2PAXfly
TRIP REPORT: First impressions of Turkish Airlines Sydney to London
I have just flown Turkish Airlines for the first time, as has my husband, but on different flights. My trip was Sydney–Kuala Lumpur–Istanbul–London. His was Bangkok–Istanbul–Prague, and return. Before I do a considered full report on the flights and the trip, I thought it was worth posting about my first...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Joint flights with Qatar Airways to Doha shelved
If you’ve booked a Virgin Australia flight to Doha, there’s some bad news. Flights operated by Qatar Airways on behalf of Virgin Australia have now been cancelled until at least mid-June, as the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to disrupt travel through the region. And for travellers, this isn’t just...
Wild About Travel
rewute and redrfat Discovering the World’s Highest and Lowest Airports
Reflecting on my travels last year, I realised I flew through quite high and low-altitude airports. I have long realised that altitude affects the travel experience, airport operations, and the differing challenges for pilots. This got me thinking: of the 289 airports I’ve visited in my life, how many would...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 5 April, 2026
Greetings from London! I’ve moved on from Prague, which was very cold but fantastic. I hadn’t realised how much early 20th-century architecture there was in the city centre. There is even a Cubist architecture walk!  Once I got over the cold, I really enjoyed myself. The rugging up and de-rugging...
Also on BoardingArea
View from the Wing
Flight Attendant Wore ‘ICE OUT’ Pin Onboard — Politics Is A Bad Idea When You’re The Crew
An Alaska Airlines flight attendant was photographed wearing an “ICE OUT” pin while working a recent flight, injecting a charged immigration slogan into one of the few places passengers cannot simply walk away. Whatever someone thinks about immigration enforcement, the cabin is a bad place for crew political messaging: the...
One Mile at a Time
Earn Delta SkyMiles Elite Status (MQDs) With Hotels, Rental Cars, And More
Delta SkyMiles has launched a promotion whereby hotel stays, vacation rentals, and rental cars, can count toward elite status for a limited time. We saw a similar promotion from Delta three times in both 2024 and 2025, and we’re now seeing this return for a second time in 2026 (and...
TravelUpdate
Review: Bangkok Airways A319 Economy Bangkok to Koh Samui
Background I needed a flight from Bangkok (BKK) to Koh Samui (USM). Bangkok Airways holds a monopoly on…
Miles To Memories
Are There Issues With Delta Amex Airline Incidental Credits Now Too?
There are reports of delayed Amex Airline incidental credits posting and it is not looking good for this favorite redemption option.
Points Miles and Bling
Lufthansa Intra-Europe Business Class Review on A319-100 from ZRH-FRA and FRA-TLS
Lufthansa Intra-Europe Business Class Typically, I prefer to get to my destination on a nonstop flight, or at most a…
From Home and Back
Inside Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady: LA Launch Party, MerMaiden Voyage & First Look Onboard
Step onboard Brilliant Lady, the newest ship from Virgin Voyages, as she arrives in Los Angeles for her exclusive West Coast debut. Get a first look at the ship’s stunning suites, elevated dining, vibrant nightlife, and adults-only luxury cruise experience—plus behind-the-scenes access from the launch party and MerMaiden Voyage. The post...
Frequent Miler
Southwest cardholder promo: Earn 25% bonus points when spending $3K+ (max 20K bonus points, targeted)
Southwest runs targeted spending offers for cardholders each quarter. The Q2 2026 spending offer is now open for registration and could be nicely rewarding for cardholders who’ll spend a lot on their card. It’s even better for those trying to earn a Companion Pass because the bonus points are Companion...
You Are Travel
168-Room Ritz-Carlton Coming to Savannah in 2028
tl;dr – A shakeup is coming to the Savannah luxury hotel scene. ​Developers recently broke ground on the…
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Airbridge Crashed into Cockpit of Boeing 737 Sending Glass Flying Towards Pilots… On Two Seperate Occasions
An airbridge at Brisbane International Airport (BNE) crashed into the cockpit of a Boeing 737, sending glass flying towards the pilots on two seperate occasions in the space of little more than a month, safety investigators in Australia have revealed. Thankfully, none of the pilots were injured, although new safety...
