2PAXfly
NEW ROUTES 2026 #8: Fiji Airways adds Gold Coast flights
You will soon be able to fly direct from the Gold Coast to Fiji. That’s one holiday destination to another. But, the upside is that it may offer an interesting route to the US. From 11 June 2026, Gold Coast travellers can fly direct to Nadi three times weekly, connecting...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 22 March, 2026
I’ve been enjoying my week back in Sydney. I’ll soon be winging my way to Europe for a few weeks.  I’m set to experience some new destinations and a new airline. I hope to have some interesting blog posts for you along the way. What happened last week? Two more...
2PAXfly
EMIRATES ETIHAD QATAR: Extend status for loyal members
The big three Gulf carriers, that’s Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways, have begun rolling out status protection measures for their loyalty members. They are aknowledging current reality that disrupted travel means fewer flights, and fewer flights mean it’s harder to retain status. Background The disruption caused by the war...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: To review airfares every fortnight during Middle East war. Other airlines introduce fuel surcharges.
Qantas says it will review international airfares every two weeks, as soaring fuel costs and a rapidly shifting global aviation map make even short-term pricing forecasts difficult. It’s not alone, airlines across Australia, Europe and Asia are now raising fares, adjusting schedules and warning of more changes to come. Background...
Also on BoardingArea
One Mile at a Time
Transavia Flight Overbooked, Captain Asks For Volunteers To Sit In Cockpit
While it’s not uncommon to see flights overbooked, here’s an unconventional way of handling that… and I’m kind of jealous of the ”lucky” passengers (thanks to View from the Wing for flagging this).
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Consular Information for Americans in the Middle East Issued March 2026 By The State Department of the United States: Travel Alert
Consular Information for Americans in the Middle East was issued by the Bureau of Consulate Affairs of the State Department of the United States yesterday, Sunday, March 22, 2026 for 14 countries in addition to an unusual worldwide caution. This statement is from the official Internet web site of the Bureau...
Live from a Lounge
Qatar Airways putting jets into storage facilities, but why?
Qatar Airways has been unable to restore operations to the scale of Emirates and Etihad. The airline is now sending aircraft into storage. Here are the details.
View from the Wing
LaGuardia Controller: “I Messed Up” After Runway Crash Kills Two Air Canada Pilots
An Air Canada Express CRJ-900 arriving from Montreal hit a fire truck that was crossing Runway 4 at LaGuardia shortly after landing around 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, causing severe damage to the aircraft’s nose and cockpit. The captain and first officer were killed, multiple passengers and first responders were injured,...
Monkey Miles
30% transfer bonus Citi Thank You to Virgin Atlantic
Between now and 3/18/23 enjoy a 30% transfer bonus when you transfer Citi Thank You to Virgin Atlantic
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Two Dead, Many Injured After Air Canada Express Jet Collides With Fire Truck at LaGuardia Tearing Off Cockpit
At least two people have been killed and many more injured after a regional jet operated on behalf of Air Canada Express by regional airline Jazz Aviation collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) in New York late on Sunday night. The incident occurred a short time...
One Mile at a Time
Air Canada Plane & Fire Truck Collide At LaGuardia, Causing Major Accident
While some details are emerging, this doesn’t look good at all…
One Mile at a Time
Today Only: Up To 4x Bonus Airline Miles On Apple Purchases
Online shopping portals can be a great way to pick up additional miles and points for purchases youd make anyway. Just for following a specific link, you can earn bonus points in addition to the ones youd earn for credit card spending. Whenever I make an online purchase, I always...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Worldwide Caution Issued March 2026 By The State Department of the United States: Travel Alert
An unusual worldwide caution that was issued by the Bureau of Consulate Affairs of the State Department of the United States yesterday, Sunday, March 22, 2026 is the result of various civil unrests, conflicts, and wars around the world. This statement is from the official Internet web site of the Bureau of...
Frequent Miler
Here’s how hotel Best Rate Guarantees work (Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG, & more)
Hotel Best Rate Guarantees can be one of the most frustration-inducing features offered by hotel chains. They sound great on the surface – find a better price elsewhere and the hotel chain will match it – but you’ve likely heard horror stories about people being unable to get their claims...
The Bulkhead Seat
Hotel Review: Courtyard by Marriott Cincinnati Mason
I had to be in Cincinnati for a meeting and the Courtyard by Marriott…
Points With a Crew
Amex Delta Gold vs. Delta Platinum – which is better? (New Higher Offers)
Several Amex Delta credit cards currently have all-time high signup bonuses. Looking at the Delta Gold vs. Delta Platinum cards - how can you decide which is better?
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Echo Point Lookout in the Blue Mountains of Australia
Echo Point Lookout in the Blue Mountains of Australia is a place which visitors can take in breathtaking views of the Three Sisters Aboriginal Place — which is a natural rock formation that is recognized as a place of special cultural significance to Aboriginal people — and the surrounding landscape. At...
