2PAXfly
WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT: Finally an opening date, and Jetstar gets first dibs
Western Sydney International Airport will welcome its first paying passengers on Sunday, 25 October 2026, with Jetstar being the first commercial passenger carrier off the tarmac. The inaugural flight from Western Sydney International, officially the Nancy-Bird Walton Airport and known by the code WSI, will be a Jetstar flight, JQ362,...
Wild About Travel
draft Kalogorlei ourback tnwn
I almost came to Kalgoorlie decades ago but never made it. I have travelled across Western Australia’s 2,527,013 square kilometres (975,685 sq mi), from Esperance in the south to Wyndham in the north, and through many towns, beaches, deserts, and mountain ranges in between. I love the state. Kalgoorlie remained...
2PAXfly
RIYADH AIR: New aviation deal with Saudi Arabia puts passennger flight on Australia’s horizon
Saudi Arabia has signed a new aviation agreement with Australia, opening the way for direct flights into Avalon in Victoria and Toowoomba Wellcamp in Queensland. The first flights are likely to be freight, chilled meat, seafood and dairy and not business class suites. But this raises the possiblity that Riyadh...
2PAXfly
RIYADH AIR: Initial destinations and flight schedule
We finally have the launch schedules and first five destinations for the long-awaited launch of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air. Launch pricing is intriguing rather than sensational, but at least any travellers on these flights will get the full Riyadh experience in Riyadh Air’s fully kitted-out cabins. But don’t expect an...
Also on BoardingArea
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Emirates Will Start Offering Passengers Inventives to Fly Through the Middle East as First Class Sits Half Empty
Sir Tim Clark, the longtime president of Dubai-based mega airline Emirates, says the carrier will start offering incentives to lure back travelers who have been scared away by the ongoing security situation in the Middle East. At the height of the troubles, Iran launched salvo upon salvo of ballistic missiles...
Economy Class & Beyond
easyJet takes delivery of its 100th Airbus A320neo family aircraft
easyJet has taken delivery of its 100th A320neo Family aircraft in Hamburg, as it continues to modernise its fleet and improve operational efficiency. The milestone aircraft, built by Airbus, joins easyJet’s all-Airbus fleet, which now totals 359 aircraft. The addition reflects the airline’s ongoing transition towards newer, more fuel-efficient technology...
View from the Wing
[FINAL DAYS] Chase Sapphire Reserve 150,000 Point Bonus Ends June 15
Chase Sapphire Reserve’s 150,000-point initial bonus ends June 15, with strong travel and dining earning, Sapphire Lounge access, and credits that can outweigh the fee.
View from the Wing
United Brings Netflix Chef’s Table Meals To Business Class To Fix A Polaris Weak Spot Starting In August
United is adding Netflix Chef’s Table-branded meals to international business class starting August 1, aiming to fix a weak spot in Polaris with preorder-only city-specific menus.
TravelUpdate
$0 Intro Fee, 130,000 Points Offer & 1 Free Night After $15k Spend: Hilton Surpass Card Review
With this limited time offer on the Hilton Surpass card, you'll pay no annual fee for the first year and can also earn 130,000 bonus points.
One Mile at a Time
Big Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Changes Unveiled: They’re A Mixed Bag
The credit card space is incredibly competitive, and nowadays we see card changes with a frequency that’s much higher than in the past. Along those lines, Chase has just announced some major changes to the $95 annual fee Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. They’re a mixed bag, with some good news,...
TravelUpdate
Trump Admin Cripples CFPB, Removes 2,200 Webpages From The Website As Complaints Jump To 5.4 Million
The Trump Administration has quietly deleted over 2,200 pages from the website of the CFPB, clipping the wings of the consumer watchdog.
TravelUpdate
$300 Amex Platinum Card Credit: How Soon Does The Lululemon Benefit Post?
After last year's refresh, there's a brand new Lululemon credit on the Amex Platinum Card. How soon does the credit post in 2026?
Frequent Miler
Chase slashing Hyatt transfer ratio to 4:3 for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
This morning, Chase launched a number of updates to the Sapphire Preferred card. Among those updates was a major piece of news that will affect both Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders and Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card holders. Effective immediately for new Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred...
View from the Wing
Chase Sapphire Preferred Refresh Makes The Card Much Better — But Hyatt Transfers Get 25% Worse
Chase Sapphire Preferred is getting a meaningful June 15 refresh: better earning on gas, EV charging and vacation rentals, a $100 hotel credit, Global Entry/PreCheck/Nexus reimbursement, and stronger travel protections. But the card’s most valuable transfer partner takes a real hit, with Hyatt transfers dropping from 1:1 to 4:3 for...
Frequent Miler
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card updates: added bonus categories and coupon credit, same annual fee, devalued transfers to Hyatt
Today, Chase has announced a complete refresh of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card coming on June 15, 2026. Positive changes include a couple of additional bonus categories, including 3X on gas and vacation rentals, as well as additional coupon credits, and no increase to the card’s $95 annual fee. Those...
One Mile at a Time
WOW: My Visit To Laos’ Creepy, Lawless “Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone”
Duringmy two-part birthday trip to the Golden Triangle,we spent a few nights at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle. As I hinted at in the review, we did a side trip during our stay that I found to be utterly fascinating, so let me explain how it came to...
View from the Wing
Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Are Furious That Mechanics Will Soon Be Able To Travel In Jumpseats On Full Flights
Southwest is restoring cabin jumpseat access for mechanics and other employees after a union challenge, reversing a flight-attendant-only policy with new annual training required, in a conflict between two unions over who gets access to a scarce resource that matters to their quality of life and benefits.
