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 European trip later this month. I’m double-checking country entry requirements, ensuring I know what lounges are best and that I’m eligible for, checking seat bookings, hotels, and various other transport arrangements.
What happened last week?
The New Routes 2026 series continues with the Delta Air Lines Australian East Coast to Los Angeles route, and Malaysia’s new A330-900neos soon to service all routes to Australia.
Qantas is also fiddling with its schedule and changing the assignment of some A380s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners to match demand.
Finally, Qantas is ending one of the hangovers from the reign of Alan Joyce by settling a class action compensation claim for COVID-era flight cancellations.
NEW ROUTES 2026 #6: Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo one of the smartest ways to Europe
By 2paxfly on 13 Mar 2026 4:34 pm
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 mid 2026, Malaysian Airlines might […] Read in browser »
QANTAS: Settles COVID flight cancellation class action for AU$105 million
By 2paxfly on 13 Mar 2026 1:52 pm
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 to COVID-19-related restrictions. The settlement […] Read in browser »
QANTAS: A380 and First Class dropped from Melbourne to LAX, also 787 changes
By 2paxfly on 13 Mar 2026 1:04 pm
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 a week, while the Dreamliner […] Read in browser »
NEW ROUTES 2026 #4: Delta Airlines East Coast to Los Angeles on A350 with Delta One Business Class
By 2paxfly on 09 Mar 2026 4:00 pm
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 the edge on other US […] Read in browser »
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