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
TravelUpdate
The great business class seat selection fee ripoff – and why I don’t pay!
Having to pay for seat selection in business class, to me, reeks of a low cost carrier. Whenever…
One Mile at a Time
New Delta One Suites Will Include Special “Business Class Plus” Product
In recent times, weve seen airlines increasingly introduce business class plus products. The concept here is simple with most latest generation business class seats, theres typically a bit of extra space at the bulkheads, so airlines introduce a product with a little more room and some extra services, and...
Economondo
Flying the Nepal Airlines Flagship Airbus A330: Delhi to Kathmandu
Come with me as I sample the delights of Nepal's national carrier on its route from Delhi to Kathmandu
View from the Wing
LAX’s New Metro Station Set To Be Renamed For Cathay Pacific In Nearly $10 Million Deal
LAX’s new Metro station is about to get an airline name — but not Delta, United, American or Southwest. Cathay Pacific is set to pay nearly $10 million for naming rights to the airport’s rail-and-bus gateway, turning it into the Cathay Pacific/LAX Metro Transit Center even though most riders will...
Eye of the Flyer
Cruise Ship Workers Including Disney Staff Deported in Child Pornography Bust, and a Private Jet CEO Says the Airline Fuel Shortage Is a Myth — Plus More Travel News!
Here are this week’s travel news headlines from around the web and interweb I found the most interesting. Take a look: The Death of Spirit Airlines Is a Warning About How We Evaluate Airline Mergers A Bloomberg Law opinion piece makes a compelling argument that the government’s decision to block...
Frequent Miler
Surprisingly strong Citi Travel results, the best credit card combinations that cost less than $95 combined, keeping your miles alive, and more [Week in Review]
A long-running joke in this space is that there’s no IT in Hyatt. That’s because Hyatt has long been known for its less-than-stellar IT. I ran into my latest experience with Hyatt’s lackluster IT this week when I wanted to book a simple one-night stay at an airport Hyatt Place....
One Mile at a Time
United Airlines Panasonic Wi-Fi Issues Over The Pacific: What’s Going On?
We’ll have to mark this as ”developing,” but it seems worth acknowledging that United Airlines seems to be having some problems with Wi-Fi on its long haul flights, and it might not get better for some time.
Live and Let’s Fly
United’s Oldest 777 Returns To Boeing, Fueling 777X Speculation
United flew N774UA, the oldest active Boeing 777 in the world, back to Paine Field this week for what has internally been called a “press event.” That alone is a fun avgeek story. But whenever United, Boeing, and the 777 are in the same sentence, I cannot help but to...
Live from a Lounge
Buy Hyatt Points with a 20% Bonus (US Cents 2.17 | INR 2.08 per point)
Buy Hyatt Points with a 20% bonus. This is one of the better offers and could land you an extremely swanky luxurious hotel at less than 5-star prices.
Frequent Miler
Current Amex Offers
This post is designed to show current Amex Offers. If you have any Amex cards, even authorized user cards, then you’re eligible to sign up for offers when you log into your Amex account. If you’re planning to shop or book travel, check this page to see if an Amex...
Points With a Crew
The Easiest Way To Get Your Free $50 From Rakuten (Deal Extended)
If you're not sure how to take advantage of the easy $50 welcome bonus from Rakuten, here is in my opinion the best way to get some easy money. Simply ...
Economy Class & Beyond
TRIP REPORT: Off the Camera Roll – Views and Images of a Windy City – Still for the Friends
Off the Camera Roll – Views and Images of a Windy City TRIP REPORT: Still for the Friends Time for a bit of a photojournal. Something new for the trip reports called “Off the Camera Roll” Still for the friends But first. A trip to Liverpool, North West England.  But...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
The One Benefit of a Window Seat With No Window
My preference for a window seat has been mentioned in many articles here at The Gate With Brian Cohen primarily because I can enjoy the view of outside the aircraft — even if it only offers clouds, ocean, and sky; and whether the view is during the day or night... ...but...
Frequent Miler
Get 2 ChatGPT Business seats for $25/mo total for 4 years! (probably won’t last)
Dan’s Deals has uncovered a working link to subscribe to ChatGPT Business and get the second seat free for 4 years. That means that with the link below, as long as this deal lasts, you’ll be able to sign up for ChatGPT Business for 2 people for a total of...
Frequent Miler
Best $95 travel credit card combo | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep358 | 5-15-26
We talk a lot about the ultra-premium credit cards with expensive annual fees, but there are plenty of people interested in credit cards with more modest annual fees. Luckily, there are some great $95 credit cards that can be supplemented with fee-free cards for a great travel rewards strategy. Best...
Your Mileage May Vary
United Sent Us A “Customer Appreciation” Email After Our Flight Returned To Its Departure City
After our United flight to Frankfurt turned around mid-flight and stranded us back in Washington D.C., the compensation process was almost as confusing as the disruption itself. If you’ve been…
woman shares traveling accident and airline issue (l) Flair Airlines aircraft (r)
BoardingArea
Woman Falls Off Bridge In Mexico, Breaking Her Spine. Then She Tries To Reschedule Her Flight Home With Flair Airlines: ‘No Sign Of Humanity’
“We cannot make any exceptions..."
The Bulkhead Seat
FAA Approves DJT Airport Code for Palm Beach International Airport After Recent Renaming
As I wrote about in March, Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is officially being…
Frequent Miler
Mastercard launches “Taste by Priceless” Lounges
It seems like every Tom, Dick, airline, and credit card issuer has their own airport lounge these days. Never one to miss out on a chance to get in the game late, Mastercard has now announced the opening of two new proprietary lounges, one in Hong Kong and the other...
View from the Wing
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Bets $2.6 Billion On Delta — After Decades Warning Against Airlines
Warren Buffett spent decades warning that airlines destroy capital, joking that investors needed to be talked down before buying them. Now Berkshire Hathaway is back anyway, disclosing a $2.6 billion stake in Delta — its third major run at an industry Buffett once treated like an addiction.
Miles To Memories
Vegas Elevator Nightmare, Another Pro Sports Team, Allegiant’s Big Merger & AI Maps Gone Wild!
More pro sports for Vegas, elevator nightmare, updating on Summer comps, Mandalay Bay suite tour plus Slotapalooza!
View from the Wing
American Airlines Wants Commercial Flights Back To Naples, Florida — The Airport Locals Tried To Move
American Airlines wants to bring commercial flights back to Naples, Florida — a wealthy, convenient Gulf Coast airport that locals have spent years fighting, and even tried to move. The plan is for Charlotte service starting this winter, but the real story is whether one of Florida’s most contested small...
The Bulkhead Seat
American Airlines Adds 23,000 Seats for Biggest-Ever Football Travel Schedule
American Airlines is boosting its flight schedule this fall to accommodate football fans traveling…
Points With a Crew
Should you buy Hilton points with (up to) a 100% bonus?
Buying points can be a great way to boost your balance, but only if makes sense financially! Does the new Hilton promotion fit that criteria?
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...