2PAXfly
NEW AIRLINE: proposed ultra low cost carrier ZINC claims place as Australia’s Ryanair
Australia has a long and fairly brutal history of killing every attempt to form a third domestic airline to compete with Virgin Australia and the Qantas Group. Compass flamed out in the early 1990s. Impulse was folded into Qantas. Virgin Blue survived, but only after Ansett’s collapse turned it into...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 17 May, 2026
Greetings from Adelaide. I’m here for one of my regular catch-ups with family. You will be pleased to know that after more than 10 days, the jet-lag-induced brain fog I have been suffering from seems to have abated. My cold also seems to be receding. So, I hope to return...
Wild About Travel
Ode to Paris: My Favourite Things
Paris does something to me that no other city quite manages — it hits me every single time I arrive. The smells, the tower, the croissants, the hot chocolate, the coffee, the Seine, the packed brasseries, the art galleries, the markets, the parks. All beautiful. That’s the thing about the...
2PAXfly
AUSTRALIA: International travellers to be slugged another AU$10 to leave
Australian international travellers will pay more to leave the country from 1 January 2027. The Federal Budget confirms the Passenger Movement Charge (PMC) will rise by AU$10 from AU$70 to AU$80. This is a Commonwealth charge applied to most passengers departing Australia by air or sea. Airlines collect it through...
Also on BoardingArea
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
American Airlines Faces Lawsuit For Throwing Off Two Bichon Frise Service Dogs Because the Flight Attendant Didn’t Like Them
American Airlines is facing a lawsuit for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act after a flight attendant allegedly threatened a disabled passenger and had her removed from a plane in January because he didn’t like her two Bichon Frise service dogs. Melanie Mellon, 73, from Fort Myers, Florida, says the...
Frequent Miler
Emirates to change reward redemption rates on May 21, 2025
A couple of days ago, Emirates Skywards put a notice on its mileage calculator noting that changes would be coming to reward redemption rates for Classic Rewards and Upgrade Rewards on May 21, 2025. There’s literally no additional information about what those changes will be, so we don’t yet know...
Travel Points Playbook
Flight Review: Swiss Airlines A220
As part of our spring break trip to Italy, we had a lovely flight on the Swiss A220…
View from the Wing
Black Bear Locks Itself In Tennessee Hotel Bathroom — Police Free It With A Two-By-Four
A black bear managed to lock itself inside a Tennessee hotel bathroom, leaving Gatlinburg police to crack the door open with a two-by-four and let it walk out like an embarrassed guest. The bear escaped with only one reported casualty: a $50 bathroom mirror.
Miles To Memories
Half Price ChatGPT Business! Hurry and Use Your New Credits
Rhere are two new codes that will cut the monthly subscription in half. These will not last long, I would sign up right away to lock in the 50% discount.
One Mile at a Time
Book Now: World Of Hyatt Updates Award Chart, Costs Increase By Up To 67%
World of Hyatt has announced some major changes to award pricing. While the program is maintaining published award charts, these changes have the potential to be pretty brutal, especially as time goes on. Separately, Ive covered a couple of minor positive program updates, related to points sharing and early access...
Points Miles and Bling
Review: AC Hotel Riga by Marriott in Latvia’s Art Nouveau District
Booking AC Hotel Riga A visit to Latvia had been on my radar for quite some time, largely because of…
Frequent Miler
Buy IHG Points for as low as 0.5 cents each
IHG has returned with another sale, offering a 100% bonus when buying points. That means you can buy IHG Rewards points for as low as 0.5. cents per point (cpp). This is a limited-time sale that ends June 6, 2026. As always, this might be targeted, and sometimes members have...
View from the Wing
JetBlue Cuts Keep Spreading — Newark Crews Learned Their Flights Were Disappearing By Email [Roundup]
JetBlue cuts keep spreading, and Newark crews reportedly learned major flying reductions through a basic daily email. Plus: a tourist gets blasted across the beach at St. Maarten, Bilt cuts Rakuten transfer value for non-elites, and Ernst & Young publishes a loyalty study full of fake sources.
Your Mileage May Vary
Review: The Etihad / Chase Sapphire Lounge At Washington Dulles
Our original plan at Washington Dulles was to visit the United Polaris Lounge. Then Lufthansa happened. We were supposed to be flying Lufthansa business class from Washington Dulles to Munich,…
Miles To Memories
Chase Sapphire & Freedom Cards Now Earn 10X Bonus Points Through Paze
Chase has added a new limited-time benefit for Sapphire and Freedom cardholders that can earn some easy extra Ultimate Rewards points.
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Earn Up to 2,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles by Shopping: Member Appreciation Bonus
Effective through Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 11:59:59 in the evening Eastern Daylight Time, you can earn up to 2,000 bonus American Airlines AAdvantage miles by shopping — in addition to the standard AAdvantage miles earned — during the Member Appreciation Bonus campaign at the AAdvantage Shopping portal by spending the...
Frequent Miler
Has U.S. Bank abandoned the idea of adding transfer partners?
As was recently reported by Doctor of Credit, U.S. Bank has removed the banner promising that transfer partners would be “coming soon” from its Rewards Center. In my 2026 predictions, I said that I didn’t think U.S. Bank would actually launch transfer partners as they promised about a year ago....
One Mile at a Time
Chase Ink Premier Card $1,000 Cash Back Welcome Bonus
The Ink Business Premier Card is one of the best business credit cards out there, especially for those who make large purchases and want to earn cash back. While this is part of the Chase Ink Business card portfolio, it’s the only card in the collection that only accrues cash back,...
