2PAXfly
TURKISH AIRLINES: Non-stop Australia flights delayed until 2027
Turkish Airlines’ promised non-stop flights between Istanbul and Australia have slipped again, with Sydney now expected by the end of 2027 and Melbourne pushed into 2028. That is the bad news. Turkish Airlines plans to fly a specially configured Airbus A350-1000, heavy on premium seats, fitted with the airline’s new...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: biggest Boeing 737 is coming — eventually
Virgin Australia has put a date, of sorts, on the next stage of its fleet renewal. It expects to receive its first Boeing 737-10 in late 2027. That’s like more than 12 months away. The PR department must have been light on for stories to report for this to be...
2PAXfly
BOEING: Bird strikes, smoke and the cabin air problem that won’t go away
There are bird strikes. There are fume events. And then there are bird strikes that lead to smoke or oil mist entering the cockpit and/or cabin. That is the issue now ruffling feathers around Boeing’s 737 MAX, its LEAP-1B engines, and the regulators charged with deciding whether this is a...
2PAXfly
WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 14 June, 2026
Greetings from Canada (I’m still here)! I’ve actually spanned the continent and just spent some delightful days enduring the cold of Newfoundland. I’ve also seen puffins at Gull Island and whales out of Bay Bulls Harbour. Both of which were wonderful experiences. Arrival at Montreal, not so much, but they...
Also on BoardingArea
Frequent Miler
$100 inKind gift card for $64.99 at Costco.com
Costco is once again offering a $100 inKind gift card for a discount, though this time around the price has dropped to $64.99. This could be a good deal if you have upcoming plans to dine at an inKind restaurant. You can also get 20% back on all food and beverage,...
Live and Let’s Fly
Review: United Airlines 777-200ER Domestic Polaris Business Class San Francisco – Newark
I flew on a United Airlines internationally-configured 777-200ER from San Francisco to Newark in Polaris Business Class, my first time flying on a premium transcontinental flight on United Airlines since the carrier rebranded some of its domestic routes as Polaris. The flight was mostly pleasant, though the lack of functional...
Miles To Memories
Amex Delta Offers with NO Lifetime Restriction Are Back Again with Public Link
These new offers are public and available for everyone and are some of the best we have seen, especially on business cards
Traveling For Miles
Five basic bits of advice for people new to miles & points
Everyone starts somewhere. If you're new to the miles and points game and feeling slightly overwhelmed by the sheer number of programs, currencies, and opinions out there, this one's for you. None of what follows is complicated, but getting these basics right early could well save you a lot of frustration...
Frequent Miler
New Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier card: An unexpected new card that’s hard to make sense of
I don’t think anyone expected a premium Wyndham card to come on the market before a premium Hyatt card, but here we are. Wyndham and Barclays launched a new premium card today called the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier card. It’s a slightly strange card because it doesn’t seem like there’d...
Points With a Crew
Buy Hyatt points with 20% bonus
Hyatt is offering a bonus on points if you buy points for the next few weeks. But does it make sense to purchase Hyatt points?
Your Mileage May Vary
5 Major Changes in Store for Denver International Airport
Sometimes an airport can remain pretty stable for several years in a row. Not big changes in terms of carriers, construction or even restaurants. And then, all of a sudden,…
One Mile at a Time
KLM Airbus A350 Will Soon Enter Service, But Business Class Will Stay Empty
In September 2023, Air France-KLM placed an incremental order for up to 90 Airbus A350s, including 50 firm orders and 40 options. The intent was for these planes to be used for long term fleet renewal across both carriers.
View from the Wing
Chase Made Sapphire Preferred Better, But Ultimate Rewards No Longer Looks As Safe
Chase Sapphire Preferred is better for most cardmembers after its refresh, with stronger earning categories and a larger hotel credit. But the cut to Hyatt transfers raises doubts about Ultimate Rewards as a reserve currency.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Emirates Fined €180,000 By Italian Privacy Watchdog Over How it Processes the Personal Data of Passengers With Reduced Mobility
Dubai-based mega airline Emirates has been fined €180,000 (US $208,000) by Italy’s privacy watchdog over the way it handles sensitive personal data about passengers with reduced mobility or other, sometimes highly personal and sensitive, health conditions. The watchdog, known in Italy as the Garante, started its probe into how Emirates...
Live and Let’s Fly
Official: European Union Moves To Strengthen EU261 Flight Compensation, Not Gut It
An agreement to update EU261/2004 has been reached and much to my delight (and contrary to months of rumors), Europe is not gutting passenger compensation. Quite the opposite: the core compensation scheme is set to remain largely intact, while airlines will soon have to make it much easier for passengers...
Economy Class & Beyond
Qantas confirms “Project” Sunrise’s first route – Sydney to London in late 2027
At an event in Toulouse, Qantas confirmed it plans to launch its world-first non-stop services between Sydney and London from October 2027, the first time the Kangaroo Route has ever been flown without stops from Australia’s east coast. Today’s announcement comes as the national carrier unveiled its first Airbus A350-1000ULR...
Miles To Memories
Maldives Seaplane With Points (& Actually A Decent Deal), Southwest’s Weird Partnership & Most Walkable US City
In our Around the Web we take a look at interesting articles that cover miles, points, travel and personal finance.
Traveling For Miles
Surprising results when searching for value from purchased IHG points
This all started with an award search in Manhattan for a single night in February. The results surprised me, so I followed that up with a search for a single night in May (same location, same hotels) to see what that would throw up.
