miles
Get at least 15% off IHG’s best flexible rates in its latest Europe & UK sale
IHG's current global points promotion isn't really worth getting excited about and in what appears to be a further bid to bore members to death, it has now launched an equally dull European sale in which it's offering discounts "from 15%" for stays through March next year.
Frequent Miler
The Edit by Chase Travel℠ price match success….sort of
Over the weekend, I read a post at Dan’s Deals with great interest as he detailed his experience filing a price match guarantee claim for a booking made through Chase Travel℠ for a property under The Edit (Chase’s luxury hotel booking platform). I was excited to learn that it is...
Live and Let’s Fly
Wizz Air Releases A Pop Song With INNA, But Starlink Wi-Fi Is The Real Headliner
Wizz Air has teamed up with Romanian pop star INNA for a Wizz Air-themed summer song called “Wizz Away.” I have no idea who INNA is, but the song is actually catchy and the marketing move is at least more memorable than another fare sale…though I’d think the budget carrier...
No Work All Travel
Flight Review: Japan Airlines Business Class Tokyo to Jakarta
Owing to a rare upgrade, I recently experienced Japan Airlines business class from Tokyo Narita to Jakarta. Check-in Japan Airlines (JAL) currently uses Terminal 2 at Tokyo Narita International Airport. Some airport hotels offer shuttles both to the larger (of 2) AEON mall complex, and the airport, so I...
One Mile at a Time
European Union Adds New Carry-On Bag Rules: How Will Ryanair Market Flights?!
The European Union has just finalized some new regulations that will impact airline passengers. In a separate post, I covered how we’re going to see positive reforms to Europe’s (already) generous flight delay compensation scheme. That came as a surprise, since the belief was that the policies were going to...
One Mile at a Time
European Union Updating Flight Delay Compensation Rules… For The Better!
The European Union has the most consumer friendly policies in the world when it comes to what passengers are entitled to in the event that their flight is significantly delayed or canceled. This policy is known as EC261 (often referred to as EU261), and it entitles consumers to compensation in...
One Mile at a Time
193-Room St. Regis London Opens Late 2026 (After Big Delay), Now Bookable
London is one of the most premium hotel markets in the world, though it’s a city that has surprisingly few luxury points hotel options. That’s slowly changing, though we’re having to be really patient, given constant construction delays.
Points With a Crew
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Review – New Higher Welcome Offer And Checked Bag Benefit
KEY LINK: Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card – Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/15/26. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Seat Swap Requests and Paid Seat Assignments: What Would You Do?
While I was seated in the economy class cabin aboard an airplane during the boarding process for a flight, a passenger attempted to trade his middle seat with a woman who was sitting in an aisle seat because of frequent lavatory use as the reason. That had me thinking about...
Frequent Miler
Wyndham Amex Offer for midscale brands: Spend $250 & get $50 back
There are three different types of targeted Wyndham Amex Offers at the moment. We’ve already written about the one for luxury brands and the one for value brands; this post is about the offer for midscale brands. The Deal Spend $250+ on room rate & room charges at Wyndham midscale...
BoardingArea
Virtuoso Travel Week 2025: Luxury Insights and Amex FHR Perks
Top luxury travel pros from 100+ countries unite in Las Vegas from August 9–15 for networking, education, and insider intel. Frequent flyers can discover new event features and Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits to elevate their next journey.
BoardingArea
Flying with Pets in 2025: Revised Rules for Frequent Flyers
Airlines worldwide have rolled out updated pet travel regulations in 2025, covering everything from in-cabin breed allowances to stricter paperwork. This guide compares fees, seat rules, and must-know tips for a smoother journey with your furry friend.
