2PAXfly
CATHAY PACIFIC: Adelaide to Hong Kong flights return for summer
Cathay Pacific will return to Adelaide for another Southern Hemisphere summer season, this time offering up to five weekly non-stop flights to Hong Kong during the busiest holiday months. The service will operate from 10 November 2026 until 27 March 2027. There will be three flights each week during November...
2PAXfly
LOUNGE REVIEW: Canberra Virgin Australia Lounge
I just had my first experience of the Canberra Virgin Australia Lounge. Yesterday, I spent time in Canberra seeing the Arthur Boyd tapestries at the National Gallery of Australia and the John Brack and Noel McKenna exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. I had one of those lingering credits with...
2PAXfly
UNITED AIRLINES: WTF! Adds European Business class rows to 321XLRs
Oddly, that is not how United Airlines is promoting this ‘innovation’. They are adding the curse of European Business Class blocked-off centre seats. British Airways call this arrangement ‘Club Europe’. United is promoting it as ‘Economy Plus Seats with Extra Elbow Room. They should hang their heads in shame! A321XLR...
2PAXfly
AIR NEW ZEALAND: B777s are getting new business class suites, better than on new Dreamliners
Air New Zealand has revealed the replacement for the ageing Business Premier seats on its Boeing 777-300ERs. These older aircraft may end up with an off-the-shelf business class seat that many travellers will prefer to the bespoke product installed on its newer Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. From 2027, Air New Zealand’s...
Also on BoardingArea
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 ...
Your Mileage May Vary
Why I No Longer Insist On Business Class To Europe
Over the years, my opinion about flying business class from the East Coast to Europe has changed more than once. When my wife Sharon and I first started traveling to…
Point Me to the Plane
5 Most Scenic Virtual Train Rides You Can Take From Home
Do you like train travel? How about beautiful scenery? Then come aboard these virtual train rides and enjoy the journey!
View from the Wing
The 13 Best Songs About Travel Ever Made — From Iggy Pop’s Passenger Seat To United’s ‘Rhapsody In Blue’
The best songs about travel are not just road trip playlists. They capture the feeling of leaving, arriving, getting lost, wanting to go home, and seeing the world differently — from Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” to Sinatra’s “Come Fly With Me” and United’s (Gershwin's) “Rhapsody in Blue.”
View from the Wing
Philadelphia Man Commutes 800 Miles To Atlanta By Plane—150 Flights In 421 Days To Keep His Job [Roundup]
A Philadelphia man has logged 150 flights in 421 days commuting 800 miles to an Atlanta job after a layoff left him unable to afford relocating. Plus: Emirates first-class awards face tighter restrictions, American’s Heathrow catering problems continue, Citi may add Japan Airlines transfers, and German diners rethink restaurant reviews.
The Bulkhead Seat
United Clarifies That It Won’t Offer Free Flight Changes Just to Avoid Trump Airport
A few days ago, I wrote about how United Airlines was giving reservation agents…
Economondo
A Quick Arabian Hop: Muscat to Dubai on an Oman Air Boeing 737 MAX
Join me on a short flight from Muscat to Dubai onboard a Boeing 737 MAX
Points Miles and Bling
Aeroplan Adds Emirates Premium Economy Redemption, and restricts First Class Awards
The Air Canada and Emirates partnership has now been enhanced with the introduction of Emirates Premium Economy award redemptions. At…
Miles To Memories
(Ending Soon) Best Ever Public Offer for Chase Sapphire Preferred – 100,000 Points!
This Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K offer is the best we have ever seen publicly and can be worth $1,250 or more when redeemed for travel.
Travel Points Playbook
Streak Broken: First Southwest Flight Without Extra Legroom Seat Upgrade
It’s been a good run, but my streak is broken. I have a Southwest flight this weekend and…
Live and Let’s Fly
Air Canada Restricts Emirates First Class Awards, Adds Premium Economy Redemptions
Air Canada Aeroplan is restricting first class award redemptions on Emirates to align with Emirates’ own policy for Skywards members while also adding the option of redeeming for premium economy awards. Aeroplan Restricts First Class Awards On Emirates To Mirror Skywards Already in place without notice, Aeroplan has added two...
One Mile at a Time
Turkmenistan’s Ashgabat Airport: My Most Bizarre Transit Experience Ever
I just had the chance to fly Turkmenistan Airlines, fulfilling a dream I’ve had for years (isn’t it everyone’s dream?!). I already shared some thoughts on my Turkmenistan Airlines 777 business class flight, and now I’d like to talk about my experience transiting Ashgabat International Airport (ASB).
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
United Airlines Now Says it Won’t Rebook Passengers Away From Donald J. Trump Airport For Free: ‘It Was a Poorly Worded Memo’
United Airlines has backtracked on an apparent policy that allowed passengers who no longer wanted to fly to Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach to rebook for free on a flight to an alternative nearby airport. A couple of days ago, a leaked internal memo sent to...
