2PAXfly
BORDER FORCE: Sydney Airport trials digital incoming passenger card
Sydney Airport is trialling a long-awaited move towards digitising one of the most tedious parts of international travel: the Incoming Passenger Card (IPC). From today, eligible passengers on select Qantas flights from New Zealand can complete their arrival declaration online — no more fumbling for pens mid-flight. It’s a small...
2PAXfly
KOALA AIRLINES: Still promision to take off in 2026, still with no aircraft
A new challenger to the duopoly of Qantas and Virgin announced its bid around the time REX Airlines went into liquidation. We haven’t heard a lot from them since, and there has been little to no update on their online information. AI have seen a couple of fairly general interviews...
2PAXfly
TOURISM AUSTRALIA: Launches new AU$130 million campaign with TV commercial
Perhaps it’s because I am Australian and not the target audience, but I can’t help feeling a combination of contradictory emotions — pride mixed with embarrassment — at most of the Tourism Australia campaigns. This new TV commercial is no exception. Judge for yourself: This is apparently the second chapter...
2PAXfly
SYDNEY AIRPORT: T3 – the Qantas terminal to get food and beverage upgrade
Sydney Airport has launched Phase One of its Terminal 3 (T3) dining and retail redevelopment, promising an initial three new food outlets. Terminal tastemaker This first phase promises an eventual 14 new food and beverage venues. The Airport has revealed the first three: Maggio’s, Slim’s Quality Burgers, and Loulou. The...
Wild About Travel
Surviving the Gunfire: How Tragedy Changed My Bangkok Life
Today’s post contains images and descriptions about extreme violence. Reader caution is advised Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, home to around 14 million people is known for its canals, food, parties, temples, culture, and massage. I know the city well. I have spent five years here over the last 12...
2PAXfly
QATAR AIRWAYS: ‘Winter’ schedule includes more flights to Melbourne and a return to Canberra
The Doha-based airline has announced its northern hemisphere global winter schedule, which includes increased flights to more than 15 global destinations. Two of the destinations are Australian. Qatar will start wet leased flight with Virgin Australia to and from Melbourne and resume flights out of Canberra, that will take a...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Pets to fly in cabins by Christmas
The initiative for pets to travel in the cabin on Virgin Australia was first announced over a year ago. That was back in March 2024. It has taken until today (July 31, 2025) for Virgin Australia to announce the start date of the initiative. Virgin’s new CEO, Dave Emerson, speaking...
2PAXfly
VISA FEES: Europe entry fee to triple with new ETIAS travel authorisation
If you are Australian and planning a European getaway, you will soon need to budget three times as previously announced for a new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) fee. Originally priced at €7 (~A$11.50), the fee is due to nearly triple to €20 (~A$32 AUD) when the system...
2PAXfly
AIR NEW ZEALAND: Announces new CEO — Nikhil Ravishankar former head of Digital
Air New Zealand has named its chief digital officer, Nikhil Ravishankar, as its next chief executive. The airline thereby highlights its continuing shift toward a digital transformation. He will replace Greg Foran on October 20, 2025, after the latter’s six-year tenure steering the national carrier through one of the most volatile...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: All about what to expect in new Platinum Plus loyalty tier
We have a date and a cost. The new Velocity Platinum Plus tier will debut on 1 October 2025. It will sit above the simple Platinum tier, but below the invitation-only Beyond tier. The new tier is at a parallel level to the Qantas Platinum One tier. It is designed...
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
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The reborn Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok
Dusit Thani is a name eternally tied to its history as one of the first five-star hotels in Bangkok. The original hotel opened in 1970. It was Thailand’s tallest building and the first property of Dusit International. The now-outdated hotel was demolished in 2019, and a new hotel using the...
2PAXfly
HOTEL REVIEW: Too much style? Naumi Hotel, Wellington, New Zealand
We arrived from the airport a little after midnight. The Naumi Hotel has entrances on two different streets: Cuba Street and Dunlop Terrace, which is parallel to Cuba Street. Cuba Street is the main entrance. Things apparently happen in doubles at the Naumi, as there are actually two hotels, one...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: ‘Pick Your Bonus’ double status or points promotion
Virgin Australia’s latest ‘Pick Your Bonus’ promotion offers Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer members a choice. You can choose between double Velocity Points or double Status Credits on eligible flights. This is a timely opportunity following recent program changes that have made attaining higher status tiers more challenging. It could...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: The Americas — north and south on Red Tail sale. Some real bargains
Qantas had a Red Tail sale similar to this last year, from memory. It had a North American sale just after its double status credits promotion. I picked up a roughly AU$7,000 Business Class fare to Vancouver for September ’24. A trip I eventually had to delay and then cancel...
2PAXfly
WEBJET: taken to court by ACCC over alleged deceptive and misleading conduct
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing WebJet, an online travel company. The ACCC accuses it of advertising flights without including compulsory charges and requesting additional payments after bookings are confirmed. The Details The ACCC argues that Webjet’s email booking confirmations were not worth the bits and bytes...