Wild About Travel
The Garden Route: Africa’s Edge
In high school, I attended a talk by a South African exchange student. Two things stayed with me: his description of apartheid in its final years, and his description of the Garden Route. I knew I had to visit. This route traces the edge of Africa, where the continent ends...
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DELTA AIR LINES: Sydney bound flight hit with extreme turbulence. Passengers hospitalised
Just breaking: Some people have sustained injuries on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. The flight experienced extreme turbulence during the flight this morning. Emergency services attended Sydney Airport prior to the flight landing. Radio station 2GB reported that the plane was struck by intense turbulence. This resulted...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Jestar flyers dumped from lounge acccess. No more lounge pass trading.
In two major rule changes from July 1, 2026, Qantas will reshape how travellers use lounge invitations and who gets through the door in the first place. This is going to be big for those sensible flyers who booked Jetstar fares direct and used Qantas lounges, or those who sold...
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NEW ROUTES 2026 #10: British Airways returns to Melbourne
British Airways is heading back to Melbourne for the first time in two decades, and the timing doesn’t look accidental. As conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors, the UK flag carrier is launching daily flights between London Heathrow and Melbourne via...
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NEW ROUTES 2026 #7: Air New Zealand from Brisbane with new Business Class
With Australians being loyal to airlines based in the great southern lands, its cousins over the Tasman are often overlooked. Now, sometimes that ignorance is legitimate; they did have a very inferior Business Class cabin, or their fares always seemed pitched above those of Australian-based airlines. But now, Air NZ...
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VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Vape ignites on flight from Brisbane, emergency response at Melbourne Airport
A vape device ignited inside the cabin of a Virgin Australia flight VA328 approaching Melbourne, prompting an emergency call from the flight crew and a precautionary response from airport firefighters. The incident occurred on Sunday, 15 March. As the aircraft descended toward Melbourne Airport, the device activated and began smoking...
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WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 15 March, 2026
I’m back in Sydney after spending nearly a week at the Adelaide Festival and catching up with friends and relatives. I also got to experience the new Economy Plus seats in row 5 on a Qantas B737, with extra legroom. It’s good.  I’m now putting the final touches to my...
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NEW ROUTES 2026 #6: Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo one of the smartest ways to Europe
There was a time when booking Malaysia Airlines to Europe felt like choosing price over style. The airline did the job, but it rarely turned heads. That view may have changed with the arrival of the Airbus A330neo across Australian routes. Commencing its rollout in 2025, with full deployment by...
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QANTAS: Settles COVID flight cancellation class action for AU$105 million
Qantas has agreed to pay $105 million to settle a class action brought by passengers whose flights were cancelled during the pandemic, potentially delivering compensation to hundreds of thousands of customers. The settlement relates to flights scheduled between 1 January 2020 and 1 November 2022, when global travel collapsed due...
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QANTAS: A380 and First Class dropped from Melbourne to LAX, also 787 changes
Melbourne is losing its Qantas Airbus A380 to Los Angeles. From 25 October 2026, the airline will remove the superjumbo from the route, switching the service to a daily Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner instead. Currently, the QF93/QF94 Melbourne–Los Angeles flights operate with a mix of aircraft. The Airbus A380 runs twice...
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NEW ROUTES 2026 #4: Delta Airlines East Coast to Los Angeles on A350 with Delta One Business Class
Delta began operating its new A350 aircraft to Melbourne late last year, giving travellers a third option, alongside Qantas and United, for direct flights to Los Angeles. The airline now flies from Melbourne and Brisbane three times a week, and daily from Sydney. Its Delta One Business Class seat has...
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WEEKLY REVIEW: Sunday 8 March, 2026 — International Women’s Day
I’m in Adelaide for the annual Adelaide Arts Festival, catching up with friends, and sucking up the cultural events. Today is International Women’s Day. To celebrate, Qantas have more than 2,500 customers flying on Jetstar and Qantas flights operated by all-female crews. Virgin Australia is celebrating with the Future Aviators...
Wild About Travel
Pretoria (Tshwane): The Capital That Surprised Me
I arrived in Pretoria with low expectations. South Africa had been a mixed bag. The delights of the Garden Route, a superb Johannesburg, falling in love with Cape Town and almost getting mugged there, wonderful stops in Hermanus and Durban. And then the disappointments: Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Mossel Bay...
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NEW ROUTES 2026 #5: Singapore Airlines with new A350 business class with doors — late 2026
After years of speculation, Singapore Airlines is refreshing its long-haul Airbus A350 business class with privacy doors. The rollout begins in the first half of 2026, with retrofits phased across selected long-haul A350 aircraft. When do we see these refreshed cabins in Australia? Background I’m doing a series of posts...
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MIDDLE EAST: Advice for Australians caught in flight chaos
Airspace is closed across parts of the Middle East due to attacks by Israel and the USA and consequent retaliation from Iran. This has left thousands of Australian travellers stranded or scrambling to rearrange flights. If you’re travelling through the region in the coming days or stuck there right now,...
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DISRUPTION: Middle East carriers and airports in chaos. What to do if you are travelling soon
What follows is practical advice for those travelling by air via the Middle East who will be affected by the conflict generated by the attacks on Iran. Background Escalating conflict in the Middle East has triggered major airspace closures and cascading flight chaos. Gulf hubs including Doha, Dubai and Abu...