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,...
2PAXfly
DISRUPTION: Middle East carriers and airports in chaos. What to do if you are travelling soon
What follows is practical advice for those travelling by air via the Middle East who will be affected by the conflict generated by the attacks on Iran. Background Escalating conflict in the Middle East has triggered major airspace closures and cascading flight chaos. Gulf hubs including Doha, Dubai and Abu...
Also on BoardingArea
One Mile at a Time
Odd: Uganda Airlines Grounds A330neo Fleet For “Unscheduled Maintenance”
In recent years, we’ve seen Uganda relaunch its national airline, in the form of Uganda Airlines. The airline has a modern fleet of Airbus A330-800neos and Bombardier CRJ-900s, though unsurprisingly, profitability has been a bit of an issue. But perhaps an even bigger issue than profitability is reliability, as both...
Monkey Miles
How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to travel partners
How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to travel partners The post How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to travel partners appeared first on Monkey Miles.
One Mile at a Time
Storm Causes Delta Meltdown In Atlanta, Passengers Trapped On Planes For Hours
The past day has been really rough for Delta Air Lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), with a ton of very unhappy passengers (thanks to Ben and Scudder for flagging this).
View from the Wing
No Matter How Much You Pay Southwest Airlines, You Can’t Move to an Empty Seat [Roundup]
Southwest is now charging for seats, but passengers report that even after paying for premium emergency-row seating they’re still not allowed to slide into an empty seat when the cabin has open rows. Plus, the JFK AirTrain price goes up again, American flyers gripe about ads before onboard Wi-Fi,...
Live from a Lounge
Swiggy HDFC Credit Card split into BLCK and ORNGE variants: here is what changes
Big change on the account of the popular Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Cards. New customers will get one of the two variants of the card here on. The post Swiggy HDFC Credit Card split into BLCK and ORNGE variants: here is what changes appeared first on Live From A Lounge.
Eye of the Flyer
Terrifying 777 Windshear Landing Video, Uber Driver Carjacked & Suspect Brags Online, CDC Polio Warning Expands, NCL Relaxes New Dress Code Rules
Here are this week’s travel and cruise headlines and news from around the web and interweb: Huge delays for LAX rail connection now four years late — and may miss the World Cup CDC Issues Urgent Travel Warning: Polio Spreading in 32 Countries An Air Canada Boeing 777 encountered dangerous...
One Mile at a Time
Cool: GOL Launches Rio De Janeiro To New York A330 Flights As Of July 2026
I recently covered how Brazilian airline GOL has long haul expansion plans, as the company intends to take delivery of at least a handful of Airbus A330-900neos, complementing the carrier’s current all-Boeing 737 fleet. We knew that the long haul expansion would be happening at some point this year, but...
Frequent Miler
Winning tools, capturing coupons, passing on Platinum and more (Week in Review)
This week, I recorded a guest spot on the Milenomics Travel Stories podcast that should air in the next week or two (bookmark that link and check back). One of the questions that Trevor asked me on the show was whether Lifemiles is still worth the effort, noting that he...
Live and Let’s Fly
ExpertFlyer Adds New Features And Elite Tier, But Prices Are Rising
ExpertFlyer has rolled out several updates to its platform, including new features, a new membership tier, and higher prices. While the changes add some useful functionality, they also highlight a broader reality: the tool simply isn’t as powerful as it once was. ExpertFlyer Adds New Features, Introduces Elite Tier, And...
One Mile at a Time
Citi American Airlines Business Credit Card: 9 Reasons To Apply
Link: Learn more about the Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard
One Mile at a Time
Citi American Airlines Business Credit Card: 9 Reasons To Apply
Link: Learn more about the Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Delta Air Faces Multi-Million-Dollar Fine After Hundreds of Passengers Were Left Trapped On Planes at Atlanta Hartsfield On Friday
Delta Air Lines could face a massive multi-million-dollar fine after its operations were thrown into chaos on Friday night and into Saturday morning when a hail storm and strong winds forced the temporary evacuation of the control tower at its main hub at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport (ATL). The disruption...
a room with chairs and tables
BoardingArea
Review  – Air France Lounge (Revisited) – Washington Dulles (IAD), Concourse A
Stylish and bright space is a great early morning lounge for Priority Pass members with a nice breakfast buffet The summary It’s been a while since I have visited this lounge. Typically, I am at IAD during the later part of the day during which lounge access is limited to...
View from the Wing
Iran Hits Dubai Airport Again — Flights Suspended, Then Resumed as Tehran Signals De-Escalation
Dubai International briefly suspended flights again after another Iran-linked incident near the airport, prompting diversions to Al Maktoum before Emirates resumed operations shortly afterward. In a notable shift, Tehran is now publicly signaling de-escalation, apologizing to neighboring states and saying these cross-border strikes will stop unless Iran itself is attacked—after...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Emirates Continues to Fly Despite Iranian Drone Exploding Next to Terminal Building at Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport has confirmed that all flights were temporarily grounded once again after footage of what appears to be an Iranian kamikaze drone exploded right next to one of the terminal buildings late on Saturday morning. Operations at the airport had already been severely disrupted on Saturday after a...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Passengers at Dubai International Airport Told to ‘Shelter in Place’ And Planes Enter Holding Patterns But UAE Authorities Deny Any Incident
Officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) moved to quash reports of an incident at Dubai International Airport on Saturday morning after passengers were ordered to ‘shelter in place’ on three seperate occasions and planes were forced into holding patterns over the desert. Dubai Airport faced repeated disruption on Saturday...
