2PAXfly
SYDNEY AIRPORT: More incidents. What is going on with Air Traffic Control?
Sydney Airport has recorded a troubling run of air traffic control incidents in recent weeks, with six separate events since 27 July now attracting investigation. None of this means Sydney Airport is unsafe. Several of the incidents involved no immediate collision risk, and the system worked as intended when pilots,...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 30 August, 2026
Hello travellers, Qantas and Virgin Australia both reported their financial year 2026 results. While Qantas profit slid, Virgin’s profit rose. Interestingly, Virgin Australia’s share price rose the day before the announed and fell slightly after the announcement despite paying out its first dividend in a long while. Qantas’ share price...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Profit jumps 22% as fuel hedging pays off. Don’t expect cheaper fares, though.
Virgin Australia has emerged from a decidedly unpleasant year for airline fuel costs in remarkably good shape, reporting a 21.9% increase in underlying net profit while its larger rival Qantas took a substantial hit from the Middle East fuel-price shock. For the year to 30 June 2026, Virgin Australia recorded...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Retiring A380s early. Smaller aircraft mean higher fares. Passengers lose.
As part of its FY26 results, Qantas has confirmed it will begin phasing out its 10 remaining A380 superjumbos from 2028 — four years earlier than previously expected. In their place will come a growing fleet of Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners. These aircraft fly further, burn less fuel...
Also on BoardingArea
The Bulkhead Seat
Porter Airlines Expands to London, Ontario for the First Time with New Sun Destinations
Porter Airlines is launching service from London International Airport (YXU) for the first time…
Frequent Miler
Credit card cell phone insurance compared
These days, your cell phone may be among your most expensive possessions. Coverage for damage or theft can be worthwhile for those who are prone to damaging their phone and/or who want peace of mind about replacement costs. Luckily, many rewards credit cards offer strong cell phone insurance coverage as...
Economy Class & Beyond
Embraer delivers its 2000th E-Jet to Azul
Embraer has celebrated a big milestone, with the manufacturer delivering its 2000th E-Jet.  The milestone aircraft, an E195-E2, was delivered to Azul Linhas Aéreas. Since entering service in 2004, the E-Jets family has transformed the airline industry by combining passenger comfort, operational efficiency, and industry-leading reliability. Over the past two...
Frequent Miler
SimplyMiles: Earn 1,395 AA miles + 1,395 Loyalty Points on $250+ Avis rental
There’s a new SimplyMiles card-linked offer that’s giving both 1,395 bonus American Airlines miles and 1,395 Loyalty Points when paying for a $250+ Avis rental. Seeing as this is a card-linked offer, it’ll stack with other deals which will make this even more rewarding. The Deal Spend $250+ on an...
Points With a Crew
Which Delta American Express card Is Best? (New Higher Offers!)
5 of the Delta American Express cards are all all offering increased sign-up bonuses, including some of the highest that I've ever seen! You can get up to 95,000 Skymiles as a welcome offer by ...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Read Your Hotel Cancellation Policy Carefully — Especially When Free Cancellation Expires
Whether — or, perhaps, especially if — you are a seasoned frequent traveler, you should always take a moment to check and ensure that you understand the cancellation policy of the hotel, motel, resort, or other type of lodging property at which you plan on booking a reservation and staying. Numerous...
Frequent Miler
SimplyMiles: Earn 6X AA miles + 6X Loyalty Points at Giant Food (can use twice)
There’s currently a good offer on SimplyMiles if you happen to live in the mid-Atlantic region as you can earn both 6X American Airlines AAdvantage miles and 6X Loyalty Points when paying with a linked card at Giant Food grocery stores. The Deal Earn 6X AAdvantage miles + 6X Loyalty...
Travel With Grant
2 Targeted Barclays Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card Spend Offers: Earn up to 2,500 Bonus Atmos Rewards Points
I received a targeted spend offer on my Barclays Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card, while Laura received a different offer on her card. Both offers can earn us a combined 5,000 bonus Atmos Rewards points with relatively little spending. The post 2 Targeted Barclays Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card Spend Offers: Earn up...
Economy Class & Beyond
Southwest Airlines continues to morph into just another airline… with the addition of a Lounge Network
Southwest Airlines is continuing to change – and is adding lounges to its network. Four lounges have been announced in the first wave. These are: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Daniel K. Inouye (Honolulu) International Airport Nashville International Airport The airline has at least seven more in...
Frequent Miler
Visiting New York City without breaking the bank | Coffee Break Ep121 | 9-2-26
New York is an expensive city. Today, we’ll talk about tips to make it more affordable using points, credit card benefits, and smart stacking. Visiting New York City without breaking the bank Watch the full episode below, or listen on your favorite podcast platform. You can click the timestamps below...
Your Mileage May Vary
We Finally Booked Allegiant. Then Exactly What We Feared Happened
In one of the most improbable travel developments imaginable in our household, my wife Sharon and I booked a flight on Allegiant. That might not sound particularly remarkable, but Allegiant…
Frequent Miler
Caesars Chase Offer: 10% back on up to $500 spend
There is a new Chase Offer for Caesars properties in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe, which can save 10% on up to $500 of total spend (or a maximum back of $50). Caesars also has an Amex Offer for 20% off either $200 or $400, as well as a...
View from the Wing
How Much Do Airlines Really Pay For Planes? A $397 Million Boeing 787 May Cost Just $170 Million
Airlines almost never pay the sticker prices reported when they order Boeing and Airbus jets. Public numbers can make a 787-10 look like a nearly $400 million aircraft, while the real negotiated price may be closer to $170 million — because aircraft orders work more like car deals, with inflated...
