2PAXfly
AUCKLAND: I went to Auckland, New Zealand, for a weekend Qantas Double Status Credits run
I’m sitting in the Qantas Auckland Airport First Class Lounge (if it deserves that title), waiting for our flight to be called. We arrived early, so there were three hours at least to go. I’m travelling with 2A, an occasional contributor to 2PAXfly, a friend, and a fellow avgeek. Status...
2PAXfly
ETIHAD: A380 back in the sky! Upgrade to The Residence
From Tuesday, 25 July, Etihad has an A380 Jumbo back in the sky on the 7-hour London to Abu Dhabi route (EY11/EY12). By December, it expects to have more of its A380 fleet in the sky, servicing all but one of its flights between London and Abu Dhabi. If you...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Double Status Credits!
You have just nine days to take advantage of this Double Status Credits promotion before midnight on Thursday, 3 August, 2023. You need to already be a member of the Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer program or sign up for it. If you are already a member, start by logging...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Double Status Credits!
You have just nine days to take advantage of this Double Status Credits promotion before midnight on Thursday, 3 August, 2023. You need to already be a member of the Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer program or sign up for it. If you are already a member, start by logging...
2PAXfly
FLIGHT REVIEW: Qantas QF477 Sydney to Melbourne in Economy – call that a meal?
I wouldn’t normally report on a pedestrian trip like a Melbourne to Sydney domestic flight. However, as one of the busiest routes in Australia, and in fact in the world, I thought it might be interesting to document the service on this well-patronised route. Introduction Qantas essentially runs flights every...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Last of the 14 Boeing 787 Dreamliners ordered arrives in Melbourne today
Qantas ordered 14 Dreamliners about 20 years ago; the last one arrives (according to ET) in Melbourne today. Named ‘Snowy River’, it has actually been in mothballs since 2020 due to the pandemic. The arrival of this final aircraft should speed up the return to pre-pandemic capacity for Qantas, targeted...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: New boarding by groups to solve on time performance?
Qantas is trialling a new group boarding procedure for selected flights out of Brisbane starting Monday 24 July. It sure needs to do something given its appalling on-time performance during June this year according to the Australian Governments Transport research body. Qantas has performed badly compared to its pre-pandemic statistics,...
2PAXfly
INTRODUCTION: Sydney to Melbourne in Economy, an exhibition, a play and a Le Méridian stay, April, 2023
Melbourne is one of my favourite cities in Australia. In a previous life running a design company, I used to travel between Sydney and Melbourne fairly often to service clients. I would often schedule meetings towards the end of the week, so I and my husband could spend the weekend...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Boarding by group to be tested on domestic flights
Qantas has a chequered history with boarding procedures. Now it wants to move toward using Boarding Groups on domestic flights which it is scheduled to start trialing on selected flights out of Brisbane before it rolls it out across major airports with wider implementation in October 2023. Background Qantas introduced...
2PAXfly
TURKISH AIRLINES: December start for flights to Australia
Turkish Airlines claims to have one of the most extensive destinations lists of any airline, with one glaring omission – Australia. Not any more. From December 2023 Turkish plans to start flights from Singapore direct to Melbourne or Sydney. Over the next decade, it plans direct ultra-long flights from Istanbul....
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Engineers set for 13.5% payrise
It’s been a year in the making but it looks like a small band of engineers who service the Fly-In-Fly-Out (FIFO) fleet of West Australian-based Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) will agree to the pay offer. The Commission was set to conduct its first hearing on the newly proclaimed ‘intractable...
2PAXfly
QATAR AIRWAYS: Australian Government rejects expansion on Australian routes. Win for Qantas.
The Australian Financial Review (AFR) is reporting that Transport Minister Catherine King has said in response to Qatar Airways June application to increase its routes to Australia, that: “The Australian government is not considering additional bilateral air rights with Qatar.” Catherine King, Transport Minister … thus dashing hopes from consumers...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Reminder about travel credit expiration dates
Given my work is linked to the airline industry, I usually pride myself on knowing exactly when my flights are, what bookings I have cancelled, and what credits with Travel Bank or other schemes I might hold with airlines. Turns out, I’m failing in one of those areas of knowledge....
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Status support for Platinum Frequent Flyers – 20% fewer credits required to requalify
Qantas has offered various forms of Status support since the pandemic started which reduced their loyal flyers ability to take to the air. The previous support announcement extended many members with status anniversary dates up to 30 June, 2023 for another year. Unfortunately for me, my re-qualification date was after...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: A380 & First Class back on Melbourne to Singapore route from Monday 17 July, 2023
Good news, A380 is back on the Melbourne to Singapore route this week. Bad news, it’s only for a total of six days across a period of two weeks according to ET. Award Seats With the A380, a larger capacity plane replacing the usual A330 for the fortnight, comes more...
2PAXfly
BONZA AIRLINES: Cuts five routes. Oh dear, this does not augur well for a new six month old airline.
Newly minted ultra-low-cost tourist route airline Bonza has cut five of its routes less than six months into its first year of operations, blaming lack of demand as well as reliability issues. The routes to be cut Effective from August, the following routes will be cut due to lack of...