Economy Class & Beyond
Airplane Art – Air Canada Airbus A321-200 arriving at Chicago O’Hare
It’s Sunday again, so it must be time for some more Airplane Art. This week, we have an Air Canada Airbus A321-200 on final descent to Chicago O’Hare International Airport as it completes a transborder hop. Air Canada operates a fleet of 20 Airbus A321-200 in its single-aisle fleet. The airline also...
Economondo
One of the Most Unique Airports in the World: Flying from Barra to Glasgow and Taking off from the Beach!
Background Home to just over one thousand residents and sitting near the south of the Outer Hebrides island chain, the small island of Barra is most certainly one of the more peaceful and picturesque parts of the British Isles. Despite its small size and relative geographic isolation, Barra is well known...
Economy Class & Beyond
Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond (20th September)
It’s that time of the week again, after we hit our 10,000th post – yes, it’s time for Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond. Looking towards The MailBox and The Cube – Image, Economy Class and Beyond. Yes – Life is still full of Windows 11, with a ticking clock...
Economondo
An Islander Cockpit Ride: Flying Around Scotland’s Hebrides with Hebridean Air Services
Background When thinking of Scottish airlines in 2021, the first airline that will pop into the minds of most will likely be Loganair. Whilst Loganair’s history dates back to 1962, in recent years their independence from British Airways and Flybe, and subsequent adoption of a uniquely Scottish brand identity, coupled with...
Also on BoardingArea
Live from a Lounge
Last 36 Hours: Purchase United Mileage Plus miles with up to a 100% Bonus
Buying miles and points can represent a great deal, especially for premium air travel. Loyalty programmes advertise these sales as discounts or bonuses on purchased miles. United MileagePlus has launched its latest promotion on purchased miles, valid through September 23, 2025, 2359 hours Central time. United is offering a tiered...
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,...
The Bulkhead Seat
Cathay Pacific to Relaunch Direct Hong Kong to Seattle Flights in March 2026
Cathay Pacific is bringing back service between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in March 2026. The route, first launched in March 2019, was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic. Starting on March 30th, the airline will resume operations with 5x weekly flights and further...
Live and Let’s Fly
Europe’s Airports Disrupted By Cyber Attack On Collins Systems
A cyber-attack on Collins Aerospace’s check-in software is disrupting airports in Europe. What we know, what caused it, and what this means for travelers. Flight Systems Down In Multiple Countries Late on Friday night the check-in and boarding systems at several big European airports suddenly stopped behaving. The culprit is a cyber-incident...
The Bulkhead Seat
HiSky is Launching Nonstop Flights Between Bucharest and Chicago in Summer 2026
Last year, I wrote about Moldovan-Romanian low-cost carrier, HiSky, launching nonstop flights between Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) and New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in June 2024. Now, the low-cost carrier has announced its second US route with flights to/from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) planned...
Frequent Miler
How to maximize value with your Amex Platinum Card
Thanks to American Express’ recent Platinum and Business Platinum refresh, we expect that many readers now have a Platinum card of one type or another…or are still getting familiar with the new benefits of the card they already had. Either way, this post offers a checklist of things to do...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Cathay Rewards in the Air: Earn up to 10,000 bonus Asia Miles on flights, points conversions & more (Hong Kong only)
Cathay Pacific are celebrating their 79th birthday with the “Rewards in the Air” promotion where members residing in Hong Kong can earn up to 10,000 bonus Asia Miles. The promotion runs for four weeks with new offers being posted on each Saturday for the upcoming week. What is unique about this...
Points With a Crew
Should you sign up for the Capital One Venture or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card?
KEY LINKS Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Earn 75,000 bonus points after $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. $95 annual fee. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card – Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. $95 annual...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Floored by Superstitions in Las Vegas.
Note: This article pertaining to Floored by Superstitions in Las Vegas. was originally published on Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 2:15 in the morning and has been updated. In the elevator on my way up to Mix at the top floor of what was then known as the Delano hotel property...
The Bulkhead Seat
Hotel Review: Courtyard San Francisco Downtown/Van Ness Ave
I had to be in San Francisco overnight this past week and hotel rates were astronomical. All of my regular haunts were north of $1,000 for the night. I settled on the Courtyard San Francisco Downtown/Van Ness Ave and might have just found one of the nicest Courtyard properties out...
Your Mileage May Vary
Ten Gestures That Are Innocent In The U.S. But Offensive In Other Countries
When traveling to a different country, many people try to follow the rule of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” They may learn as many of the social norms of the country as they can and familiarize themselves with what’s considered appropriate behavior and what’s not, with the...
View from the Wing
Sapphire Reserve Refreshed. Amex Revamped. Citi Debuted. In 2025’s Premium Card Arms Race, One Chart Reveals The Real Winner For You
American Express, Chase, and Capital One have all made changes to their premium rewards cards recently. And Citi has just introduced their competitor in the space. Which one is now the best, and most importantly which one is best for you? The four contenders: Chase Sapphire Reserve® $795 annual fee (See rates...
Economy Class & Beyond
Airplane Art – Air Canada Airbus A321-200 arriving at Chicago O’Hare
It’s Sunday again, so it must be time for some more Airplane Art. This week, we have an Air Canada Airbus A321-200 on final descent to Chicago O’Hare International Airport as it completes a transborder hop. Air Canada operates a fleet of 20 Airbus A321-200 in its single-aisle fleet. The airline also...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Air New Zealand Airpoints: Receive a 50% bonus on point conversions from Accor Hotels
There are quite a few transfer bonuses from Accor this month and this one is notable for our New Zealand readers since extra Airpoints Dollars offers are few and far between! With this offer you should get 45 Airpoints Dollars (30 standard +15 bonus) for every 2,000 ALL Rewards points...
