2PAXfly
LULUTAI AIRLINES: Grounded over safety concerns, means travel chaos in Tonga
Tonga’s only domestic airline, Lulutai, has been grounded in the light of serious safety violations. The grounding leaves dozens of tourists and locals stranded during the country’s peak tourism season. Announced by the Civil Aviation Division on Saturday, the suspension has significantly impacted the tourism sector, prompting widespread outrage among...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Mid-air fire caused by power bank
What a heart-stopping moment for passengers aboard Virgin Australia Flight VA1528 from Sydney to Hobart when a power bank sparked a fire in an overhead locker, just as the plane began its descent. Here’s what happened, how crew kept everyone safe, and what it means for you next time you fly....
2PAXfly
WTF: Visiting the USA just got pricier — for some Australians
Thinking of heading to the USA for business, study or a long-term work stint? You’d better brace yourself. Donald Trump might even be reaching into Australian travellers’ pockets. Uncle Sam could have his hand in your pants, thanks to a new ‘Visa Integrity Fee tucked inside President Trump’s latest legislative...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: IPO—What it means for travellers now the airline’s public again
Virgin Australia is officially back on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). After five years in the private-equity hangar under Bain Capital, the airline took off on the stock market runway on 24 June 2025, in one of the year’s most anticipated floats. But while the headlines were full of share...
Also on BoardingArea
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Heathrow Airport Takes £1 Billion Hit From Installing Much-Delayed Next Generation Security Scanners
Heathrow Airport says that installing next-generation security scanners that will eliminate restrictions on liquids in hand luggage will cost around £1 billion (US $1.4 billion), with the much-delayed project still far from complete. The British government had called on airports to install the Computed Tomography (CT) scanners by the end...
2PAXfly
LULUTAI AIRLINES: Grounded over safety concerns, means travel chaos in Tonga
Tonga’s only domestic airline, Lulutai, has been grounded in the light of serious safety violations. The grounding leaves dozens of tourists and locals stranded during the country’s peak tourism season. Announced by the Civil Aviation Division on Saturday, the suspension has significantly impacted the tourism sector, prompting widespread outrage among...
Frequent Miler
Hawaiian Airlines & Alaska Airlines programs will merge on October 1, 2025
It’s been almost a year since Alaska Airlines acquired Hawaiian Airlines and we’ve been waiting patiently ever since for more details about when a new combined loyalty program would be launched and how it’ll work. The last update we received was that a single merged program would be launched in...
The Bulkhead Seat
Hotel Review: The Westin Flushing LaGuardia Airport
After returning early from our trip to Italy, our flight from New York John… The post Hotel Review: The Westin Flushing LaGuardia Airport appeared first on The Bulkhead Seat.
One Mile at a Time
Lufthansa’s Mystifying A350 Allegris First Class Suite Plus Concept
I finally had the chance to fly Lufthansa’s new Allegris first class on the Airbus A350-900! In a previous post, I covered how that didn’t exactly go as planned, due to a downgrade situation. In the comments section of that post (goodness, y’all had some opinions!), there were endless question...
Points With a Crew
Save Up to 50% on Amazon with Amex Rewards Dollars [YMMV]
Act fast if you want to save up to 50% on your Amazon purchases, possibly even including gift cards. Find out how by ...
Altitude Yes
United Airlines Grounded Nationwide Due to Fire Alarm at Chicago Operations Center
United flights on the ground are currently sitting on taxiways and ramps as they await more information. The post United Airlines Grounded Nationwide Due to Fire Alarm at Chicago Operations Center first appeared on Altitude Yes.
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Visa Integrity Fee of $250 to Be Charged to Visitors of the United States
What is crudely known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has been passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States and signed into law on Friday, July 4, 2025 by Donald J. Trump — and one part which is buried in this massive...
Frequent Miler
Rakuten American Express Credit Card: Not as exciting as it could be
Rakuten is a shopping portal that ranks near or at the top for most of us at Frequent Miler (except when we’re getting shut down). It has been around forever, always has competitive rates, and is one of the more reliable portals when it comes to correctly tracking your purchases...
One Mile at a Time
Etihad Airbus A321LRs With Flat Bed First & Business Class Join Fleet
It’s an exciting time for Etihad Airways, as the airline has just taken delivery of its first Airbus A321LR aircraft, which offers an all-new passenger experience for the company. This plane will be a game changer for Etihad in terms of the routes that it opens up. The interior of...
One Mile at a Time
New Alaska Airlines Premium Credit Card Launches August 2025
In December 2024, Alaska Air Group announced plans to launch a new premium credit card as of the summer of 2025. While we’re still awaiting all the official details of the new card, the company has announced that it will be launching in August 2025, so we’re just weeks from...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Air Canada Aeroplan: Earn up to 15,000 bonus points on flights from Hong Kong to Canada & the U.S.
Air Canada has launched a new flight bonus for their Hong Kong flights. The bonus is open to everyone with no regional restrictions. The primary caveat for earning the bonus is that travel must originate in Hong Kong. The up to 15,000 bonus points offer: Earn up to 15,000 bonus...
One Mile at a Time
Buy IHG One Rewards Points With 80% Bonus (0.56 Cents Each)
Strategically buying points can be a good value, especially for luxury hotel stays. IHG One Rewards has just launched a new sale on purchased points. Different members may be targeted for different offers, though it appears that the standard offer isn’t quite in line with the best ones that we...