View from the Wing
The 13 Best Travel Movies Ever Made — And Die Hard 2 Absolutely Belongs On The List
I was debating the best travel movies and here is my own list. It's going to weigh heavily towards planes and airports but I've also given some thought to being in an unfamiliar place and growing as a person because of the places you've been. I think each of...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
The Mighty Big Boy Locomotive 4004 in Cheyenne in Wyoming
The Mighty Big Boy steam locomotive number 4004 in Cheyenne in Wyoming was one of 25 Big Boy locomotives that were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady in New York between 1941 and 1944 at a cost of greater than a quarter of...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
American Airlines Faces Flight Delays in Dallas After Managers Blocked 1,128 Days of Crew Flying in a Single Month
Managers at American Airlines’ biggest hub at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) blocked 1,128 days’ worth of work for flight attendants in a single month, as crew members were grounded while the airline carried out investigations into anonymous complaints, first-time lateness, and stolen crew devices. The Association of Professional...
The Bulkhead Seat
Delta Passenger Scores Incredible $17 Upgrade to Delta One® on 15-Hour Flight
Every so often, an airline upgrade deal appears that seems almost too good to…
Miles To Memories
Last Chance At This Profitable Office Depot Visa Gift Card Deal (Plus Bonus Points)
Reminder that this is your last chance at this profitable Office Depot Visa gift card deal since it is ending today.
Live and Let’s Fly
UPDATE: United Airlines Backtracks On Free Changes For Disgruntled Trump Airport Passengers
Yesterday, we broke news that United Airlines had authorized its reservations agents to rebook passengers who did not want to fly into Palm Beach International Airport, now called President Donald J. Trump International Airport, to nearby airports at no charge, even if the new itinerary was more expensive. After this...
The Bulkhead Seat
FAA Restores Boeing’s Authority to Self-Certify All New 737 MAX and 787 Aircraft
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has restored Boeing’s authority to issue airworthiness certificates for…
Eye of the Flyer
Almost at Alaska MVPGOLD75K Status, an Airbnb With a Surprise Family Portrait, United’s “New” Blocked Middle Seat Trick, and This Week’s Travel News — Weekly Recap
A couple of things worth mentioning before we get into this week’s posts. I am just a handful of points away from reaching Alaska Airlines MVPGOLD75K status — earned entirely through card spend — and I’ll share soon why that matters more than it might sound. The short version: in...
View from the Wing
A Whole New Way To Be Awful At 30,000 Feet As Passenger’s Clever Hack Ruins Neighbor’s Flight Experience
One Delta passenger shared a photo of a woman whose big jacket was tied around her seat back - taking up space from the passenger behind them, and covering that passenger's screen. Coach seats can be uncomfortable, and a bit of extra padding is clever. Using your jacket for back...
Frequent Miler
Rental deals for VIPs, Greg’s short-lived Premier, Carrie locks in 2X, and more (Week in Review)
Rental cars have quietly become our largest travel expense. This is compounded by the fact that we have several upcoming trips that will include five to eight people traveling together. We need larger vehicles or multiple vehicles for several trips. The costs have been adding up. Several times this week,...
note with a message on it (l) man shares traveling experience (c) Southwest airlines (r)
BoardingArea
Man Checks In For Southwest Airlines Flight From Chicago To Orlando. Then He Finds Out He’s The Sole Passenger On Board
"You're the most important passenger on this flight."
2PAXfly
SYDNEY AIRPORT: Pay AU$20 to skip the international security queue
Passengers departing from the T1 International Terminal can now pay AU$20 per person for access to a priority queue at the main security checkpoint, regardless of airline, travel class, or Frequent Flyer status. The new SYD Fast Track service effectively opens Sydney Airport’s existing Priority Entry pathway to any international...
2PAXfly
LOUNGE REVIEW: Qantas First check-in and Lounge, Sydney
This is the second instalment of my Oh Canada! Trip Report. I’m lucky that many of my international trips start at Sydney Airport at the Qantas First Check-in facility. And that is closely followed by a visit to the Qantas First Lounge. That was the case this day, with my...
Wild About Travel
My ATM Rules to Keep You and Your Money Safe
At an ATM, distraction is all it takes. Last week, I was coming out of a metro station, when I noticed two European backpackers staring at an ATM. As I rode down the long escalator behind them, I could see they were squinting at the screen, unsure about fees or...
2PAXfly
AUSTRALIA: Goodbye orange arrival card. Digital passenger declarations go national
That mid-flight scramble for a pen, finding your flight number, address in Australia, and other details will soon be over. Wondering if you need to declare that wooden statue/shell necklace you bought in Bali/Fiji (you do). Not to mention declaring that jar of home-grown honey your aunt gave you in...
2PAXfly
TRIP REPORT: Oh Canada! Introduction
This is my most recent trip, completed in June 2026. It’s my first time in Canada, and we crossed the country from Vancouver on the West Coast to St John’s on the East Coast. The trip lasted about three weeks. This trip was in paid Business Class on Qantas and...
Wild About Travel
I Finally Did It: All 50 US States
My first trip to the USA was my second time overseas as a (very young adult). I boarded a Continental Airlines flight for Honolulu. I had no idea that I would return many, many times to the USA and end up visiting every state. For a long time, I thought...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 12 July, 2026
Hello travellers, Well, the dust has largely settled on our renovations, but as always, there is a bit here and a bit there still to do. We are back in our regular bedroom with its new floor, and using our repaired and renewed bathroom. All of that confirms what Dorothy...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: A380s to get WiFi by 2027
But you will have to wait until early 2027. The A380s are scheduled to have their repeatedly delayed WiFi upgrade by then, but it’s slow Viasat not peppy Starlink. At least usage is free across classes. Qantas has now installed satellite internet across its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet and most...