2PAXfly
EMIRATES: New-generation lounges roll out globally, but Sydney is still waiting
Emirates is rolling out a new ‘signature’ lounge concept across its global network, beginning with Munich and Frankfurt and continuing to Manchester, Mauritius and Istanbul later this year. The airline says it will spend more than AED50 million (AU$20 million) on each next-generation lounge. That is a substantial sum. Passengers...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: COVID credit class action means more than a million customers will receive payout notices
More than one million Qantas customers are set to receive notices explaining how to claim compensation. These customers were issued flight credits, rather than refunds, for cancelled flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Law firm Echo Law began contacting eligible customers on Monday, 29 June. This follows Qantas’ March settlement of...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Flooding closes LAX First Lounge, premium dining moves next door
Qantas’ Los Angeles First Lounge has been temporarily closed by flooding, according to the Qantas Lounge page. That means the closure of one of the best overseas lounge experiences for premium passengers on the long trek to Australia. The airline has not set a reopening date on its lounge website....
2PAXfly
VIETJET: launching Australian airline to rival Qantas and Virgin
Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet is reportedly seeking the approvals needed to launch an Australian subsidiary, in a move that could create a new domestic competitor for Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia. According to reporting by Ayesha de Kretser in the Australian Financial Review, VietJet has approached the Civil Aviation Safety...
Also on BoardingArea
Frequent Miler
My Chase car rental claim and a botched experiment
Thwack! We had just gotten on the highway when a rock hit the windshield. I had rented the minivan the night before. Now, the Frequent Miler team was on our way to Colorado Springs for a working meeting with our blog hosting company, Boarding Area. Despite the cracked windshield, visibility...
Frequent Miler
Best Credit Card Offers for July 2026
Which rewards credit card is right for you? Find the best publicly available credit card offers all on this one page. We'll show you the best credit cards for spend, frequent flyer miles, hotel points, cash back, and more.
Points With a Crew
Which Chase Ink card is best? ($1,000 or 100,000 Points)
There are 4 Chase Ink cards with increased bonuses right now (up to $1,000 or 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points). The best Chase Ink card is probably...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Marriott Bonvoy Escapes: Save up to 20% at select Marriott Hotels Worldwide (Book by July 5)
This week’s Marriott Bonvoy Escapes are now available for booking for stays at select hotels Worldwide. With Marriott Bonvoy Escapes members can save up to 20% on last minute stays through to July 26th that are booked by this Sunday. If you are unfamiliar with Marriott Escapes, they are last...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Where Canada Was Founded: Province House National Historic Site in Charlottetown
What better way to celebrate Canada Day — which is today, Wednesday, July 1, 2026 — than by highlighting Province House National Historic Site in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island, where Canada was officially founded? The Canadian Confederation occurred...
Frequent Miler
Chase “Pay Yourself Back” Complete Guide (updated categories)
Chase has been steadily hacking away at the value of its Pay Yourself Back (PYB) Program, whittling down both categories and redemption rates on Ultimate Reward(UR)-earning cards. At the same time, it has added Pay Yourself Back options for Southwest, Aeroplan, United, and Disney cards, as well as the Marriott...
Frequent Miler
Current point transfer bonuses for July 2026
The best points rewards programs, in our opinion, are those that allow points to be transferred to many different airline and hotel loyalty programs. In this way, it’s often possible to get outsized value from your points. For example, suppose you want to fly lie-flat business class to Europe. Prices...
Your Mileage May Vary
Kauai’s Coco Palms Luxury Resort Gets $431 Million In Financing — But Opening Slips To 2028
For years, the proposed return of Coco Palms on Kauai has felt like one of those hotel projects that was always coming soon, but never quite arriving. That may finally…
The Bulkhead Seat
American Airlines Confirms Chicago to Tokyo and Two Other Flights
As I wrote about earlier today, American Airlines is expanding its international network with…
Miles To Memories
Vegas Numbers Recover, Golden Nugget’s Shark Problem, $250 Caviar Hot Dog & 10 Possible NBA Arenas!
Vegas numbers show a big recovery, Golden Nugget's shark problem, upgrading Luxor's beam, 250th flyover & Primm officially saved.
View from the Wing
American Airlines Is Now Offering First Class Upgrades For Just $35 While Loyal Customers Wait In Coach
American Airlines appears to be offering domestic first class upgrades for as little as $35, a new low that makes sense for casual passengers but stings for loyal customers waiting on complimentary upgrades. The shift shows how little traditional elite upgrades are worth now that airlines would rather sell the...
Frequent Miler
Save 15% on IHG award stays at new hotels
For the last few years, IHG has been offering a 15% discount on award stays at new and recently refreshed properties, with different hotels being added each month. The eligible new properties were previously bookable for three months ahead of time. Since March 2026 though, IHG has extended the booking...
Points With a Crew
Buy Hyatt points with 20% bonus
Hyatt is offering a bonus on points if you buy points for the next few weeks. But does it make sense to purchase Hyatt points?
Your Mileage May Vary
The Sad Ending To One Of Travel’s Most Iconic Partnerships
There are certain brands where you just expect their commercials to be a certain way. Progressive has Flo & Friends. Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes has Tony the Tiger. Michelin’s got The…
Frequent Miler
Delta Vacations Amex Offer: Get $200 back when spending $1K+
Update 7/1/26: This Amex Offer has been extended through July 14, 2026. There are also a couple of new Delta Vacations promotions that can save you additional money on bookings. Regular SkyMiles members can save up to $200 when using promo code SMSUMMER26, while those with elite status in the...
