2PAXfly
QANTAS: Time to prepare for Qantas Double Status Credits & Points promotion
If I had a dollar for every time someone posted on social media Qantas forums ‘When is the next Qantas double status credits promotion?‘, I would be a very rich man. Almost no one predicted the last promotion in October 2024. You will see below the history of the Double...
2PAXfly
BRAZIL: Need for Australians to get a visa to enter Brazil from April 2025 ~ probably
This is becoming a bit of a saga, with Australians and citizens of the USA and Canada again needing a visa to enter Brazil. The current implementation date is 10 April 2025. If you already have a valid physical visa, you are OK. If you don’t, you need to apply...
2PAXfly
CHINESE AIRLINES: Your guide to which one is best
There are currently nine Chinese airlines that service destinations in Australia. That’s more airlines flying into Australia than from any other part of the world—more than Europe and North America. However, Chinese airlines don’t have a good reputation, and with many having ‘China’ in their name, it’s hard to distinguish...
Wild About Travel
2024 Recapped: Best and Worst Airports in the World
Over the last week, I have reviewed my 2024 destinations and rated the best and worst airlines. Today, I want to focus on the best and worst airports after flying to or from 65 airports in 2024 and 289 in my lifetime. Whether you’re starting your journey or connecting at...
2PAXfly
US GLOBAL ENTRY: Trial for Australians this month, January 2025
In August 2024, USA and Australian immigration bodies announced that Australia would soon be able to participate in the United States Global Entry program in 2025. This program streamlines entry into the USA through pre-approval. It has now been confirmed according to ET, that a trial of the program will...
2PAXfly
UNITED KINGDOM: Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for Australians starts today, 8 January 2025
With an estimated million-plus Australians heading to the UK this year, don’t pack your Samsonite without knowing about a new ETA travel hoop to jump through. I have written before about the introduction of the ETA for the United Kingdom, but here is a reminder. A £10 UK welcome fee!...
2PAXfly
REX: ASIC accuse Regional Express of director duties breach
Currently in administration, Regional Express (REX) is also being sued by ASIC (Australian Securities and Investment Commission) for behaviour that breached directors’ duties. We now know some more details through court document filings. ASIC’s accusation of deceitful conduct Executive chairman Lim Kim Hai is accused of drafting a misleading statement...
2PAXfly
AIRLINES: Australian airlines drag their landing gear in on-time performance
Cirium is an aviation data provider that has just released a report about airline and airportse including on-time performance. This data is more interesting than the data released by the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) because it has international scope, allowing comparisons between Australian airlines and the best worldwide...
Wild About Travel
Why Flights Get Delayed, Who is Better and How to Stay One Step Ahead
I had settled into my seat and the plane was fully boarded. A woman behind me told the crew she felt too unwell to fly. Medical staff boarded, and she left the aircraft with them 20 minutes after our scheduled departure. Retrieving her luggage took another 20 minutes, and with...
2PAXfly
MALAYSIAN AIRLINES: Court reveals details of events leading to the turn back to Sydney of flight MH122
Cast your mind back to news reports of a flight turnback of a Malaysian Airlines A330 on the afternoon of 14, 2023. Flight MH122 was one-and-a-half hours into its flight to Pakistan via Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Muscat in Oman. The aircraft was carrying 199 passengers, with a passenger...
2PAXfly
AUSTRALIA: Increased international travel in 2024 leads industry to specuate on Air travel trends for 2025
International travel activity at airports is an often forgotten indicator of the health or otherwise of the airline industry. With most of Australia’s major capital city airports in private hands, we have to rely on their peak bodies’ observations rather than what they tell the Australian Stock Exchange. Simon Weserway,...
2PAXfly
ETIHAD: Aborts takeoff at Melbourne Airport. Tyres explode.
On Sunday 5 January 2025, Etihad Airways flight EY461 was taking off from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport. It was heading for Abu Dhabi as its destination when the takeoff was aborted. The incident occurred at around 7 p.m. Pilots slammed on the brakes of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner late in the...
2PAXfly
JEJU AIR: Update on the crash of the Boeing 737-800 at Muan International Airport, South Korea
The December 29, 2024, mysterious crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 at Muan International Airport in South Korea resulted in 179 fatalities out of 181 occupants. Sequence of events for Jeju Air Flight 2216 The flight originated from Bangkok, Thailand, with Muan International Airport in Korea as its destination. During...
2PAXfly
FIJI: Virgin Australia crew robbed and assaulted. Suspect questioned.
The staff of Virgin Australia doing an ‘overnight’ in Nadi, Fiji, was reportedly robbed and assaulted in two incidents in the early hours of 1 January 2025. Details are sketchy, but a person known to the Fijian police has now been questioned as part of ongoing investigations. Airline support staff...
Wild About Travel
Planning, Packing, and Exploring: My 7 Tips for Better Travel
1. Prioritise New and Meaningful Experiences Seek both iconic landmarks and hidden treasures. Sure, visiting iconic places like the Acropolis or Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing is a must, but it is so for 1,000,000 other people. Be prepared for that and track down opportunities that might not be featured in the...
Wild About Travel
My 2024 Around the World – now 90 Countries
Happy New Year! Where did you explore/enjoy/experience in 2024? I had a phenomenal 2024, visiting 28 countries throughout the year, including five new ones. This brings the total number of countries I have ever visited to 90. I also explored 15 new cities, and flew my 100th Boeing 747! From...