The Travel Sisters
60+ Best Free Things to Do in Chicago (From Locals)
The best free things to do in Chicago.
Passenger looks out plane window (l) Spirit airlines aircraft (r)
BoardingArea
Atlanta Passenger Looks Out Plane Window. Then They Spot The Spirit Airlines ‘Graveyard’
"If you ever wondered where all the Spirit planes went..."
Points Miles and Bling
Avoiding the UK Air Passenger Duty (APD)
In short, the UK government charges the highest departure taxes for airline passengers in the world, called the UK Air…
One Mile at a Time
Nice: Alaska Airlines Adds Stumptown Cold Brew To Drink Lineup
I’m absolutely delighted to see the latest addition to Alaska Airlines’ drink lineup, as this is an area where the airline really excels.
Live and Let’s Fly
Couple Books Aisle And Window On United Airlines, Then Talks Over Passenger Stuck In The Middle
A United Airlines passenger shared a story about a seat swap conversation after ending up between a married couple who had booked the window and aisle hoping the middle would remain empty. I have some sympathy for almost everyone involved here, but there is one part of this strategy that...
Miles To Memories
Singapore Airlines Spontaneous Escapes: 30% Off Award Flights Around The World
Singapore Airlines' Spontaneous Escapes are back again this month. This promotion allows you to book discounted award flights on some routes.
View from the Wing
JetBlue CEO’s Commencement Lesson: Why Character Counts More In The Age Of AI
JetBlue’s CEO gave graduates a commencement message about character, reputation, friendship, and not confusing achievement with who you are. In the age of AI, that lesson matters more because capability is becoming abundant while trust, judgment, courage, and human connection become more scarce.
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Save Up to 20% With Marriott Bonvoy
You can save up to 20% with Marriott Bonvoy off of the guest room standard rate when you stay at your choice of participating hotel and resort properties worldwide with its Escapes promotion, which offers exclusive savings every other Thursday through Sunday across select destinations... ...but you must...
Frequent Miler
Paze in a daze: No more gift cards from Newegg or Dunkin’
That didn’t last long. A couple of days ago, the relatively new payment method Paze—brought to you by the company behind Zelle—launched an insanely good promotion that has the potential to be our Deal of the Year for 2026. Paze is giving $10 back when spending $10+ which, in and...
The Bulkhead Seat
Qantas to Launch World’s First Non-Stop Flights Between Sydney and London in 2027
Qantas has announced that it will launch the world’s first non-stop flights between Sydney…
2PAXfly
QANTAS: introduces confirmed upgrades with cash
Qantas has added a new way to upgrade your seat that takes the element of chance out. Confirmed Upgrades is a fixed-price cash upgrade offer for selected passengers on selected Qantas flights, with confirmation (or not) within half a day. This becomes the third form of upgrade you can use...
2PAXfly
WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT: Finally an opening date, and Jetstar gets first dibs
Western Sydney International Airport will welcome its first paying passengers on Sunday, 25 October 2026, with Jetstar being the first commercial passenger carrier off the tarmac. The inaugural flight from Western Sydney International, officially the Nancy-Bird Walton Airport and known by the code WSI, will be a Jetstar flight, JQ362,...
Wild About Travel
draft Kalogorlei ourback tnwn
I almost came to Kalgoorlie decades ago but never made it. I have travelled across Western Australia’s 2,527,013 square kilometres (975,685 sq mi), from Esperance in the south to Wyndham in the north, and through many towns, beaches, deserts, and mountain ranges in between. I love the state. Kalgoorlie remained...
2PAXfly
RIYADH AIR: New aviation deal with Saudi Arabia puts passennger flight on Australia’s horizon
Saudi Arabia has signed a new aviation agreement with Australia, opening the way for direct flights into Avalon in Victoria and Toowoomba Wellcamp in Queensland. The first flights are likely to be freight, chilled meat, seafood and dairy and not business class suites. But this raises the possiblity that Riyadh...
2PAXfly
RIYADH AIR: Initial destinations and flight schedule
We finally have the launch schedules and first five destinations for the long-awaited launch of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air. Launch pricing is intriguing rather than sensational, but at least any travellers on these flights will get the full Riyadh experience in Riyadh Air’s fully kitted-out cabins. But don’t expect an...
2PAXfly
INDONESIA: Bali giveth to Australians, and taketh away from influencers
Bali is preparing to make holidays cheaper for Australians by restoring visa-free entry. At the same time, Indonesian immigration authorities are making life more complicated for influencers, content creators and assorted digital nomads by requiring them to obtain work visas. No longer will they be able to treat a tourist...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Taj hotel discounts for frequent flyers, with future status match
OneWorld executives have been busy. Qantas frequent flyers can now receive discounts at more than 630 Taj and Indian Hotels Company properties, under a new partnership linking the Oneworld airline alliance with the Taj InnerCircle–NeuPass loyalty program. The agreement stretches beyond Taj’s grand palaces and luxury hotels to include everything...
2PAXfly
ONEWORLD: Philippine Airlines is joining, and that’s good news for Australian travellers
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is preparing to join the oneworld alliance, bringing a Southeast Asian carrier into the same airline family as Qantas. The Philippine flag carrier has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to become oneworld’s 16th member, following an invitation from the alliance’s governing board. The announcement was made at...