Miles For Family
Splurges I’m Making for my Upcoming Trip to Asia
Some of you may find this hard to believe, based on the trips I’ve taken these past few years. But the reality is that I’m not conditioned for splurging, whether it’s spending cash or spending unnecessary miles and points. While I was lucky enough to grow up taking family vacations,...
Live and Let’s Fly
Crying Baby Gets Family Kicked Off Allegiant Flight But Was The Airline Wrong?
An Allegiant Air flight turned into a viral controversy after a couple says it was unjustly removed from a flight over concerns their infant was sick. But while the outrage is understandable, this situation strikes me as more complicated than it first appears. Couple Removed From Allegiant Flight Over Crying...
One Mile at a Time
Review: Hotel Du Louvre Paris, Hyatt Unbound Collection, France (Good!)
During myexotic journey to Bangkok via Paris,I spent a couple of nights in Paris, and decided to check out two different points hotels. For the first night, I bookedSAX Paris, a Hilton LXR property, which I reviewed in the last installment. For the second night, I booked Hotel du Louvre...
View from the Wing
FAA Drone Ban Looks Like An Attempt To Stop People Filming ICE [Roundup]
The FAA’s new “temporary” drone restriction is drawing criticism as a backdoor attempt to stop people from filming ICE operations. Also Abu Dhabi preclearance is temporarily closed, Hong Kong’s Centurion Lounge has a premium queue problem, and Park Hyatt Tokyo may have found a clever way around elite late checkout.
TravelUpdate
Amex Platinum Card Changes, Marriott Promo, New Credit Card & More…
Amex Platinum Card tweaks some benefits, new credit card disappoints & more as we wrap up some of the top stories we covered last week.
Eye of the Flyer
Huge: Up to 500,000 Points Across Two Business Card Offers
There are currently two business card offers circulating with targeted bonuses of up to 300,000 points and 200,000 points. If you’re eligible for both, that’s up to half a million points on the table. As High As 300,000 Points: The Business Platinum® Card from American Express  offers new members the...
One Mile at a Time
Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Card: Are The Perks Worth The $95 Annual Fee?
Link: Learn more about the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature credit card
Live and Let’s Fly
British Airways Strands Passengers In Sub-Zero Canada For Two Days While Failing To Communicate
British Airways passengers endured a miserable two-day ordeal after a longhaul flight diverted to Canada, but was it incompetence or simply a string of misfortunate occurrences beyond BA’s control? British Airways Strands Passengers For Two Days In Canada—Bad Luck Or Bad Management? British Airways flight 195 from London (LHR) to...
One Mile at a Time
Park Hyatt Riviera Maya Cancun, The Brand’s First All-Inclusive, Opens 2027
In late 2023, Hyatt and Parks Hospitality Holdings announced a collaboration that will expand Hyatt’s footprint in Mexico, with the development of four new properties. There’s one that I find to be most interesting, and I’d like to take a look at the latest details, as there are some interesting...
One Mile at a Time
New Air India Maharaja Lounge SFO Now Open: Small But Really Nice?!
We know that Air India is currently trying to reinvent itself, including improving every aspect of the passenger experience. We’ve seen the airline roll-out factory fresh wide body planes with new interiors, start to reconfigure existing planes, and even open a new flagship lounge at Delhi Airport (DEL).
One Mile at a Time
New Air India Maharaja Lounge SFO Now Open: Small But Really Nice?!
We know that Air India is currently trying to reinvent itself, including improving every aspect of the passenger experience. We’ve seen the airline roll-out factory fresh wide body planes with new interiors, start to reconfigure existing planes, and even open a new flagship lounge at Delhi Airport (DEL).