Frequent Miler
Some Wyndham cardholders can upgrade online to new Wyndham card versions
When Wyndham refreshed its credit card lineup a few months ago, Barclays confirmed that existing cardholders would retain their existing card’s benefits, rather than automatically being changed to the refreshed version of their card. As part of that confirmation, Barclays also advised that in time it would be possible for...
Points With a Crew
Chase Ink Business Preferred® vs. Chase Ink Business Unlimited® – $1,000 or 100,000 points
The Chase Ink Preferred and Chase Ink Unlimited are two of Chase's business credit cards and they can both be great options to boost your Ultimate Rewards points balance. Deciding which one is best can depend on ...
Your Mileage May Vary
He Needed Help From Delta. When Nobody Showed Up, He Took Matters Into His Own Hands
A traveler at LAX needed help from Delta, but the gate desk was completely unstaffed. After waiting, he decided to try something a little different. Flying can be frustrating. Ticket…
Frequent Miler
Flying Blue Promo Rewards: 25% off economy, premium economy, & business from many North American cities
It’s the start of a new month which means that a fresh batch of Flying Blue Promo Rewards launched yesterday. It’s a particularly good batch this month as there are many North American cities included on the list and, if you can position to Mexico City, you might find plentiful...
One Mile at a Time
An Honest Conversation About Blog Monetization, Making Money Online
After 18 years of blogging, I want to honestly explain how online monetization has changed, and why OMAAT is evolving how it uses ads, rewards, and sponsorships.
The Bulkhead Seat
Crowne Plaza Opens New Flagship Hotel in New York’s Times Square
Crowne Plaza by IHG has opened its new flagship hotel in the Americas with…
Miles To Memories
United Mobile App Lets Customers Join Standby for Earlier Flights and Finds Seats During Disruptions
United has announced a new mobile app feature that gives customers more flexibility and options when travel plans are disrupted.
The Gate with Brian Cohen
As Low as €13.00 Per Flight With Vueling Airlines
Purchase tickets for as low as €13.00 per flight with Vueling Airlines for travel via select routes between Thursday, October 1, 2026 and Sunday, January 31, 2027. No promotion code is required... ...but you must...
One Mile at a Time
Atmos Rewards Introduces The Best Lap Infant Award Policy In The Industry
Atmos Rewards now lets you add a lap infant to international award tickets for just taxes and fees — the most generous policy in the industry.
Frequent Miler
Rakuten offering up to $350 / 35,000 Bilt points on select Bank of America credit cards
Update 9/2/26: Rakuten is now offering $350/35,000 points for the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card, in addition to the card’s standard welcome offer. That’s the highest Rakuten bonus we’ve ever seen on the card. ~~~ Last year, Rakuten started offering bonus rewards when applicants were approved for select...
View from the Wing
Metal Credit Cards Are Old News—Now Banks Are Making Cards Light Up When You Pay
Austria’s Erste Bank has launched a youth debit card that illuminates at checkout, joining Revolut and several European experiments. U.S. Bank tested the same idea four years ago—and ran out of cards.
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Frequent Flyer loyalty scheme is changing. Here’s what happens when
Qantas has released some additional information about changes it is making to its loyalty scheme. It’s also put dates around the changes. There is both good and bad news. From December 2026, members will be able to earn Status Credits without flying and roll some excess Status Credits into the...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Releases financial results and an avalanche of announcements. Here are some:
It’s Financial Year 2026 results day over at Qantas, and they are dropping an avalanche of information on everything from the new business cabins of their international-bound Airbus A321XLRs to a massive overhaul of the Qantas Frequent Flyer loyalty system. I’m going to wade through the releases and report to...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Double Status Credits are back — ‘Twice as Rewarding’ returns for 2026
Well, that didn’t take long. Just over a week ago, when Qantas launched its biggest domestic sale of 2026, I asked whether the airline might follow it with another Double Status Credits promotion. The answer is yes. Qantas has launched another of its popular ‘Twice as Rewarding’ promotions, giving Frequent...
2PAXfly
LOUNGE REVIEW: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, Vancouver Airport, where I met my husband
Let me put you out of your misery. Maple Leaf Lounges are not industry-leading. But they get the basics right and can be a haven for pre-flight relaxation. My main issue with this lounge was that it was very crowded, so there was nowhere I really wanted to sit. The...
2PAXfly
FLIGHT REVIEW: Qantas A321XLR Sydney to Melbourne
Well, this was a surprise. I booked it months ago, back in March ’26, during a Double Status Credits promotion. It was around the same time Qantas was changing rules for access to what had become Economy Plus rows of seating. I didn’t think much of the fact that Economy...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 23 August, 2026
Hello travellers, This week, I have been catching up on life after two short trips in recent weeks to Melbourne and New Zealand. I’ve also got a big trip planned in about a month, so I’ve spent a lot of time planning for that. I’ll be spending the next few...
2PAXfly
HOTEL REVIEW: Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver Airport. An indulgence. Oh Canada!
The Oh Canada trip report continues. It’s time to review my first hotel stay on Canadian soil at the Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver Airport, which is located within the airport building. I’ve already covered my First Class check-in and Lounge visit in Sydney, and my Dreamliner flight with Qantas to Vancouver....
2PAXfly
CHINESE AIRLINES: 2026 guide to which airline is best
I was really surprised when I looked at the 2PAXfly reader statistics and found that an article about which Chinese Airlines were best was one of 2PAXfly’s most popular posts. That was nearly 18 months ago, so time to update my choices. When I first wrote this guide in January...