2PAXfly
QANTAS: A321XLR launch — but Alan Joyce’s toilet legacy stinks
Qantas yesterday (Thursday 25 September) finally launched its first Airbus A321XLRs on domestic routes. My invitation to the inaugural flight must have got lost in the mail. This launch marks the biggest shake-up to the Qantas narrow-body fleet in decades. The new aircraft promise more seats, larger overhead bins, USB-C...
Wild About Travel
Mesmerising maddeninmg Medillin
Medilinis now offocually my favorute xciy in clonmia, lanscapr,e peoel, culture, drive, food and more llacolodie in a organsed coae I rank every city I visit based on various factors, including aesthetics, culture, and transport. Medellín, Colombia, is the 244th city of over 100,000 people I have visited and Colombia my...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Neighbour-free seating — bid for an empty seat beside you
If you hate the middle seat lottery, then Virgin Australia now has a lottery fix. From Wednesday, 24 September 2025, the airline has rolled out Neighbour-Free Seating. This scheme lets economy passengers bid to keep the seat next to them empty. But only on select domestic and short-haul international routes. How...
2PAXfly
FLIGHT ASSAULT: Man charged with indecent assault on LAX to Melbourne flight
A 71-year-old Victorian man has been charged following an alleged indecent assault aboard an international flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne on Monday, 22 September 2025. The man, reported to be Mounir Botros is accused of touching the woman by reaching inside her clothes as she attempted to sleep on...
Also on BoardingArea
You Are Travel
Ace Hotels Finds Its Prince: Japanese Hotel Chain Provides a $90 Million Lifeline
tl;dr – Ace will continue to operate as an independent brand under Seibu Prince.  A few weeks ago, I wrote about the possibility of Ace Hotels finally selling itself to another hotelier. The deal has been consummated, with Japanese-based Seibu Prince purchasing Ace Hotels for $90 million.  Ace Hotels has been in...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Emirates Wants To Introduce a ‘Game Changing’ Economy Seat But Old Regulations Are Proving A Major Headache
Emirates is on a mission to transform the Economy Class experience with a ‘game-changing’ seat that will make ultra-long-haul flights more comfortable for those of us who are stuck at the back of the plane. The Dubai-based carrier’s long-serving president and the architect of the airline that we know today, Sir...
You Are Travel
Preferred Hotels Wants to Jet You Around the World and Give You 1 Million Points for A Cool $130K
tl;dr – The independent hotel network joins a list of other luxury companies offering similar bucket-list experiences.  A few months ago, I published a List of Companies That Will Jet You Around the World For $100K+. Recently, Preferred Hotels announced ‘Legendary Journeys‘ (if that link is down, try this one) in...
You Are Travel
Carrying Poop in a Suitcase: A Common Practice?
tl;dr – As a head of state, you can never be too careful.  Just a few weeks ago (though it feels like forever ago, given how quickly the news moves nowadays), I documented the drama surrounding the Alaska Summit, and how several documents, including the menu that Putin and Trump enjoyed,...
Wingtips
Dreamliner Dreams: Turkish Signs Mega Deal for 787s & MAX Jets
Turkish Airlines is now in the spotlight as the spotlight swings to Türkiye. Turkish Airlines has just signed a monster Boeing order that makes even seasoned av-geeks do a double-take. We’re talking a fleet plan so bold it could rewrite the airline’s next decade. Let’s taxi through the details. But first,...
One Mile at a Time
Buy Emirates Skywards Miles With 50% Bonus (2.0 Cents Per Mile)
Strategically buying miles & points can represent a great deal, especially for luxury travel. Emirates Skywards has just launched its latest sale on purchased miles. While this is one of the better offers we’ve seen from the program, unfortunately it probably doesn’t represent a good value for most. Still, let’s go...
The Bulkhead Seat
Marriott Plans Its First Hotel in Mongolia With the AC Hotels Brand Debuting in 2027
Marriott announced a new agreement with HTL Gateway LLC today to debut the AC Hotels by Marriott® brand in Mongolia. The upcoming property, AC Hotel by Marriott Ulaanbaatar, marks Marriott’s official entry into the country and expands the hotel giant’s footprint further cross Asia Pacific. The hotel is expected to...
