2PAXfly
BONZA: Goes into administration. Officially!
Hall Chadwick has been formally appointed as Bonza Airways enters voluntary administration after one of its aircraft lessors made moves to repossess its planes, which left hundreds of passengers stranded today, Tuesday, 30 April, according to documents seen by the AFR. Aircraft formerly operated by Bonza remain on the ground...
2PAXfly
BONZA: Flights cancelled. Operations suspended. Planes repossessed?
According to an AFR report by Ayesha de Kretser, multiple flights out of Melbourne and the Gold Coast have been cancelled. Discount airline Bonza that flies largely regionally establishing new routes in underserved areas has cancelled multiple flights this morning (Tuesday 30 April, 2024). An unnamed source is reporting that...
2PAXfly
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Adelaide to Bali flights suspended due to aircraft shortage
Virgin Australia’s direct flights have already been subject to a seasonal suspension between Sunday, April 28, and Sunday, June 9, but this has now been extended indefinitely as the airline awaits the delivery of new Boeing aircraft. Boeing has delayed the delivery of 10 new 737 MAX aircraft resulting from...
Wild About Travel
Whimsical Portmeirion, Home of “The Prisoner”
I am a fan of the weird 1960s TV series called “The Prisoner”. This cult classic was written by and starred the actor Patrick McGoohan, who had previously worked on a top-rated British TV series called “Danger Man”. The Prisoner is an enigmatic, brilliant TV series that has left a...
2PAXfly
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS: Flying direct, Perth/Johannesburg from 28 April 2024
South African Airways (SAA), a Star Alliance member, has had this Perth/Johannesburg route on its agenda for a while but has recently tweaked the timings in response to customer feedback. The route is scheduled to commence on Sunday, 28 April 2024, with the first flight from Johannesburg to Perth. It...
2PAXfly
AIRLINES: Best statistics for domestic airlines ‘on-time arrival’
Australian Airline domestic services are the best they have been since before COVID-19 and on time arrivals re matching that performance. In March 2024, 77% of domestic flights arrived ‘on time’ compared to 71% the month before, according to statistics release by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics...
Wild About Travel
The Magic of Aviation: Re-Connecting with my BOAC Boeing 707
In 1971, I flew on a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Boeing 707 from the Middle East to Hong Kong. This flight left a lasting impression on me, and it was an unforgettable experience. Little did I know that 53 years later, I’d reconnect with this plane at the National...
2PAXfly
AIR NEW ZEALAND: Complicates fare structure for short haul flights
Remember the days when all fares were all inclusive? They all included meals and drinks and luggage. Call me a dinosaur, but I still remember those halcyon days. More choice, really? Presented as providing more choice, but really a way for AirNZ to make some more money, the airline has...
2PAXfly
BONZA: Is there a future for this buget leisure airline?
I’ve been wondering about Bonza Airlines for a while. Their email marketing campaigns seem to constantly offer AU$39 airfares or 30% off the cost of flights. These are bargains for customers, but does this look like an airline for the long haul? Many articles recently report that something is not...
2PAXfly
MELBOURNE AIRPORT/QANTAS: Domestic security screening upgrade – leave laptop in bag
Melbourne Airport is upgrading the security screening airport for Qantas Domestic passengers. But don’t hold your breath. Although work starts this week, it won’t be complete until December 2025. That’s more than 18 months away. The good news is that once implemented, passengers will no longer have to unpack their...
2PAXfly
BEIJING CAPITAL AIRLINES: launches Melbourne to Hangzhou route in June 2024
June will see the launch of a new route between Melbourne and Hangzhou, China by low-cost carrier, Beijing Capital Airlines. Hangzhou has a population of around 11 million souls, or about twice the number of residents of Melbourne. Routes between Australia and China have been slow to return to their...
2PAXfly
ADELAIDE AIRPORT: Introduces Valet parking
For the first time, Valet Parking is available for travellers flying out of Adelaide Airport. Qantas customers used to be able to use a valet service provided by the airline up until 2020, when the pandemic put paid to that. “Our new valet at Adelaide Airport will offer a convenient...
2PAXfly
LATAM: Direct Sydney to Santiago, Chile service
South American airline LATAM is to return to four times a week direct flights between Sydney and Santiago, Chile flights from 28 October 2024. Currently, LATAM runs a Sydney to Santiago route via Auckland flight which surfaced in March 2022. The Flights The outbound flight leaves Sydney around midday, and...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Perth to London paused for predicted Israel attack by Iran
Daily non-stop flights between Perth and London are being paused so they avoid Iranian airspace due to fears that the Islamic Republic is set to attack Israel imminently. Qantas is re-routing these flights to operate via a Singapore stop. This will be their route for the foreseeable future. It is...
2PAXfly
QATAR AIRWAYS: Escapes Australian lawsuit by strip-searched women
Justice John Halley of the Federal Court has dismissed the invasive search case brought by five women against Qatar Airways. The lawsuit was launched in 2022, seeking damages for the alleged non-consensual intimate searches. And also for false imprisonment and their consequential mental health impacts. The strip searching of female...
2PAXfly
QANTAS: Increases extra baggage charges
Qantas is raising charges left right and centre at the moment. The latest increase is in baggage charges which joins increases in Qantas Club membership fees, charges for Row 4 seats as ‘extra legroom’, and we all hope finally, increased costs for points redemptions with the Classic Plus tier. I...