2PAXfly
NEW YEAR’S EVE: Flights that go back to the future
If you celebrate New Year’s Eve at the departure airport, board a long flight, and then land on a day that still reads December 31 local time, you’ve just experienced one of commercial aviation’s quirkiest phenomena. Thanks to time zones and the International Date Line, a handful of long-haul flights...
2PAXfly
EVACUATION: Why people still grab cabin bags and don’t ‘leave everything’
If I had a dollar for every person who does not obey the instruction to ‘leave your bags’ during an emergency evacuation of an aircraft, I’d be a rich man. This isn’t just annoying behaviour. It is dangerous because it slows evacuations. The aviation industry is now treating this as...
Wild About Travel
8 Fantastic Train Trips That Made My 2025 Unforgettable​
Trains, for me, are one of the most interesting, practical and romantic ways to get around the planet, and I love them more than I love planes (and I love planes a lot). I I have ridden railways now on every inhabited continent, and in 202,5 I added these eight...
Wild About Travel
Come on lets do better! Watching terrible passenger behaviour
Some things drive me quietly mad. In 2025, I’ve watched travellers with the fascination usually reserved for wildlife documentaries. This includes territorial battles, questionable public grooming and aggression. Travel is back in business, but it feels like basic manners clearly missed the memo. Passenger behaviour is objectively worse than pre‑pandemic,...
Also on BoardingArea
You Are Travel
Whew! – I Just Caught a Last Minute Posting Error that Could Have Prevented Me From Hyatt Globalist
​tl;dr – PSA: Remember to Check Your Elite Night Credit Postings ​A quick reminder for anyone pursuing status… The post Whew! – I Just Caught a Last Minute Posting Error that Could Have Prevented Me From Hyatt Globalist appeared first on You Are Travel.
View from the Wing
Starting January 7, British Airways Cuts Real Breakfast From Short Business Class Flights — Yogurt and Pastry Replace the Full English
Starting January 7, British Airways will stop serving a full English-style hot breakfast on its shortest business class routes out of London. Club Europe passengers will get fruit, yogurt, and pastry instead—another cost-cut that chips away at the one thing European business class usually still does well: catering. Continue reading Starting...
Frequent Miler
British Airways shopping portal: Earn 4x-8x at Giftcards.com
Yesterday we covered the increased rates available for Giftcards.com purchases through a few different shopping portals. It turns out that the British Airways shopping portal is also offering higher rates for gift card purchases from that site too. The Deal Earn 4x-8x Avios on Giftcards.com purchases through the British Airways...
One Mile at a Time
Ugh: Misdirected Delay Frustration In The Lufthansa First Class Terminal
For the return portion ofour Good Morning Milan, Goodnight Moon trip,my dad and I flew Lufthansa first class from Frankfurt (FRA) to Boston (BOS). Arguably the best part of the experience is being able to use the Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt (FCT), so that you can skip the main...
The Bulkhead Seat
Still Gross: 2026 Airline Water Study Ranks the Water Safety On Board US Airlines
It has been years since I have consumed coffee or tea on an airplane.… The post Still Gross: 2026 Airline Water Study Ranks the Water Safety On Board US Airlines appeared first on The Bulkhead Seat.
Points With a Crew
Kickstarter: Multiwallet Dual-Wallet System
The Multiwallet dual-wallet system from Chiseled Design is made out of genuine leather and comes with RFID blocking, a passport holder, and ...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Frequent Flyers Are Up In Arms As British Airways Eliminates Hot Breakfast On Many Short-Haul Routes
British Airways has just made yet another unpopular announcement – the airline is eliminating hot breakfasts in its Club Europe business class cabin on many short-haul routes, and the reason is so that cabin crew have more time to interact with the passengers. Perhaps understandably, the announcement has not gone...
You Are Travel
Checking in on Blackbeard’s 2025 Predictions – How’d I Do?
​tl;dr – Spoiler alert: Nostradamus, I am not. ​At the beginning of the year, I published Blackbeard’s 2025… The post Checking in on Blackbeard’s 2025 Predictions – How’d I Do? appeared first on You Are Travel.
Frequent Miler
Kroger: Earn 4x fuel points on 3rd party gift cards; fixed-value Visa & Mastercard gift cards
Kroger is again running a promotion that awards 4x fuel points on third-party gift cards, whether purchased online or in-store, as well as on fixed-value Visa and Mastercard gift cards. Note that the promotion dates are different depending on the cards. Third party gift cards are 4x on Friday January...
The Bulkhead Seat
2025 In Review: My Top 10 Hotel Stays
I spent more than 150 nights in hotels (between business and leisure travel) in… The post 2025 In Review: My Top 10 Hotel Stays appeared first on The Bulkhead Seat.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Coming Soon (Maybe): Southwest Mulls First Class Seating. Logical Next Step Or Desperate Move?
Southwest Airlines is ‘seriously considering’ equipping at least some of its Boeing 737s with bigger, plusher seats up front – the Dallas-based carrier’s first foray into First Class seating. Given all the other changes that Southwest has already made or announced in 2025, the introduction of First Class seems more...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
One of My Best Lodging Stays Ever: Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton. Hotel Review.
I recently experienced one of my best lodging stays ever at Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. The experience initially did not start off well: upon arrival at... The post One of My Best Lodging Stays Ever: Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by...
You Are Travel
Bulgaria to Adopt the EURO as of January 1, 2026
​tl;dr – Bulgaria will be the 21st member of the eurozone. ​Bulgaria, everyone’s favorite Black Sea nation, will… The post Bulgaria to Adopt the EURO as of January 1, 2026 appeared first on You Are Travel.