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Lufthansa Flight Attendants Shocked At New Tax Rules That Hike the Price of ‘Free’ Standby Flights
Flight attendants at the German flag carrier Lufthansa are fighting to overturn a new tax decree that has significantly hiked the price of nearly free or deeply discounted standby flight concessions that form a big benefit for airline employees. For outsiders, these kinds of ‘nonrev’ benefits are seen as a...
2PAXfly
TRIP REPORT: First impressions of Turkish Airlines Sydney to London
I have just flown Turkish Airlines for the first time, as has my husband, but on different flights. My trip was Sydney–Kuala Lumpur–Istanbul–London. His was Bangkok–Istanbul–Prague, and return. Before I do a considered full report on the flights and the trip, I thought it was worth posting about my first...
Frequent Miler
What are Marriott points worth?
At Frequent Miler, we keep a database of point valuations called “Reasonable Redemption Values.” These are estimates of the “worth” of airline miles, hotel points, transferable points, and more. The idea is that we try to identify the point at which it is “reasonable” to get that much value or...
Frequent Miler
$700 richer: My easy UK261 claim experience with United Airlines
All of us on the Frequent Miler team met up in Colorado a few week ago to work on some new website functionality. None of us live in Colorado which meant we all had to fly in, with my journey being the longest seeing as I was coming from the...
Wild About Travel
drfat Explore Taipei, Asia’s best city with me
Every time I come back to a favourite city, I wonder if my experience on tis occasion  will be as enjoybale as it was on the previous visits. Yaipei did nit diusappoin. – it never disappomts, In fact, I would go to say it is the best city in Asia....
2PAXfly
WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT: Air New Zealand to land first
Western Sydney International (WSI) hasn’t even opened yet, but the race to be first on the departures board seems already underway. Last week Singapore Airlines announced its first flights in November 2026, and now Air New Zealand is going to beat them to the baggage claim. From October 26, the...
Wild About Travel
Drfat medillin
twi wodneorfi vists here loffocually my favorute xciy in clonmia, lanscapr,e peoel, culture, drive, food and more llacolodie in a organsed coae Location and Orientation Medellín, known as the “City of Eternal Spring,” is the capital of the Antioquia department in Colombia. Nestled in the Aburrá Valley, at an altitude...
2PAXfly
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES: Joins OneWorld from 22 April, 2026
This is no surprise, given its amalgamation with Alaska Airlines. The integration has been gradual, so joining OneWorld represents yet another step. From April 22, 2026, Hawaiian Airlines will officially join the OneWorld alliance. For travellers, and especially Qantas Frequent Flyers and other OneWorld airline loyalty members, this opens the...
2PAXfly
LOYALTY: Will travellers pay the price for the crack down on card fees in Australia?
Australian travellers’ love affair with points-earning credit cards could be heading for turbulence, as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) tightens the screws on card payment fees. On the surface, it sounds like good news: lower costs for merchants, potentially fewer surcharges at checkout, and a fairer payments system. But...
Wild About Travel
Crystal Balling
If that disruption lasts six months, it becomes a cash-flow problem, not just a flight problem. If there is a ceasefire next week, the first impact on travel will be operational, not emotional: flights should start normalising, but passenger behaviour will lag behind. The Gulf aviation system is enormous —...
2PAXfly
HONG KONG: Transit just got riskier for Australian travellers
If Hong Kong has been your go-to transit hub for Asia or Europe, You need to know about some recent changes. Hong Kong’s National Security Law, and how it’s enforced, are raising fresh concerns for travellers, including Australians, even if you’re only transiting through the airport. New powers on electronic...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 29 March, 2026
Greetings from Prague! Yes, I’m in Europe for a northern spring.  This is my first time in Prague, and I must say, despite the cold (I have just come from an Australian summer), I am loving it. I am being a total tourist too, so if posts are slow, its...