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...
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...
Also on BoardingArea
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...
Points With a Crew
Save Up to 50% on Amazon with Amex Rewards Dollars (Targeted)
Act fast if you want to save up to 50% on your Amazon purchases, possibly even including gift cards. Find out how by ...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Buy Air Canada Aeroplan points with up to a 90% bonus (Mystery Bonus)
Air Canada Aeroplan’s latest buy points promotion provides members with the opportunity to receive up to a 90% bonus when buying points by March 19, 2026. ** This is a mystery bonus that varies by member and will be revealed when you login! ** The up to 90% bonus offer:...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Allegiant Air Acquisition of Sun Country Airlines Now Complete
The acquisition of Sun Country Airlines by Allegiant Air has now officially completed as of yesterday, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with the integration of both airlines now currently under way. The combined entity of the two ultra-low-cost leisure airlines will serve 22 million customers annually with a combined fleet of 195...
Frequent Miler
Are you eligible for a new Marriott card? (Brilliant changes reversed)
A couple of months ago, we updated this post to account for new rules limiting eligibility for Amex Bonvoy Brilliant and Bevy card bonuses. Previously, having the Chase Ritz-Carlton card was the primary barrier to entry, but that barrier suddenly applied to all Chase Bonvoy cards. However, Amex seems to...
The Bulkhead Seat
Star Alliance Celebrates 29 Years as the World’s Largest Airline Alliance
Star Alliance is marking its 29th anniversary today, nearly three decades after becoming the…
Your Mileage May Vary
Paris Is Finally Getting The Airport Express Train It Should’ve Had Years Ago
For a city as internationally important as Paris, getting from Charles de Gaulle Airport into the city center has never been particularly fast, smooth, or enjoyable. That may finally be…
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...
Frequent Miler
Targeted Bilt cardholder promo: 10K bonus points after $1k in spend
Bilt Rewards is targeting some cardholders with a nice little spending offer: a bonus of 10K points after spending $1,000 on the card within the next month. There’s no direct link to this offer. If targeted, it will show up in the app under your Bilt card. It appears that...
Miles To Memories
Best Transferable Points Ranked, Huge Capital One Lawsuit & How We Evaluate Retention Offers!
Ranking the convertible currencies, Capital One's big lawsuit and how we consider retention offers.
View from the Wing
American Airlines Adds Restaurant-Style Ordering To Miami Flagship Lounge — Cubanos And Croquetas Delivered Tableside
The American Airlines Flagship lounge has introduced food items to order via QR code, delivered tableside. That's something they already have in their most-recently opened Flagship lounge in Philadelphia.
woman shares Jetblue experience (l) Jetblue flight (r)
BoardingArea
Woman Informs JetBlue Flight Crew About Her Peanut Allergy Upon Boarding—She Can’t Believe They Did Nothing About It: ‘The Girl Behind Me Eating Peanut Butter Açaí Bowl’
“They literally haven't announced it and won't tell the people around me.”
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Receive a 20% bonus when you buy World of Hyatt points
Hyatt has brought out another buy points offer and this time they are back to a bonus instead of a discount When you buy 3,000 or more points in one transaction they will provide 20% more points. With this bonus the price works out to 2.17 US$ cents per point....
Economy Class & Beyond
TRIP REPORT: Random Chicago Eats – Still for the Friends
Random Chicago Eats (or, Kevin was more than lazy this trip) TRIP REPORT: Still for the Friends Time for a food diary of things I might have eaten whilst travelling around Chicago. Don’t expect many changes from the norm here.   Still for the friends But first. A trip to Liverpool,...
Points With a Crew
Kickstarter: K-25 Cooling Blanket
The K-25 cooling blanket is designed for hot sleepers, those who get night sweats while they sleep, pregnant people, those with menopause, and others who get hot while sleeping. It's on Kickstarter, but only for a few more ...
Your Mileage May Vary
Can Bilt’s Travel Portal Compete With Booking Direct? I Tried It
I finally had a reason to try the Bilt Travel portal. And honestly, I expected it to be worse. When Bilt first launched its revamped travel portal, I took a…
The Bulkhead Seat
Marriott Expands Luxury Portfolio With Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Conversions in Lima
Marriott is expanding its luxury footprint in Peru through two major hotel conversions in…
One Mile at a Time
New Montreal Metropolitan Airport Terminal Opens Soon, Home To Porter
Over the past few years, Porter Airlines has been undergoing a major expansion. While the airline has historically operated De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprops out of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), the airline is also currently taking delivery of 75 Embraer E195-E2s, which are being used to expand across...
You Are Travel
Procuring a Brazilian Visa: My Experience
​tl;dr – Things were dicey there for a bit. In preparation for a trip to Brazil, I needed…
Frequent Miler
JetBlue and United Blue Sky partnership (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...
You Are Travel
The Ritz-Carlton is Coming to Lima, Peru – But There’s a Catch
​tl;dr –  A classic Marriott ‘gotcha’! Marriott recently announced a ‘new’ Ritz-Carlton location in Lima, Peru. If you’re…
Miles To Memories
Amazon Launches Two New U.S. Bank Business Credit Cards
Amazon has launched the new Prime Business Card and Amazon Business Card, after ending its partnership with American Express.
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Your Chance to Win Prizes With Marriott Bonvoy and Starbucks
You have a chance to win prizes with Marriott Bonvoy and Starbucks through Wednesday, May 27, 2026; and you are invited to join in on your weekend plans via social media for the ultimate summer prize package. To participate in this promotion, you must...
View from the Wing
Delta CEO Says AI Has No Soul — His Airline Uses It To Price Your Ticket [Roundup]
Delta’s CEO says AI lacks soul and warmth — while his airline uses AI to help price tickets. Plus: Air Force One’s China-trip meal gets roasted, American tells a passenger stuck in the lav to try knocking, and TSA’s SFO screening contract fight heads to court.
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...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 3 May, 2026
Greetings from Sydney. My month-long stay in the UK has come to an end, and I’m back home to enjoy the dwindling warmth of Autumn. It was a great time catching up with friends, seeing way too much theatre, and adding to my long list of galleries, museums, and artworks...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: More cuts to domestic flights but flights to Paris and Rome extended
Qantas has confirmed it will extend its 5% reduction in domestic capacity through to September, stretching what was initially a short-term cut from May–June into a full winter slowdown. Its low-cost sibling Jetstar is following suit, with both airlines also trimming flights across the Tasman and within New Zealand. For...