Economondo
Time Travelling: Planespotting in Manchester in 2009
Travel back in time with me to 2009 to do some planespotting at Manchester Airport!
View from the Wing
She Pointed Her Feet at the Ceiling To Survive 12 Hours in Economy — Did This Flight ‘Hack’ Cross The Line?
A Pilates instructor on a 12-hour flight from Paris raised both legs straight up the cabin wall just to get through 10-plus hours in economy — and TikTok turned her stretch into a referendum on coach etiquette. Here’s what really happened on board, what she says about the flight, and...
Your Mileage May Vary
Is It Worth Buying IHG Points? Sometimes It’s the Cheapest Way to Book a Hotel
Buying hotel points can feel like one of those things people do when they’ve lost the plot. I get it — I even wrote about it a while back when…
Economy Class & Beyond
REVIEW 2025 – Kevin’s Years in Numbers
It’s time for me to look back on my year in flying, as I dive into my numbers.   Because everyone loves numbers. Maps are good. Here’s one that I generated on https://www.greatcirclemap.com, showing my adventures (few as they were) this year. The big numbers for 2025 – around the same...
Frequent Miler
More waived purchase fee promos from VanillaGift, TheGiftCardShop & AmexGiftCard
VanillaGift.com, TheGiftCardShop.com, and AmexGiftCard.com are all once again offering waived purchase fees on Visa or Amex gift cards when using a promo code. The Deals Get waived purchase fees when buying the following gift cards: TheGiftCardShop – $200+ Visa gift cards with promo code NEWYEAR26 Direct link to offer VanillaGift...
One Mile at a Time
Let Them Eat Fruit: British Airways Cuts Hot Breakfast In Club Europe Business
British Airways will soon be rolling out a change that will no doubt be controversial with those who like their traditional English breakfast…
Points With a Crew
Why Won’t My Laptop Charge On A Plane?
If your laptop isn't charging on an airplane, that happened to me. Here are 3 strategies on how to fix the problem of laptops not charging on planes.
Live and Let’s Fly
My Top 10 Flights In 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, we are wrapping up my annual “Top 10” series. Here, I’ll look back on my 10 favorite flights from 2025. My Top 10 Flights In 2025 As a reminder, this is not a top-10 all-time list, nor does it necessarily contain the 10 most...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
December 31 Bonus Offer Highlight: Best Western Rewards – Up to 3x points for stays in Austria, Germany & Switzerland
Today's bonus offer highlight is the latest extension of the up to 3x points offer from Best Western for stays at various hotels in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Check out all of the new bonuses added today: The post December 31 Bonus Offer Highlight: Best Western Rewards – Up to 3x...
Your Mileage May Vary
Why Do Hotels Do This?! The Most Baffling Design Choices We Keep Suffering Through
We’ve all been there — standing in a hotel room wondering who, exactly, designed this space and whether they’ve ever stayed in a hotel themselves. Because sometimes the rooms make…
Points Miles and Bling
Refreshed – Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Frankfurt Review 2025
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Frankfurt – Location and Access The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (MLL) at Frankfurt Airport… The post Refreshed – Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Frankfurt Review 2025 appeared first on Points Miles and Bling.
Wild About Travel
“Where are you?” Ten Amazing and Two Terrible Travel Moments of 2025
I know I have a reputation when people message me and ask not “how are you?” but “where are you?” This year’s answer included going to 27 countries around the globe: from Brazil and South Africa in the south, to Finland and Norway in the north, Japan in the east,...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: the end of Premium Entry, and what replaces it
For a long time, Virgin Australia’s fast-track security offering was one of the airline’s most quietly valuable perks. Known as Premium Entry, it allowed eligible travellers to bypass the main security queues at key airports and move swiftly from kerb to lounge with minimal friction. Premium Entry was available at...
2PAXfly
AIRLINES: Busiest and most profitable routes in the world.
The world’s busiest airline routes aren’t always the most profitable, and Australia’s most famous flight is a case in point. Globally, the busiest airline routes by seat count are in Asia, but most are less profitable than Sydney–Melbourne. The busiest route for 2025 is in South Korea, it joins Jeju...
2PAXfly
LOYALTY: Payment services let small business fly Business Class
The points economy is now an AU$5 billion industry. Gaming the system is the way to go to allow sole traders and SME (Small to Medium Enterprise) owners to turn their bills into Business Class flights. The way to achieve this is by making expenses like rent, wages, BAS payments...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Cuts free First Class for executives and board members on Project Sunrise flights
Qantas has quietly tightened the rules around who can use staff and director travel entitlements at the very front of the aircraft. In particular, it has drawn a hard line around First Class for its future Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR fleet, where seats will be scarce, ultra-premium, and intended primarily...
Wild About Travel
One of the World’s Most Remote Train lines: Australia’s Prospector
Western Australia is huge: it is about ten times the size of the UK and almost four times the size of Texas. Only around 3 million people live in the state, and roughly 2.2 million of them are in the capital, Perth, while the UK has about 67 million people...
Wild About Travel
After 300 Airports, Here Are the Best and Worst
After many decades of flying, I’ve now passed through 300 airports. It’s a slightly ridiculous milestone, but it does give me a bit of authority when I say what makes a great airport and what makes a terrible one. There are seven things that win me over with airports: 1....
2PAXfly
FINNAIR: Melbourne to Helsinki flights via Bangkok from October 2026
Finnair is heading to Australia, and not just on a wet-lease to Qantas. The Helsinki-based oneworld carrier will commence a new daily service to Melbourne, beginning 25 October 2026 (subject to approvals). It will be operated with an Airbus A350. This will be the airline’s first-ever scheduled flights to Australia....