Miles To Memories
Use Paze Promo for Charity, Donate $10 to St. Jude
Domino’s allows customers to add a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during checkout. That donation shows Paze as a checkout option.
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Marriott Bonvoy + United MileagePlus reciprocal bonus offer: Earn extra points & miles on flights and stays
Summer 2026 sees the return of Marriott and United’s dual bonus points and miles promotion. The offer provides bonus Bonvoy Points on United flights and conversely, bonus MileagePlus miles on Marriott stays for elite members* in both programs who are registered and linked for the United Marriott preferred partnership. These...
Frequent Miler
Get a 20% bonus transferring Amex Membership Rewards to Hilton Honors
In addition to the 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic, American Express launched a 20% bonus today when transferring Membership Rewards points to your Hilton Honors account. The Deal Get a 20% bonus when transferring American Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors. Key Terms Expires July 14, 2026. Quick Thoughts...
Live and Let’s Fly
Lufthansa Told Woman Her Gym Outfit Was Too “Naked” To Board
A fitness influencer says she was stopped from boarding a Lufthansa Group flight because her outfit was deemed too revealing. I live in Los Angeles, so perhaps I have simply become immune to skimpy clothing, but the only problem I see is one of hygiene. Lufthansa Told Passenger She Was...
The Bulkhead Seat
British Airways Celebrates 80 Years of US Flights and Plans Lounge Investment
British Airways is marking 80 years of transatlantic service this July by celebrating the…
View from the Wing
The Amex Black Card Gets A New $1,000 Dining Credit, But This Luxury Feels Like A Spreadsheet
American Express has added a new $1,000 annual Resy dining credit to the Centurion Card, giving Black Card members a larger version of the restaurant benefit now offered on Platinum. But even on a $5,000-a-year prestige card with a $10,000 initiation fee, Amex still requires enrollment and quarterly credit management,...
Your Mileage May Vary
Discover’s Q3 5% Categories Are Live – And Airfare Is Finally Included
Discover’s latest 5% Cashback Bonus categories are now live, and Q3 2026 brings one of the most interesting combinations we’ve seen in years: Gas Stations, Transportation and Drug Stores. While…
Miles To Memories
Rove Adds Frontier Airlines as New Transfer Partner, Launches 25% Transfer Bonus
Rove has announced a new airline transfer partner, allowing members to transfer Rove Miles to Frontier Miles at a 1:1 ratio.
View from the Wing
Marriott’s $95 Card Is Offering 125,000 Points, A Free Night And $100 Back On Airfare
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card has a new limited-time offer that is unusually strong for a $95 hotel card: up to 125,000 points, a free night worth up to 50,000 points, and up to $100 back on airline purchases. It is a card worth getting for the bonus—and, because of...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: No First Lounge for London. Premier dining room instead
The original plan was to have a new First Class Lounge at London’s Terminal 3. It was to be ready for the debut of the Project Sunrise flights. Qantas has quietly shelved those plans, to the indignation of premium frequent flyers and passengers. Instead, the airline will refurbish and enlarge...
2PAXfly
CHINA AIRLINES: More flights to Australia from October, 2026
Taiwan’s China Airlines is increasing flights to Australia from late October, giving travellers more non-stop choices between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Taipei. The headline act is Sydney, where China Airlines will lift its Taipei service to daily from 25 October 2026. Melbourne follows on 28 October with a fifth weekly...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Lounge pass rules change from 1 July 2026
From Wednesday 1 July, Qantas will tighten the rules governing Complimentary Lounge Invitations, ending the long-standing ability to transfer a pass to any other Frequent Flyer member, regardless of whether they are travelling with you. If you have a stash of passes, you only have days to give them away!...
Wild About Travel
concordes at last
She was the most beautiful aircraft ever created. She was the fastest passenger aircraft ever to fly. She was created through the cooperation of two countries, and the technology that came with her is still being used, with the breakthroughs she sparked continuing to impact aviation today. One fatal crash...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 28 June, 2026
Hello travellers, Well, I’m in Sydney, but not quite home yet. If you have ever had a renovation done, you will understand. I have spent the last week at a Meriton Suites in central Sydney. It’s been a mixed experience. Living in central Sydney has some great advantages, especially on...
Wild About Travel
copy an dre doBeautiful Bold Brightline -The Best way to Ride
Birghtline is superb. What blows me away is that the Brightline experience has been created to attract and keep people who have never ridden a train before. And it works. Background First, a bit of history. In 2018, Brightline did the unthinkable and opened a new private rail service in...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: A380 caught in global wing-crack inspection order
One Qantas Airbus A380 is among 16 superjumbos worldwide caught up in an urgent inspection program. Inspections were called for after cracks were found in a critical internal wing structure, as reported by the SMH. Europe’s aviation safety regulator, EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency), issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Adds Economy Plus to Project Sunrise, but other seats will be Economy Minus
Qantas has previously promised to provide Economy passengers with greater legroom befitting these ultra-long Project Sunrise flights. Like the politicians it seeks to influence through its invitation, Chairman’s Lounge makes promises it doesn’t keep. A standard 33-inch pitch in Economy is one of those. Forthcoming non-stop flights from Sydney to...