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...
Also on BoardingArea
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Australian Man Assaulted Unpaid TSA Officer at Los Angeles Airport Over ‘Stolen’ Luggage That He’d Lost
An Australian traveler has been charged with assaulting a TSA officer at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after he mistakenly thought the federal agent had stolen his carry-on bag and passport… It turned out, however, that the man had left his belongings at a restaurant. Given the TSA officer’s status...
Points With a Crew
The 14 best travel books that will inspire wanderlust and a road trip
If you're in the mood for wanderlust or a road trip or just learn about travel, here are 14 of the best travel books meant to inspire your next adventure
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Traveling Back to the United States Sounds Like It Will Be a Lot of Fun.
Traveling back to the United States sounds like it will be a lot of fun after reading about the long lines at security checkpoints in airports, the substantial increase in fuel prices, and the domino effect of the delays or cancellations of flights due to either weather or the war...
Frequent Miler
Virgin Red credit card welcome offer boosted to 75K points
The Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard typically offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 in spend in your first 90 days. That bonus has been increased to 75,000 points after the same spend requirement, but it is a limited-time offer, only available until April 16th. The Offer & Key...
View from the Wing
[Final Day] Credit Card Bonus Offer Includes A Flight Companion Pass Through Feb. 2027
Southwest’s Companion Pass is still the best domestic perk: your companion flies for just taxes (from $5.60 each way), even on award tickets, as long as there’s an open seat. Last week my family used two passes on one trip. And right now you can get Companion Pass through Feb....
Frequent Miler
What are points worth? Reasonable Redemption Values Explained | Coffee Break Ep97 | 3-17-26
There is no single right answer as to what points are worth. With most points, the value depends upon how the points are used. It’s often possible to get great value or very poor value from the same types of points. But in this podcast episode, we’ll talk about how...
Your Mileage May Vary
The 10 Things Hotel Guests Now Steal Most Often (And Towels Are Still #1)
A new survey asked hotel staff what guests steal most often from hotel rooms. Some of the results aren’t surprising — but a few might be. In 2019, Wellness Heaven,…
One Mile at a Time
My Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Cruise Experience: A Pleasant Surprise!
I just took my first cruise in over 20 years, and I have to say, my expectations were exceeded! I hadn’t really considered taking cruises for a long time, but I’ve been fascinated by the recent trend of luxury hotel groups getting into the cruising industry (or at least licensing...
Frequent Miler
IHG Premier card: Increased 175K welcome offer (last day)
Update 3/17/26: The increased welcome offers for the IHG Premier and Traveler cards will be ending sometime tomorrow. If you’re interested, now’s the time. ~~~original post follows~~~ Today, Chase increased the welcome offer on the IHG Premier card to a whopping 175,000 IHG points, matching the best we’ve seen in...
The Bulkhead Seat
United Loses Professional Tennis Players Rackets Ahead of Miami Open
Daniil Medvedev is a professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as…
Miles To Memories
Forget Hyatt: The Hotel Programs Actually Worth Your Points Now + Trip Rebooking CHAOS!
Blowing up a trip due to events & dealing with foreign airline frustrations + what is our strategy now that Hyatt is changing their program so much?
View from the Wing
346 People Died In Boeing 737 MAX Crashes — But Shareholders May Get Paid The Most
The people killed in the Boeing 737 MAX crashes were the real victims. But after years of litigation, one of the strongest cases still moving forward is a shareholder fraud suit — raising the uncomfortable possibility that the biggest courtroom payday from the disaster could go not to passengers or...
The Bulkhead Seat
Frontier Airlines Adds Four New Routes Launching This Spring
Frontier Airlines has announced four new routes that will launch this spring. The new…
One Mile at a Time
Amazing Rakuten Promotion: Earn Up To 100x Amex Or Bilt Points Per Dollar Spent
Online shopping portalscan be a great way to pick up miles & points for purchases youd make anyway. Just for following a specific link, you can earn bonus points or cash back in addition to the rewards youd earn for credit card spending.
Frequent Miler
10x at Rakuten for lululemon purchases today
The shopping portal Rakuten is offering an increased rate for lululemon today, with purchases earning 10x Membership Rewards points or 10% cash back. That could be especially useful for those with quarterly credits to use at lululemon. The Deal Shopping portal Rakuten is offering 10x Membership Rewards points or 10%...
Points With a Crew
Hilton Honors American Express Card Review (70K AND a Free Night With No Annual Fee!)
The American Express Hilton Honors card has an excellent welcome offer and benefits for a card with no annual fee. This is definitely a card to consider adding to ...
One Mile at a Time
American Airlines’ Creative Systemwide Upgrade Promotion Could Be Lucrative
American AAdvantage issues systemwide upgrades through its Loyalty Point Rewards program. The idea is that systemwide upgrades can be used to confirm upgrades in advance, though only if there’s confirmable upgrade space available (otherwise the upgrade requests are added to a waitlist).