Live from a Lounge
Noida International Airport (Jewar) receives aerodrome licence; prepares for launch
Noida International Airport at Jewar has received its approval from the DGCA to commence operations. We should now see the airport get operationalised soon. The post Noida International Airport (Jewar) receives aerodrome licence; prepares for launch appeared first on Live From A Lounge.
Frequent Miler
Emirates makes overnight changes to partner award chart…for the better?
You don’t have to spend much time in the world of points and miles to learn that award prices go in one direction: up. Each year, the devaluation drumbeat beats regularly across both hotel and airline programs. We expect it. So, when Emirates Skywards made unannounced changes to its partner...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Man Admits to “Agressively Trying to Open” Cabin Door of Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 After Suspected Drug Overdose
A man has admitted to trying to open the emergency exit for an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 while the plane was mid-flight after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors in which he has pleaded guilty to interference with the flight crew. Kassian William Fredericks is yet to be sentenced after...
Points With a Crew
Which Hilton credit card is the best? (New Higher Offers)
There are 4 different Hilton credit cards - each with their own set of perks and benefits. Let's take a look at the pros and cons and decide which Hilton card is best
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Why Airplanes Fly North Just to Head Back South
The airplane aboard which I was a passenger was flying at 36,002 feet over Sand Point in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska as I wrote this article. Have you ever wondered why would airplanes fly north just to head back south? During a recent flight from Seattle to Taiwan, the flight...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Airport Worker Hospitalized After United Airlines 737 Collies With Deicing Truck at Denver International Airport
An airport worker at Denver International Airport was hospitalized on Friday morning after a United Airlines Boeing 737 collided with a deicing truck during a spell of bad winter weather, toppling the truck over onto its side. The accident occurred as United flight UA-605 from Denver to Nashville was preparing...
Frequent Miler
Tools we use to win the points & miles game | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep348 | 3-6-26
In this episode, we’ll talk about the tools that can help you earn more rewards, organize your points & rewards, and spend your points wisely. Tools we use to win the points & miles game Watch the full episode below, or listen on your favorite podcast platform. You can click...
View from the Wing
American Airlines Long Haul Plans for Next Winter Are Out — The New Airbus A321XLR Lets Them Extend Europe Flying in the Slow Season
American’s long-haul schedule plans for next winter show exactly what the new Airbus A321XLR is for: keeping marginal transatlantic routes viable when winter demand collapses by right-sizing capacity and leaning premium-heavy. The result is fewer widebody winter losses and more “extended season” Europe flying out of hubs like Philadelphia and...
Wild About Travel
Flying via the Middle East right now. Practical tips, not panic, for travellers.
Are you about to fly internationally? With a Middle Eastern airline or to, through or over the Middle East? Many airlines and transit hubs are affected, with flights paused, rerouted or heavily delayed across the region. Check your specific airline and route for the latest status before you travel. Before...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 1 March, 2026
It’s been a big week in Australian aviation, especially with the announcement of Qantas’ half-year results, a direct route from Brisbane to Las Vegas, and surprising changes to their loyalty scheme.  A lot of posts to catch up on in this Review, so read on: QANTAS: First International A321XLR route...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: First International A321XLR route announced — Brisbane to Manila
According to a story on ET, the first international A321XLR route will be Brisbane to Manila, commencing on 25 October 2026. But don’t get too excited, because there won’t be any flat beds, just domestic Business Class recliners. So, aside from a newer, quieter, more highly pressured plane, it’s a...
Wild About Travel
Qantas’ “New Era” For Status
Qantas has just made it more expensive to stay loyal. Funny how that works. The airline is calling it a ‘new era’ for its Frequent Flyer program. I’d call it a quiet price hike dressed up in marketing language. This is a change I’ve been waiting on for months. After...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: MASSIVE overhaul of Qantas Frequent Flyer program. The good and the bad
Qantas is making it easier to earn Status Credits without setting foot on a plane, but there are positives and negatives. As part of its sweeping overhaul of the loyalty program, the airline will lift the annual threshold required to retain status, even as it introduces rollover credits and more...
Wild About Travel
Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth): A City That Feels Lost.
I had just had an amazing week on the Garden Route, exploring wineries, seeing whales, and enjoying hikes, coffee, food, and South African hospitality. Enjoy some of the photos! When my Baz Bus minibus (great service by the way) reached Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth, we arrived in a very different world....
2PAXfly
QANTAS: New search tool allows region-to-region Classic Rewards search across partner airlines
Qantas is promising to roll out a major upgrade to how members search for Classic Reward seats in March 2026. It could dramatically improve your chances of finding low-points Classic Rewards redemptions. Over at ET they have seen a preview, and this is what they found. Region-to-Region search The new...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Frequent Flyer changes evaluated, and when they roll out
Qantas is billing these largely status-related changes as a ‘new era’ for Frequent Flyers. Here’s what’s coming, what I think of it, and when it will arrive. Read on to find out what it means if you’re chasing Silver, protecting Gold or sitting comfortably at Platinum. March 2026: A better...