Your Mileage May Vary
Barcelona Planning Major Cruise Port Changes to Combat Overtourism
If you’ve been paying attention to Barcelona for the past couple of years, you probably know that they’ve “had it up to here” with tourism. The proliferation of Airbnb has…
Frequent Miler
Buy IHG Points for as low as 0.56 cents each
IHG has returned with another sale that’s giving an 80% bonus when buying their points. That means you can buy IHG Rewards points for 0.56 cents per point (cpp). Unlike the many IHG sales that are labeled as a mystery bonus, this latest offer doesn’t appear to have varying levels...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
ANA Mileage Club: Award Flight Sale for domestic flights in Japan!
ANA Mileage Club has launched a week long flash sale that sees award flights for travel on domestic Japan routes discounted. One way flights start as low as 3,400 Mileage Club miles. The offer is available online only and must be booked by July 31, 2025 for travel between September...
ATX Jetsetter
Chase and Southwest Airlines Announce Changes to Rapid Rewards Cobranded Credit Cards
Southwest Airlines and Chase have just unveiled benefits changes to Rapid Rewards cobranded credit cards, with an annual fee increase. The post Chase and Southwest Airlines Announce Changes to Rapid Rewards Cobranded Credit Cards appeared first on ATX Jetsetter.
View from the Wing
Southwest Airlines Slashes Profit By $1 Billion As Customers Pull Back After Bag Fees, Basic Economy Debut
Southwest Airlines held its second quarter earnings call on Thursday. And with the airline completely upending its business model, the quarter is a good opportunity to check in with how things are going. Continue reading Southwest Airlines Slashes Profit By $1 Billion As Customers Pull Back After Bag Fees, Basic Economy...
View from the Wing
Southwest Credit Cards Just Got More Expensive In Refresh To Align Benefits With Airline’s New Business Model
I really feel like Chase and Southwest could have done better here, though things are moving quickly with changes at Southwest and I suppose they didn't have as much runway as they often do with such product refreshes. Continue reading Southwest Credit Cards Just Got More Expensive In Refresh To Align...
Points With a Crew
Give me your craziest border crossing stories!
I recently crossed the US / Canada border 4 times in less than 24 hours - now I want to hear YOUR craziest border crossing stories!
Your Mileage May Vary
Is the Disney Rewards Visa Credit Card Still Worth It?
If you’re a Disney fan, there’s a good chance you’ve at least heard of the Disney Rewards Visa Card. Disney has partnered with Chase to offer a co-branded credit card…
The Bulkhead Seat
WestJet and Kenya Airways Announce New Interline Agreement
Between the investment made by Delta Air Lines and Korean Air, the interline agreements… The post WestJet and Kenya Airways Announce New Interline Agreement appeared first on The Bulkhead Seat.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Spanish Airline Refutes Claims Of Antisemitism After Group Of Jewish Teenagers Are Booted From Flight By Police
Spanish low-cost airline, Vueling, has strongly refuted claims of antisemitism after it had a group of 50 Jewish French teenagers returning home from a summer camp in Valencia, back to Paris Orly on July 23, booted from a flight by the Guardia Civil – a military national police force. The...
Frequent Miler
American Airlines Shopping Portal Promo: Earn up to 2,000 bonus miles
The American Airlines shopping portal is currently offering up to 2,000 bonus miles when hitting certain spending thresholds over the next couple of weeks. While you do earn AA Loyalty Points for the base levels of spending when you use the shopping portal, the bonus miles are redeemable only and...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Data hack sparks class-action push. Here’s how flyers can join the fight
That major data breach affecting around 5.7 million Qantas customers has sparked a potential class action. Although Qantas has been seen to act responsibly in keeping affected customers informed, that alone does not mitigate their potential legal liability. Australia’s leading class-action firm, Maurice Blackburn, has lodged a representative complaint—and they’re inviting...
2PAXfly
CREDIT CARDS: Reward Point perks could be affected by bank reforms
Frequent flyer? Credit card points hunter? Lounge lover with a taste for luxury using credit card points? You’re about to get a little win — and maybe a little pain — thanks to changes from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). In a move designed to eliminate hidden costs and...
2PAXfly
MALAYSIA AIRLINES: New A330neo Business Class on three daily Kuala Lumpur to Sydney flights
Malaysia Airlines has announced an upgrade for its Sydney route to begin in October 2025. All of its three daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney will be operated by the airline’s brand-new A330-900neo fleet, each featuring a reverse-herringbone Business Class cabin with fully enclosed suites. I celebrate this news....
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Aerobridge crashes into A380 causing 21 hour delay to Johannesburg flight
At Sydney Airport, an aerobridge has rammed the engine cowel of a Qantas A380, delays hundreds of passengers for 21 hours on a 14 hour flight to Johannesburg. Images of the accident, some shot from inside the aircraft show the bottom portion of an airobridge hitting the coweling of one...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Closer partnership with Air France/KLM
Air France/KLM have been in partnership since 2018 when it first formulated a codeshare agreement with the European airlines. This allowed customers of the airlines to connect on flights between Australia and Europe via Hong Kong and Singapore. The arrangement also allowed for reciprocal lounge access and the earning of...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Cyber hack update—5.7 million names in data breach
In an update to the previous story on the hacking of Frequent Flyer data, Qantas has started emailing customers affected by last week’s call centre cyber incident. The Australian airline is detailing exactly what personal data was compromised and what wasn’t. The update may allay some fears, but is also...
2PAXfly
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: K M Malta Airlines in Business class
After a few days in London after my three-day stopover in Bangkok to experience the reborn Dusit Thani, I was heading to Valletta, Malta, ON KM117 to meet my friend who has the enviable life, spending half her time in Australia and the other half in France. We were going...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Cyber hack update — 5.7 million in data breach
In an update to the previous story on the hacking of Frequent Flyer data, Qantas has started emailing customers affected by last week’s call centre cyber incident. The Australian airline is detailing exactly what personal data was compromised and what wasn’t. The update may allay some fears, but is also...