Live from a Lounge
Reminder: Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card offering INR 1500 voucher for new signups
The Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card is the only mid-end hospitality co-brand card in India. It affords excellent benefits, such as 10 Elite Nights and one free night worth 15,000 points, all for INR 3,000 annually. Now, there is a new promotion for those who will sign up for...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: A321XLR launch — but Alan Joyce’s toilet legacy stinks
Qantas yesterday (Thursday 25 September) finally launched its first Airbus A321XLRs on domestic routes. My invitation to the inaugural flight must have got lost in the mail. This launch marks the biggest shake-up to the Qantas narrow-body fleet in decades. The new aircraft promise more seats, larger overhead bins, USB-C...
Frequent Miler
The British Airways multi-carrier chart + Finnair Avios: the huge 100K Vacay that Nick let get away
Greg has taken off on his 100K Vacay benchmark trip. Over the next few days, he will be setting the bar that Stephen, Tim, and I have to clear when we start our own trips next week. It’s been said that, in a relative reversal from other challenges in recent...
Live from a Lounge
Last Call: Scapia’s Festive Shopping Offer This Week
Scapia’s credit card users have one more reason to smile this festive season, as the fintech company is running a limited-time Festive Shopping Offer from September 22 to 26, 2025. Here is a reminder. Scapia’s new Festive Shopping Offer Scapia’s new offer is simple but rewarding: shop on partner platforms like Amazon, Flipkart,...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Receive a 100% bonus when you buy IHG One Rewards points
IHG One Rewards members can earn up to a 100% bonus with the hotel program’s latest sale for buying points that runs until October 11, 2025. With this version of the 100% bonus offer you can buy up to 200,000 points and receive 400,000 in total with bonus which will cost...
Points With a Crew
The Easiest Way To Get Your Free $50 From Rakuten
KEY LINK: Sign-up for a Rakuten account with a best-ever $50 bonus. Rakuten is one of the most popular shopping portals out there. With a shopping portal, you can earn cashback, miles or points by making purchases online. Simply go through the shopping portal of your choice first and click through...
Frequent Miler
American Airlines offering a juicy opportunity to match to AAdvantage Elite Status…with a catch
American Airlines is finally running a killer status match promotion. Unfortunately, it’s intended for businesses only. American Airlines has long offered an “Instant Status Pass” promo that is a bit lame and overly complex, in my humble opinion. Initially, it gives you status for four months. Then, if you complete the...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Air Drying Machines Versus Paper Towels: Which Are Better to Use?
Note: This article pertaining to Air Drying Machines Versus Paper Towels: Which Are Better to Use? was originally published on Friday, September 25, 2018 at 11:11 in the evening and has been updated. Earlier today, Thursday, September 25, 2025, I encountered a public washroom that was equipped with both an air...
You Are Travel
Bonvoy Coming to the Horse Kingdom: Marriott to Open First Property in Mongolia
tl;dr – Get your saddle ready.  You’ll soon be able to use your Bonvoy points in Mongolia. Marriott recently announced the AC Hotels by Marriott Ulaanbaatar (tip of the hat to Tour and Travel World). The 190-key hotel is scheduled to open in 2027. Of the ‘core-four’ hotel chains, Marriott will...
Wild About Travel
Mesmerising maddeninmg Medillin
Medilinis now offocually my favorute xciy in clonmia, lanscapr,e peoel, culture, drive, food and more llacolodie in a organsed coae I rank every city I visit based on various factors, including aesthetics, culture, and transport. Medellín, Colombia, is the 244th city of over 100,000 people I have visited and Colombia my...
Your Mileage May Vary
Where & Why You May Need an International Driver’s Permit
Every country in the world issues its own driver’s license (DL) that, of course, shows you’ve been trained and are aware of the local laws required to be a safe driver. In the patchwork quilt of the United States, each state issues its own DL, which is accepted by the...
Economondo
The Middle East’s Hidden Gem? Flying from Frankfurt to Bahrain Onboard Gulf Air’s Retro Liveried A321neo
Background As a UK-based aviation enthusiast, Gulf Air is a carrier that has been a constant feature of my enthusiast career to date. Upon making my first spotting trips to Heathrow with my father, I recall seeing their Airbus A340s and Boeing 767-300s, whilst later seeing their Airbus A320s, A321s and...