Miles To Memories
United Expands Japan Service With New Sapporo & Tokyo Flights
United Airlines is adding the first-ever nonstop flight between the continental U.S. and Sapporo and new daily service between Chicago O’Hare and Tokyo-Narita.
Frequent Miler
(Update) JetBlue and United Blue Sky reciprocal elite benefits go live this week
Last year, United and JetBlue announced a new partnership they’re calling “Blue Sky,” a name that’s likely raised some digital eyebrows at the social media app “Bluesky.” Reciprocal earning and redemption began late last year, and now the previously announced elite benefits are set to begin this week (they don’t appear to be...
Points With a Crew
United Airlines Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner Premium Economy Class Review OGG-ORD
I recently flew premium economy on the United Airlines Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner OGG-ORD from Maui Hawaii to Chicago. This United Airlines Premium Plus review will talk about seats, food, amenities and ...
Live and Let’s Fly
Review: EVA Air 777-300ER Business Class Taipei To Chicago
My 13.5-hour journey from Taipei to Chicago on EVA Air on the 777-300ER in “Royal Laurel” business class was very pleasant and the Taiwanese carrier is able to pull off something most carriers cannot: offer what is in many ways is a very “old school” product but pull it off...
Traveling For Miles
The World of Hyatt award availability calendars have a glitch
For anyone searching for World of Hyatt award availability, last year's upgrade has been a godsend as it has never been easier or quicker to find award space at any World of Hyatt property. There is, however, one slight issue. There's a glitch in every World of Hyatt property's award calendar...
Economy Class & Beyond
TRIP REPORT: Back to O’Hare and the American Airlines Flagship Lounge – Still for the Friends
Back to O’Hare and the American Airlines Flagship Lounge TRIP REPORT: Still for the Friends It’s time to head back to Chicago O’Hare and experience the wonder of the airport when the TSA wasn’t paid, and other forces were at play. It’s also time to head to the lounge and...
Your Mileage May Vary
This Airport Art Installation Secretly Helps Improve Security
Airports are full of subtle tricks designed to influence passenger behavior. But one airport may have one of the most creative examples yet. There are plenty of sneaky things airports…
View from the Wing
Hilton Puts Diamond Status Signs On Breakfast Tables — VIP Recognition Or Coupon Shaming?
Hilton wants Diamond breakfast guests to feel recognized, but some properties are doing it with table signs that publicly mark who is getting the elite benefit. Some guests love the VIP treatment; others feel like they’ve been labeled as coupon users before the eggs even arrive.
Frequent Miler
25% transfer bonus to Wyndham Rewards from Citi ThankYou Rewards (1,000:1,250)
Through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 13, 2026, City ThankYou Rewards is offering a 25% transfer bonus when you transfer your ThankYou points to Wyndham Rewards. With this transfer bonus City Strata Elite, City Strata Premier, City Prestige, and AT&T Access More card members can transfer 1,000 City ThankYou...
Miles To Memories
8 Bonuses In Total & 2 New Transfer Bonuses For Citi ThankYou Points
I go over the details on two new Citi ThankYou Points transfer bonuses and also include all of the currently available bonus offers.
Wild About Travel
Cities I Love
A series for travellers, dreamers, and anyone who has ever fallen for a place. It’s a crazy time right now, isn’t it? In the midst of everything, I’ve been reminiscing about how lucky I’ve been to spend time in some of the most extraordinary cities on earth. Not just passing...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Digital upgrade — faster check-in, smarter app, and priority bag drops
Virgin has announced a major upgrade to its mobile app and domestic airport check-in experience. It promises a 50% redution in check-in times across 10 Australian domestic airports. The rollout starts this month, May 2026, and should rbe complete before the end of the year. What this actually means is...
2PAXfly
GOVERNMENT: Budget grounds taxpayer-funded Qantas Club memberships
The Australian Federal Government has cottoned on to the public service’s travel habit of taxpayer-funded airline lounge memberships. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has banned Commonwealth agencies from charging taxpayers for Qantas Club, Virgin Australia lounge and similar airline memberships. The directive emerged from the 2026 budget papers. Lounge bill The...
2PAXfly
NEW ZEALAND: Flight from Blenheim to Wellington on Air New Zealand
Our return to Wellington was from Blenheim Airport (BHE). It’s a tiny airport adjacent to a New Zealand Air Force facility. No lounge, and not much of anything else except a big waiting room with two ‘gates’, one at either end. The Airport Facilities are minimal, no lounge, for example,...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 10 May, 2026
Greetings from Sydney. As you will find out below, I have been battling an awful case of jet lag. It has filled me with brain fog, sleep deprivation, irritability, and a general lack of thought capability. I’ve written a post about what I should have done to combat it. What...
2PAXfly
JET LAG: I have been suffering the worst jet-lag of my life. Here is what I should have done
About a week ago, I returned from London to Sydney via Istanbul and Singapore. My flights were mostly with Turkish Airlines, with the last leg on a wet-leased Finnair A330 on a Qantas ticket. It’s been a week, and I am still desperately sleep deprived, irritable, brain fogged, and useless....
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Double Status Credits in ‘Pick your bonus’ promo. A longer runway than Qantas
Virgin Australia has responded to Qantas’ latest double rewards offer with its own ‘Pick Your Bonus‘ 2026 promotion, giving Velocity Frequent Flyer members the choice of double Status Credits or double Velocity Points on eligible flights. Qantas’ current offer is limited to flights between 12 May and 31 August 2026....
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Double Status Credits surprise, but only for Australia and New Zealand
Qantas has launched a short, sharp ‘double rewards’ offer for Frequent Flyer members. You can choose between double Status Credits or double Qantas Points on eligible flights within Australia and across the Tasman. The booking window is tight. You need to register and book between 12.01 am AEST on 5...