You Are Travel
Rove Offering 50% Transfer Bonus With Japan Airlines
​tl;dr – Celebrating their new partnership, Rove and JAL launch a transfer bonus. ​There’s a new transfer bonus…
John The Wanderer
Celebrity Solstice: 8 New Reasons to Sail After Her Epic Relaunch
This article is the 2026 relaunch of the Celebrity Solstice. It is about the eight new guest experiences and architectural updates unveiled on March 2, 2026, in Singapore. The Celebrity…
Your Mileage May Vary
What A Cruise Ship Captain’s Living Quarters Really Looks Like
You’ve probably heard about where pilots sleep on long flights. But cruise ship captains? Their living quarters are on a whole different level. If you like to travel, you’ve probably…
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Flight Attendant Unions Claim Trump Administration Has ‘Chosen to Create Havoc’ at Airports With ‘ICE Invasion’
Unions representing more than 100,000 flight attendants across the United States have accused the Trump administration of choosing to “create havoc” by refusing to pay TSA officers and instead threatening an “ICE invasion” at airport security checkpoints. The accusations were made in a strongly worded open letter on Sunday from...
View from the Wing
Woman And Child Flew Six Hours In Cockpit Jumpseats — Airline Avoided Paying Overbooking Compensation
A woman and a child reportedly spent a six-hour flight in cockpit jumpseats after an oversold departure prompted the Air France KLM low cost subsidiary to look for volunteers to sit up front instead of in the cabin. The airline says it complied with European safety rules. Paying normal denied...
View from the Wing
A Stranger Gave A Passenger A Foot Massage In Coach — Kind, Weird, And Still Inappropriate
A passenger flying SAS from Copenhagen to Los Angeles after recent surgery says she wound up getting a 30-minute foot massage from a stranger in coach after an expected empty seat between them disappeared. It is an oddly kind story — three women who did not share a language improvising...
2PAXfly
NEW ROUTES 2026 #8: Fiji Airways adds Gold Coast flights
You will soon be able to fly direct from the Gold Coast to Fiji. That’s one holiday destination to another. But, the upside is that it may offer an interesting route to the US. From 11 June 2026, Gold Coast travellers can fly direct to Nadi three times weekly, connecting...
Monkey Miles
Citi Thank You 15% transfer bonus to Avianca LifeMiles
Citi Thank You 25% transfer bonus to Avianca LifeMiles
Points With a Crew
The 28 worst tourist traps out there
How can you tell a tourist trap from an interesting sight? After reading a list of 28 of the worst tourist traps out there, I was surprised to see how many of those I'd been to - I definitely have to agree with #1 on the list...
Your Mileage May Vary
Don’t Waste Your Marriott Free Night Certificates: How To Get The Most Value
It’s surprisingly easy to waste a Marriott Free Night Certificate. Not by letting it expire—although that happens more often than people admit—but by using it for the wrong stay. On…
Miles To Memories
For a Minute, This Oddity Was the World’s Best Disney Credit Card
Deeply discounting Disney vacations can involve wacky maneuvers. This play turned a niche product into a remarkable Disney credit card.
Wild About Travel
The Garden Route: Africa’s Edge
In high school, I attended a talk by a South African exchange student. Two things stayed with me: his description of apartheid in its final years, and his description of the Garden Route. I knew I had to visit. This route traces the edge of Africa, where the continent ends...
2PAXfly
DELTA AIR LINES: Sydney bound flight hit with extreme turbulence. Passengers hospitalised
Just breaking: Some people have sustained injuries on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. The flight experienced extreme turbulence during the flight this morning. Emergency services attended Sydney Airport prior to the flight landing. Radio station 2GB reported that the plane was struck by intense turbulence. This resulted...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Jestar flyers dumped from lounge acccess. No more lounge pass trading.
In two major rule changes from July 1, 2026, Qantas will reshape how travellers use lounge invitations and who gets through the door in the first place. This is going to be big for those sensible flyers who booked Jetstar fares direct and used Qantas lounges, or those who sold...
2PAXfly
NEW ROUTES 2026 #10: British Airways returns to Melbourne
British Airways is heading back to Melbourne for the first time in two decades, and the timing doesn’t look accidental. As conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors, the UK flag carrier is launching daily flights between London Heathrow and Melbourne via...
2PAXfly
NEW ROUTES 2026 #7: Air New Zealand from Brisbane with new Business Class
With Australians being loyal to airlines based in the great southern lands, its cousins over the Tasman are often overlooked. Now, sometimes that ignorance is legitimate; they did have a very inferior Business Class cabin, or their fares always seemed pitched above those of Australian-based airlines. But now, Air NZ...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Vape ignites on flight from Brisbane, emergency response at Melbourne Airport
A vape device ignited inside the cabin of a Virgin Australia flight VA328 approaching Melbourne, prompting an emergency call from the flight crew and a precautionary response from airport firefighters. The incident occurred on Sunday, 15 March. As the aircraft descended toward Melbourne Airport, the device activated and began smoking...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 15 March, 2026
I’m back in Sydney after spending nearly a week at the Adelaide Festival and catching up with friends and relatives. I also got to experience the new Economy Plus seats in row 5 on a Qantas B737, with extra legroom. It’s good.  I’m now putting the final touches to my...
2PAXfly
NEW ROUTES 2026 #6: Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo one of the smartest ways to Europe
There was a time when booking Malaysia Airlines to Europe felt like choosing price over style. The airline did the job, but it rarely turned heads. That view may have changed with the arrival of the Airbus A330neo across Australian routes. Commencing its rollout in 2025, with full deployment by...