Wild About Travel
Ode to Paris: My Favourite Things
Paris does something to me that no other city quite manages — it hits me every single time I arrive. The smells, the tower, the croissants, the hot chocolate, the coffee, the Seine, the packed brasseries, the art galleries, the markets, the parks. All beautiful. That’s the thing about the...
2PAXfly
AUSTRALIA: International travellers to be slugged another AU$10 to leave
Australian international travellers will pay more to leave the country from 1 January 2027. The Federal Budget confirms the Passenger Movement Charge (PMC) will rise by AU$10 from AU$70 to AU$80. This is a Commonwealth charge applied to most passengers departing Australia by air or sea. Airlines collect it through...
Wild About Travel
Cities I Love
A series for travellers, dreamers, and anyone who has ever fallen for a place. It’s a crazy time right now, isn’t it? In the midst of everything, I’ve been reminiscing about how lucky I’ve been to spend time in some of the most extraordinary cities on earth. Not just passing...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Digital upgrade — faster check-in, smarter app, and priority bag drops
Virgin has announced a major upgrade to its mobile app and domestic airport check-in experience. It promises a 50% redution in check-in times across 10 Australian domestic airports. The rollout starts this month, May 2026, and should rbe complete before the end of the year. What this actually means is...
Also on BoardingArea
Your Mileage May Vary
Best Credit Cards For Grocery Store Purchases In 2026
Groceries are one of the biggest recurring expenses for most households, which makes supermarket spending one of the easiest places to earn meaningful rewards from your credit cards. While there…
Miles To Memories
Taking Inventory – All of Our Hotel Free Night Certs and Related Plans
We're bursting with hotel free night certs, which we generally consider a good problem. Here's how we're addressing it this year.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
British Airways Flight Attendant On His Second Day at Work Activates Emergency Slide, Delays Flight by Six Hours
A brand new British Airways flight attendant on his second only flight accidentally activated an emergency evacuation slide on a Boeing 777-200, preparing for a transatlantic flight from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles on Saturday afternoon. The mistake would, perhaps, be forgivable if it weren’t for the fact that British...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Top 5 Flight Bonus Miles and Points Offers for May 2026
Here are our Top 5 Flight Bonus Mile/Point Offers for this month. This post is of course for bonuses for flying this month however many of these offers go beyond so don’t count them out for flights you need to book past this month. If none of the offers listed...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Top 5 Hotel Bonus Points offers for May 2026
Here are our Top Hotel Stay Bonuses for this month! These are for stays that you credit to a hotel frequent guest program. Many of these offers go beyond this month so don’t count them out for stays you’re booking past this month. If none of the offers listed below...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Svörtuloft Lighthouse in Western Iceland
A bright orange concrete structure stood out amidst the mist of the angry Atlantic Ocean on a grey and cold morning on the westernmost point of the Snæfellnes Peninsula. It is the Svörtuloft lighthouse in western Iceland, atop the dark black lava cliff that is approximately...
Live and Let’s Fly
Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge Taipei, Where The Garlic Bread Steals The Show
I really enjoyed my visit to the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge in Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and the reason can be summed up in two words: garlic bread. Actually, this lounge has a lot of excellent food and is worth a stop, especially if you are hungry. Here’s my...
One Mile at a Time
Croatia Airlines Airbus A220 Veers Off Runway At High Speed, Smashes Signs
I must say, this is some pretty dramatic footage, and kudos to the crew… I think?
View from the Wing
Flight Attendant Union Pushes Federal Mandate To Add Crew On Widebody Jets — FAA Says Staffing Isn’t The Safety Problem
AFA-CWA wants the government to force airlines to add flight attendants on widebody jets in the name of evacuation safety. But the FAA’s own data says evacuations are already safe, and risks involve passenger bags, communication, blocked exits, smoke, fire, and training — not too few flight attendants.
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Top 5 Hotel Stay Bonuses for Airline Programs for May 2026
Here are our Top 5 Hotel Stay Bonus Airline Mile/Point offers for this month! This post is for bonuses that you credit to an airline frequent flyer program. Many of these offers go beyond this month so don’t count them out for stays you’re book past this month. If none...
