2PAXfly
FLIGHT CUTS: Middle East conflict gives airlines lots of uncertainty
Planning an international trip in the next few months? You will need to pay close attention to your flights. No time to ‘book and forget’. With the way things are changing, it is more than likely that your flight might change. It might be the departure time, the route, the...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: SundAY 19 April, 2026
Greetings from London! I’m here in Spring, soaking up culture with visits to multiple galleries and exhibitions, I’m also enjoying a lot of theatre performances, and catch-ups with friends. New Museums and Galleries is my guideline, and to that end, I visited Leighton House, with its mad Arabic rooms, seen...
2PAXfly
AIR NEW ZEALAND: Skynest to cost AU$400. Soon bookable
Finally, Air New Zealand is about to offer a solution to the problem of sleeping in Economy. After years of delays, it’s finally becoming a reality, with bookings open from 18 May 2026. Years in the making Air New Zealand first revealed the concept in 2020, pitching it as a...
2PAXfly
CHINESE AIRLINES: Cut Australian flights, increasing flights to Europe
Chinese airlines are quietly pulling capacity out of Australia and redeploying those aircraft to Europe. They are chasing stronger demand and higher yields as global travel patterns shift. Due to the current Middle East conflict between the US/Israel, and Iran. There are some real consequences for Australian travellers. Fewer flights...
Also on BoardingArea
TravelUpdate
Hotel Review: Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
Background & Location I have actually never properly stayed at the Kimpton property before, and the closest I’ve…
Miles To Memories
Save Up To $60 On YouTube TV With New Amex Offer
There is a new YouTube TV Amex Offer that can help you save a nice chunk of change on your subscription, up to $60 in total.
Frequent Miler
More Easy Rewards: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples
Staples is again offering fee-free fixed $200 Visa Gift Cards from Sunday, April 19, through Saturday, April 25, 2026 (H/T: Melissa). The limit is nine per customer per day (although some stores may allow more). Different stores appear to have different policies regarding the variable-load cards that some Staples now...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
$50 New Member Referral Bonus With Rakuten
This is your chance to cash in on a $50 new member referral bonus when you sign up as a new member of Rakuten; and you will receive a bonus of $50.00 via referral when you spend a minimum of $50.00 within the first 90 days of your new membership, which is...
View from the Wing
American Airlines Is Replacing Its Nashville Lounge, Almost Tripling In Size With Outdoor Terraces
American Airlines will replace its current 7,000 square foot Nashville Admirals Club with a new 17,400 square foot lounge, with outdoor terraces.
Live and Let’s Fly
United 737 MAX 8 Diverts After “Sequential Beeping” Triggers Bomb Scare
A United Airlines 737 MAX 8 diverted after a strange, very specific “sequential beeping” sound onboard triggered fears of a possible bomb. United 737 MAX 8 Diverts After “Sequential Beeping” Under Floor Triggers Bomb Scare United Airlines flight UA2092 from Chicago (ORD) to New York (LGA) diverted to Pittsburgh (PIT)...
Economy Class & Beyond
Air India unveils its retrofitted Boeing 787-8
Air India unveiled its first retrofitted Boeing 787-8 (registered VT-ANT), marking the successful completion of a nose-to-tail cabin refresh of the first of 26 Boeing 787 aircraft. The aircraft, which received comprehensive interior upgrades at Boeing’s Modification Centre in Victorville, California, was subsequently painted in Air India’s new livery at...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Frontier Airlines Sues American Airlines AGAIN For Collision at Boston Logan Airport That Caused $670,000 Worth of Damage to Airbus A321
Frontier Airlines has filed a second lawsuit in a federal court against American Airlines, demanding its rival pay it hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation for damage that was caused to one of its airplanes during airport ground operations. The second lawsuit, which was lodged in a Massachusetts district...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Strawberry Hotels: Earn 3x Spenn on stays April 27 – May 25 (Must book by April 22)
Strawberry Hotels have a new flash bonus Spenn offer that launched today and this one is a little different in that it’s not a one day booking window like we typically see but a three day window! The 3x Spenn offer: Earn 3x Spenn on eligible stays at all participating...
Miles To Memories
Potentially Profitable Office Depot Visa Gift Card Deal Returns (Plus Bonus Points)
The Office Depot Visa Gift Card Deal is back again this week. Rack up some bonus points, and maybe even some potential profit!
One Mile at a Time
Gorgeous: Cathay Pacific Unveils New Flagship First Class Lounge, The Wing
Cathay Pacific does an incredible job with its lounges, and in particular, I’d argue the airline sets the industry standard when it comes to lounge design. For quite some time now, Cathay Pacific has been renovating The Wing First Class Lounge, which is one of the carrier’s two primary first...
TravelUpdate
Earn 175,000 Points! Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card Review
With this limited time offer on the card, you can earn a welcome bonus of 175,000 points. Here's a full review of the card.
Running with Miles
How to Track and Watch the 2026 Boston Marathon
The 2026 Boston Marathon kicks off shortly. Here is how you can watch and track the 2026 Boston Marathon runners and follow America's greatest marathon!
View from the Wing
American Airlines Offered A Stranded Business Class Passenger A Motel 6 — Never Let The Airline Pick Your Hotel
American Airlines stranded an international business class passenger overnight and offered a Motel 6, a reminder that the free hotel an airline gives you after a cancellation may be the last place you actually want to spend the night. If you can front the cost, booking your own room and...
TravelUpdate
Amex Platinum Card Changes 2026, United-AA Merger Idea, Bonus Offers & more…
Updated list with Amex Platinum Card changes in 2026, United-AA Merger Rumor and more as we recap top stories from the week gone by.