Live and Let’s Fly
Pope Leo XIV Got An Inflight Cockpit Visit On Iberia, Complete With Fighter Escort
Pope Leo XIV got a cockpit visit onboard an Iberia flight from Madrid to Barcelona, including a radio exchange with Spanish fighter pilots escorting the aircraft. Not exactly your average intra-Europe hop… Pope Leo XIV Visits Cockpit On Iberia Flight To Barcelona Pope Leo XIV was invited into the cockpit...
Live from a Lounge
Accor offering 2000 Bonus Points (worth INR 4400) for signing up for ALL Accor+
Accor+ is offering a 20% passback on the membership price via points for sign-ups through June 30, 2026. Here are the details.
woman shares cruise experience (l) Princess cruise (r)
BoardingArea
Woman Books Princess Cruise. Then She Reveals Why It’s Dubbed The ‘Retirement Home Of The Seas’: ‘Ur Private Yacht Is Niceeeee’
"I'm always the youngest by 20 years."
One Mile at a Time
Buy Hilton Honors Points With 100% Bonus, 0.5 Cents Each: Worth It?
Hilton Honors has just launched its newest bonus on purchased points, which is in line with the best offers we see from the program. This could represent a great value for hotel redemptions, especially with an immediate use in mind.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Airport Retailer WHSmith Issues Profit Warning as Sales Drop in the UK and US Due to Middle East Concerns and Rising Airfares
International airport retailer WHSmith has issued a profit warning after sales in key markets in the UK and the United States were lower than expected in the 14 weeks up to June 6. WHSmith is now planning to raise more money by issuing an additional 26 million new ordinary shares...
Live from a Lounge
Air India to test airside transfer on International Flights for customers departing from Varanasi, starting June 2026
Air India is initiating a new programme to help complete formalities at the origin airport rather than at Delhi.
Economy Class & Beyond
Apple annouces its 27 versions of its software – is your device ready for it?
It was Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kick-off earlier this week, and with it a rather… compact… list of announcements, as Apple is working “under the bonnet” on a lot of things, as well as Siri AI. But what’s going to be able to run what? Your OS27 lineup  Distilled...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Get 330 Free Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus Miles by updating your profile
Thai Airways are offering all Royal Orchid Plus (ROP) the opportunity to earn some free miles. Like most free miles offers, the number is small but hey, free miles are free miles! The 330 Free Thai Airways ROP Miles offer Get 330 Free ROP Miles when you log in to...
The Bulkhead Seat
Airlines Should Be Respectful, But Passengers of Size Should Still Pay for Extra Space
The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is calling on airlines to adopt more consistent and…
Points With a Crew
Chase Ink Business Preferred® vs. Chase Ink Business Cash® – which is better? $750 or 90,000 Points
The Chase Ink Preferred and Chase Ink Cash are two of Chase's business credit cards and they can both be great options to boost your Ultimate Rewards points balance. Deciding which one is best can depend on ...
The Bulkhead Seat
Air Canada Captain Charged After Allegedly Flying Hundreds of Flights Without License
A former Air Canada captain has been charged after authorities alleged he flew more…
2PAXfly
INDONESIA: Bali giveth to Australians, and taketh away from influencers
Bali is preparing to make holidays cheaper for Australians by restoring visa-free entry. At the same time, Indonesian immigration authorities are making life more complicated for influencers, content creators and assorted digital nomads by requiring them to obtain work visas. No longer will they be able to treat a tourist...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Taj hotel discounts for frequent flyers, with future status match
OneWorld executives have been busy. Qantas frequent flyers can now receive discounts at more than 630 Taj and Indian Hotels Company properties, under a new partnership linking the Oneworld airline alliance with the Taj InnerCircle–NeuPass loyalty program. The agreement stretches beyond Taj’s grand palaces and luxury hotels to include everything...
2PAXfly
ONEWORLD: Philippine Airlines is joining, and that’s good news for Australian travellers
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is preparing to join the oneworld alliance, bringing a Southeast Asian carrier into the same airline family as Qantas. The Philippine flag carrier has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to become oneworld’s 16th member, following an invitation from the alliance’s governing board. The announcement was made at...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Looking at Superjumbo A380 replacement
Qantas is reportedly considering an order for about 20 additional widebody aircraft, potentially setting up another contest between Airbus and Boeing for a large slice of the airline’s international fleet. According to Reuters aviation correspondent Tim Hepher, Qantas is discussing either additional Boeing 787 Dreamliners or the Airbus A350-900 with...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 7 June, 2027
Greetings again from Canada! I’ve spent just shy of a week in the Canadian capital, Ottawa. I’ve also had my first experience of Air Canada, and its Express and Rouge brands. I’m impressed on the whole with their Business Class. Less so by their lounges. What happened last week? Don’t...
2PAXfly
EXPLAINER: What’s the difference between narrow-body versus widebody aircraft?
It used to be largely true that wide-body aircraft were for long-haul flights and narrow-body aircraft were for short-haul flights. Bue recently, and especially since the advent of the Airbus A321XLR, that distinction no longer holds. What largely holds is the level of comfort and service provided on the different-sized...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Corporate affairs head demonstrates double standards on social media
This story was reported by Hannah Wootton, in the AFR. As you will see, there are now deleted posts involved, making this difficult to verify independently. However, the AFR is a journal of record and demonstrates traditional journalistic ethics, so I am inclined to trust their reporting. Since he’s Virgin...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Project Sunrise, test flights start, certification and other delays
On the day Qantas celebrates the successful maiden test flight of the first Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR, I thought it might be timely to look more closely at the project. Below, I examine publicly available information and other possible reasons for the delay in the aircraft and project launches. The...