Your Mileage May Vary
When Flights Go Sideways: How to Take Control of Your Travel Day
Flights don’t always go as planned. A single storm, crew delay, or equipment issue can cascade across the entire airline network, stranding thousands of travelers in unexpected places. When that happens, the difference between getting home and getting stuck often comes down to how prepared you are — and how...
Points With a Crew
What Stops People From Eating Hotel Breakfast When They’re Not Staying There?
I saw a Facebook reel the other day that got me to thinking about a particular travel-related topic. I don’t know how long this particular reel will stay up on Facebook (sometimes they only seem to last for a limited time), but there’s not much too the reel other than...
One Mile at a Time
Redeeming Alaska Points On American: An Underrated Sweet Spot
While there’s nothing earth shattering here, I’d like to share how I’ve increasingly been redeeming Alaska Atmos Rewards points for travel on American, particularly for domestic and short haul international travel. In many ways, I’d argue that this has become the real sweet spot of the program, so let me...
One Mile at a Time
Redeeming Alaska Points On American: An Underrated Sweet Spot
While there’s nothing earth shattering here, I’d like to share how I’ve increasingly been redeeming Alaska Atmos Rewards points for travel on American, particularly for domestic and short haul international travel. In many ways, I’d argue that this has become the real sweet spot of the program, so let me...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
A Day in Liechtenstein.
One of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world and the only country located entirely in the Alps — specifically, between Austria and Switzerland — Liechtenstein is also one of the smallest countries in the world. Its national currency is the Swiss franc; and it is one of the wealthiest countries...
The Bulkhead Seat
It’s Past Time for United to Retire Its Boeing 757-200 Aircraft
The Boeing 757-200 holds a special place in my memories. It was on one (operated at the time by Continental Airlines) that I got my first upgrade to what was then known as BusinessFirst. This operational bump saw my husband and I moved from row seven to the front of...
View from the Wing
ICE Wants Undocumented Immigrants To Self-Deport—With A Free Spirit Airlines Ticket [Roundup]
News and notes from around the interweb: There’s much truth here, and this is why Spirit is back in bankruptcy again. They lost their focus on low cost, they’ve been trying to move upmarket (and invest more in reliability and wifi) – but they can’t escape being Spirit. That...
One Mile at a Time
IHG Premier Card Benefits & Perks: What They Are, And How They Work
Link: Apply now for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card Chase and IHG have a co-brand card portfolio, which includes three credit cards: IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (review), which is the no annual fee personal card IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (review), which is the premium co-brand personal card IHG...
Your Mileage May Vary
“Dear Ryanair,”: The Funniest Complaint Letter Ever Written To An Airline
As my husband wrote a while back, we’ve never flown on Ryanair (mainly because I won’t let him book a flight on them. But we’ve been around the travel block long enough, and have read enough reviews about it to know it’s not, to say the least, the best airline...
View from the Wing
Amex Platinum Turns An $895 Fee Into $2,800+ In Perks—And Earns 175,000 Points: Right For You?
The Platinum Card® from American Express has gotten much better. I kind of hate admitting that, because I don’t love expensive credit cards bundled with statement credits. But there’s so much value here now, it’s hard not to get this card if you can. And there’s an initial bonus...
{Tech} for Travel
First look at the new RIMOWA Original Backpack
The RIMOWA Original Backpack blends heritage design with modern practicality, featuring aluminium construction, functional storage, and style for global travellers. Credit RIMOWA ...
Economy Class & Beyond
Dublin Airport removes 100ml liquids rule as CT-Scanners go live
For those of you travelling through Dublin Airport, there’s good news as you go through security – as you will not need to take liquids, gels, or electronics out of their hand luggage. At the same time, the old 100ml or less liquid rule is being relaxed too, with departing passengers permitted to...
Economondo
Korea’s New and Exciting LCC: Jeju to Cheongju on Aero K
Background Just like most places in the world, forming an airline in Korea is a highly complex and prohibitively expensive endeavour. Many may even argue that doing so is a foolish feat with little chance of reward, as once you’ve successfully leapt through a seemingly endless series of regulatory hoops, you...
Economy Class & Beyond
HiSky Europe to add Bucharest – Chicago Route
HiSky Europe is building on its North American expansion, with the airline planning to add Chicago to its network. The move comes two years after the operation of the first direct flight to New York, which was restored two years ago after a 20-year break. This comes after a 24-year break, during which...
{Tech} for Travel
The HyperPack Tech Backpack offers security and style
The HyperPack Tech Backpack combines secure storage, charging on the go, and durable EcoSmart design in a travel-ready, lightweight backpack. Credit Hyper ...
Traveling For Miles
Save up to $175 in the next 12 days with the Platinum Card® from American Express
Unless you've just woken up or have just got off an aircraft following a long and wifi-less flight, you'll probably already know that the long awaited Platinum Card refresh was announced today with both the consumer and business cards getting makeovers and increased annual fees. Other links to products and travel...
Traveling For Miles
Save on Hertz spending with this targeted Amex offer
Earlier, we wrote about an offer for JetBlue spending which is being targeted to consumer Platinum Cards only, but here we have an offer which holders of either flavor of Platinum Card may be able to see in their accounts. Other links to products and travel providers on this website will...
Traveling For Miles
Earn 5,000 bonus Amex points on your next JetBlue booking [Targeted]
To coincide with the reveal of the of the refreshed Platinum Card® from American Express, Amex has published a number of new offers which are aimed specifically at holders of the Platinum consumer card. One such offer is this one which gives targeted Platinum Card holders the opportunity to earn...