Frequent Miler
Book NASCAR VIP experiences for two, starting at 50,000 Choice Privileges points
Choice Privileges is again offering VIP experiences for NASCAR Cup races, but the packages are auctions that start at only 50,000 Choice points. For a NASCAR fan, the experience could be well worth the redemption depending on the price, especially since you can transfer points from Citi or Wells Fargo...
View from the Wing
My Amex Platinum Mirror Card Arrived Early—It’s Gorgeous
The Platinum Card® from American Express has gotten much better. There’s an initial bonus offer as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 spend in your first 6 months of cardmembership. (Initial bonus offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer – the actual offer...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
$50 New Member Referral Bonus With Rakuten
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 one of the...
Points With a Crew
Should you buy Wyndham points with a 90% bonus?
Wyndham Hotels is out with an extended offer to buy Wyndham Rewards points with an (up to) 90% bonus. Let’s examine it to see if / when it might make sense. The bonus is good through October 21st, so you don’t have much time to consider it. Normally, Wyndham points cost...
One Mile at a Time
Has The Amex Platinum Card Become A No-Brainer, Money Maker?
Link: Learn more about The Platinum Card® from American ExpressThe Platinum Card® from American Express (review) has recently undergone a major refresh. With this, we’ve seen the card get an $895 annual fee (Rates & Fees), which is shattering records among premium cards. However, for once, I’d say this card refresh...
Wild About Travel
My Twelve Hotel Commandments
  From five stars in Singapore to a rickety bed and breakfast in Blackpool, a tree house in Zimbabwe, a 747 parked at Stockholm airport, a draughty youth hostel in nirehn Scootkanbd and everything ij betweemn means I ahve sleopt in a lot of hotel beds.   Thou shalt know where thy hotel...
2PAXfly
SINGAPORE AIRLINES: Bringing Caviar Service to Business Class?
According to Aaron Wong over at The MileLion, Singapore Airlines has issued a call for tender via its eProcurement portal, seeking suppliers of ‘farmed caviar for Business Class.’ Get back in the queue, Krug and Book the Cook. Singapore Airlines appears to be introducing a touch of fish egg luxury...
2PAXfly
HONG KONG: Airport to close for 36 hours due to Typhoon Ragasa from 6pm Tuesday 23 September
Hong Kong International Airport is closing from 6 pm Tuesday, 23 September, until 6 am Thursday,25 September, as Super Typhoon Ragasa bears down with expected fierce winds and heavy rain. Flights in and out will be suspended. If you’ve got Qantas, Cathay Pacific, or another carrier scheduled to pass through Hong...
Wild About Travel
300 Airports—300 Stories: Which do I love, hate and in between?
After adding 16 airports in 2024, I have now flown to 289 airports across 73 countries. I’ve actually visited 90 countries, but some I arrived in by bus (e.g., Honduras, Liechtenstein, Nicaragua, Zambia), or by ship (e.g., Aruba, Tahiti), or by train (e.g., Luxembourg) or walked in the case of...
2PAXfly
CATHAY PACIFIC: Resuming Hong Kong to Seattle flights in 2026
Cathay Pacific is adding another dot back on its North America route map. From 30 March 2026, the Hong Kong carrier will once again fly non-stop to Seattle, USA. Seattle becomes Cathay’s ninth North American destination, joining Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver. Plus,...
2PAXfly
REX: a possible buyer for the ailing airline Regional Express
Consulting firm EY has the AU$10 million task of administering Regional Express (REX) since it went into administration. EY has also been trying to find a buyer for the airline. After over a year in administration and some courtroom dramas, it looks like REX might have finally found a buyer. REX...
Wild About Travel
Beautiful Bold Bern Beckons
Floating through BernBern is best explored slowly. Overlooked by travelers in favor of Zurich or Lucerne, Bern is, tencpatoay of siwterlcmna – and fmy afvorute Swuiss city. (many foirtegebners asusme taht xurh ir genbeva are tehcoayal) . The city hme to 144000 epoepe , covers about 52 square...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: On which flights are cats and dogs now welcome on board
From 17 September 2025, you can finally book a seat for your furry companion on selected Virgin Australia flights. The cost, a cool AU$149 per pet, per flight. Australia’s first official Pets in Cabin service is now on sale. Where you can fly with your pet Initially, there are only two...