Your Mileage May Vary
United 1K Member’s Airport “Petty Revenge” Story Has People Divided
Airports are stressful enough without passengers turning boarding into some sort of bizarre status competition. But according to one Reddit post, that’s exactly what happened before a recent United flight.…
Miles To Memories
(Change Needed?) Bilt Launches New Rakuten Partnership That Makes it Easier to Earn Points
Bilt and Rakuten officially launched their new partnership today, offering over 5 million Bilt members the option to redeem Cash Back rewards from Rakuten for Bilt Points.
One Mile at a Time
Citi AAdvantage Globe Card American Admirals Club Passes Explained
The Citi / AAdvantage Globe Mastercard (review) is American Airlines new premium credit card. The card has a huge welcome bonus, which makes it worth considering, and its one of the reasons I already applied for the card.
Economy Class & Beyond
Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond (16th May)
It’s the end of another busy week, so it must be time for me to corral the news into an easy-to-digest format as I recover from two hours on the M6 Motorway in the rain and spray. Time for Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond. Birmingham Canal Old Line,...
The Alviator
Review: ibis Budget, Auckland Airport (AKL)
Auckland Airport isn't the cheapest place to spend an overnight layover, so the 198-room ibis Budget can be a lifesaver. Here's my review.
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Top 5 Car Rental Bonus Mile and Point offers for May 2026
Here are our Top Car Rental Bonuses for this month. Many of these offers go beyond this month so don’t count them out for rentals you need to book further down the road! Keep in mind sometimes the rates paid for some of these offers may cost more than other...
Frequent Miler
How to decide which premium cards are keepers (Video)
Annual fees are getting more expensive, and it can feel like quite an investment to keep every rewards card. Luckily, Greg’s developed a worksheet which you can access and use to help determine when a card is worth its annual fee, based on how you actually value the different perks....
Points With a Crew
The great luggage abandonment: Why travelers are ditching their bags at the airport
Surprisingly, it's becoming a bit of a trend for travelers to just get rid of their bags at the airport, and there's a surprising reason why
Live and Let’s Fly
Delta Air Lines “Mini First Class” Seats Are Coming To New Widebody Jets
Delta Air Lines has confirmed that it will offer more spacious “mini first class” seating in the bulkhead rows of its new Delta One business class cabins, though the news slipped out in an odd manner. Delta Air Lines Lets Slip Plans For “Mini First Class” Delta One Seats Joe...
Point Me to the Plane
How Many of the Most Beautiful Post Offices in the World Have You Visited?
Post offices might seem like relics, but these beautiful ones are surely worth a visit!
One Mile at a Time
Certification Woes: Delta A321neos With Flat Beds Now Delayed By Years
In early 2022, Delta Air Lines started taking delivery of the Airbus A321neo. The airline has 189 of these jets on order, and so far, the airline has taken delivery of about half of those. For all practical purposes, these are Delta’s new ”flagship” standard domestic aircraft, featuring the newest...
Your Mileage May Vary
Expecting Packages While You’re Away? Here’s How To Handle USPS, UPS, FedEx & Amazon
Leaving town used to mean asking a neighbor to grab the mail and maybe putting the newspaper on hold. Now? It’s a whole different level of logistics. Between USPS mail,…
Miles To Memories
Singapore Airlines Spontaneous Escapes: 30% Off Award Flights Around The World
Singapore Airlines' Spontaneous Escapes are back again this month. This promotion allows you to book discounted award flights on some routes.
View from the Wing
Hyatt Wins Loyalty Program Tax Fight That Could Save $589 Million — While Members Pay More Points For Free Nights
Hyatt just won a major appeals court fight over how its loyalty program is taxed, a ruling that could ultimately save the company $589 million, just as World of Hyatt members are about to pay more for free nights. The program is also getting a major economic boost from...
2PAXfly
GOVERNMENT: Budget grounds taxpayer-funded Qantas Club memberships
The Australian Federal Government has cottoned on to the public service’s travel habit of taxpayer-funded airline lounge memberships. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has banned Commonwealth agencies from charging taxpayers for Qantas Club, Virgin Australia lounge and similar airline memberships. The directive emerged from the 2026 budget papers. Lounge bill The...
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....
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...