Your Mileage May Vary
So… Are Capital One Miles Worth Earning?
I’ve been taking a closer look at Capital One lately and trying to decide what role, if any, it should still play in my points strategy. On paper, Capital One…
One Mile at a Time
JetBlue “Mini Mint” First Class Rolling Out Fleetwide, With 12-16 Seats Per Plane
JetBlue is known for its excellent Mint business class experience, though the catch is that it’s only available on select premium routes. Fortunately some time ago, JetBlue announced plans to introduce a premium product throughout the rest of its fleet, more comparable to domestic first class.
Frequent Miler
Chase Freedom Unlimited Increased Welcome Offer: 25K / $250 on only $500 in spend
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is unique among Ultimate Rewards-earning cards in that it earns at least 1.5x on all spend, while also earning 3x-5x on purchases in bonus categories, including dining and drugstores. This can make it a very useful companion to the issuer’s premium cards. The welcome offer...
View from the Wing
American Is Confirming Business Class Upgrades On Almost Every Flight — Must Book By Wednesday Night
American Airlines has opened one of the best systemwide upgrade opportunities it has offered in years: buy premium economy, request the upgrade by Wednesday night, and business class can clear as long as a seat is still for sale. That makes this promotion unusually broad and unusually valuable, because it...
{Tech} for Travel
SoundPEATS Air5 Pro Plus Review: Powerful Noise Cancelling in a Light Design
SoundPEATS Air5 Pro Plus Review: Ultra-lightweight wireless earbuds with strong ANC, xMEMS drivers, LDAC, and aptX Lossless for detailed Hi-Res audio. The post SoundPEATS Air5 Pro Plus Review: Powerful Noise Cancelling in a Light Design appeared first on {Tech} for Travel.
Miles To Memories
New Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard Bonus, Earn 75,000 Points Plus $100 Credit
Virgin Red and Synchrony have launched a new welcome bonus of 75,000 points on the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard®. However, you can find an even better offer if you start the process of booking a flight at Virgin Atlantic.
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Earn 1,500 Bonus Points: Link Your Marriott Bonvoy and Uber Accounts — Plus…
Marriott Bonvoy has officially collaborated in partnership with Uber since Spring of 2021, which allows Marriott Bonvoy members to earn points toward free nights at a minimum of 34 hotel brands in greater than 10,000 destinations worldwide when requesting select Uber rides and ordering food and groceries from eligible merchants...
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...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Settles COVID flight cancellation class action for AU$105 million
Qantas has agreed to pay $105 million to settle a class action brought by passengers whose flights were cancelled during the pandemic, potentially delivering compensation to hundreds of thousands of customers. The settlement relates to flights scheduled between 1 January 2020 and 1 November 2022, when global travel collapsed due...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: A380 and First Class dropped from Melbourne to LAX, also 787 changes
Melbourne is losing its Qantas Airbus A380 to Los Angeles. From 25 October 2026, the airline will remove the superjumbo from the route, switching the service to a daily Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner instead. Currently, the QF93/QF94 Melbourne–Los Angeles flights operate with a mix of aircraft. The Airbus A380 runs twice...
2PAXfly
NEW ROUTES 2026 #4: Delta Airlines East Coast to Los Angeles on A350 with Delta One Business Class
Delta began operating its new A350 aircraft to Melbourne late last year, giving travellers a third option, alongside Qantas and United, for direct flights to Los Angeles. The airline now flies from Melbourne and Brisbane three times a week, and daily from Sydney. Its Delta One Business Class seat has...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 8 March, 2026 — International Women’s Day
I’m in Adelaide for the annual Adelaide Arts Festival, catching up with friends, and sucking up the cultural events. Today is International Women’s Day. To celebrate, Qantas have more than 2,500 customers flying on Jetstar and Qantas flights operated by all-female crews. Virgin Australia is celebrating with the Future Aviators...
Wild About Travel
Pretoria (Tshwane): The Capital That Surprised Me
I arrived in Pretoria with low expectations. South Africa had been a mixed bag. The delights of the Garden Route, a superb Johannesburg, falling in love with Cape Town and almost getting mugged there, wonderful stops in Hermanus and Durban. And then the disappointments: Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Mossel Bay...
2PAXfly
NEW ROUTES 2026 #5: Singapore Airlines with new A350 business class with doors — late 2026
After years of speculation, Singapore Airlines is refreshing its long-haul Airbus A350 business class with privacy doors. The rollout begins in the first half of 2026, with retrofits phased across selected long-haul A350 aircraft. When do we see these refreshed cabins in Australia? Background I’m doing a series of posts...
2PAXfly
MIDDLE EAST: Advice for Australians caught in flight chaos
Airspace is closed across parts of the Middle East due to attacks by Israel and the USA and consequent retaliation from Iran. This has left thousands of Australian travellers stranded or scrambling to rearrange flights. If you’re travelling through the region in the coming days or stuck there right now,...