Miles For Family
Using Points for Fireworks View, Win 100k AA miles and More
Monday, Monday! Unexpected: Wells Fargo adds Wyndham as transfer partner on 1:2 basis: Wells Fargo will now be the only bank with this higher level transfer ratio (Chase, Bilt and Citi have a 1:1 transfer ratio). See this post on Frequent Miler. Using Aeroplan Points to Reserve Epcot Fireworks Spot: Your...
The Alviator
Cathay Pacific’s Lounge Shuffle At Hong Kong Airport
Since May last year, Cathay Pacific has closed the first class section of The Wing for renovations, in…
2PAXfly
FLIGHT CUTS: Middle East conflict gives airlines lots of uncertainty
Planning an international trip in the next few months? You will need to pay close attention to your flights. No time to ‘book and forget’. With the way things are changing, it is more than likely that your flight might change. It might be the departure time, the route, the...
One Mile at a Time
Lol: Sean Duffy Says High Jet Fuel Prices Will Make Tickets Cheaper In Long Run
Are you worried about airfare going up due to higher jet fuel prices? Folks, don’t worry about it… airfare is actually going to go down, and it’ll be cheaper than ever befores! Or at least that’s what we’re being told to believe.
Eye of the Flyer
Listen to This: Does the 5X at Amazon Work on Audible Book Purchases?
One of the Freedom Flex's 5X categories this quarter is Amazon purchases — but does that include Audible? I needed to buy an audiobook anyway, so I ran the test. Here's what actually posted to my account, plus what it means if you're an audiobook buyer.
Economy Class & Beyond
Japan Airlines shows off the Recaro R2 Seat for its Boeing 737-8 aircraft
Japan Airlines has recently unveiled its new Economy Class seat for its upcoming Boeing 737-8 aircraft, with the airline choosing the Recaro R2. The new Japan Airlines Boeing 737 MAX-8 fleet will be equipped with R2 seats in economy class. Each seat features well-positioned USB Type A & C ports,...
Live and Let’s Fly
SAS A320 Business Class Review: Better Food, Same Old Seat
We began our journey back to the USA with a morning flight from Zurich to Copenhagen on an Airbus A320 in business class, my first chance to experience the “new” SAS premium cabin on a shorthaul flight. SAS A320 Business Class Review (ZRH-CPH) The “new” SAS Business Class on intra-European...
One Mile at a Time
Ugh: Ritz-Carlton Guest Safety Complaint Leads To Detention & Deportation
My goodness, if this isn’t the ultimate case of getting ”Bonvoyed” by Marriott, then I don’t know what is.
Frequent Miler
What is a mattress run? An explanation & why and how you might want to do it
When writing about hotel elite status, hotel promotions, etc., you might sometimes see us referring to a mattress run. If you’ve ever wondered what a mattress run is, here’s an explanation, reasons why it can make sense, and some tips when doing them. What is a mattress run? A mattress...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Cuts thousands of flight across network
It’s only been a week since I reported that Qantas was boosting its flights to Europe by swapping to larger aircraft and tinkering with schedules. Now, in reaction to further uncertainty about the Straits of Hormuz due to the US/Israeli conflict with Iran, Qantas has quietly cut thousands of flights...
Wild About Travel
Surviving Sakura Cherry Blossom – 12 survival tips
I always said I’d never visit Japan in peak sakura season.Too busy, too expensive, too intense.And then I did. I described my 12 marvellous days yesterday. It was beautiful.It was also crowded, overloaded, and at times exhausting.Here are a few things I did that helped, and that I’d do again....
2PAXfly
QANTAS: First Project Sunrise A350-100ULR jet rolls out
After years of hype, delays and plenty of scepticism, Qantas, or more accurately, Airbus, has rolled out its first ultra-long-haul Airbus A350-1000ULR from the factory in Toulouse, marking a major milestone for Project Sunrise. It’s a timely occurrence, with the current Middle East trauma, that this aircraft could fundamentally change...
Wild About Travel
Marvellous 12 days in Japan
It is a bit of a grim world right now, so I thought I would share a positive, beautiful, and delicious 1000-mile journey through one of my favourite countries in Sakura (Cherry blossom). Despite it being insanely busy, I enjoyed the landscapes, food, museums, shopping, temples, parks, and, of course,...
Wild About Travel
Gulf Aviation After the Ceasefire: What Travellers Need to Know Now
A two-week ceasefire for Iran was announced on 7th April. On 9th April, several Gulf governments reported a full day without any new missiles or drones. The UAE’s defence ministry said the country was “free of any air threats” that day, after weeks of intercepting ballistic and cruise missiles and...
2PAXfly
TURKISH AIRLINES: Leadership shake-up. Why?
A recent leadership overhaul at Turkish Airlines has sparked industry attention. Here’s a clear breakdown of what we know as fact and what is informed speculation. The interest in this story stems from Turkish Airlines’ recent commencement of non-stop flights to Istanbul from Australia. A flight I recently took, and...
2PAXfly
THAILAND: Travel insurance for tourists may become compulsory
Thai authorities are moving toward making travel insurance mandatory for all foreign visitors, as hospitals struggle with rising unpaid medical bills from tourists. It’s not law yet, but according to the Bangkok Post, the direction for travellers is clear, so Australians should take note. Why Thailand is cracking down The...
2PAXfly
NEW ZEALAND: Top of the South Island, what we did and ate in Picton, Havelock and Blenheim
We had three nights/four days at the Picton Waterfront Apartments, and were mainly interested in rest and relaxation. We also did a little sightseeing, and winery wining and dining. This post is a short summary of some of those activities. Hope it gives you an idea of what you can...