Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

If you’re flying in first or business class on a long haul, international flight, you may be given pajamas to change into. This is offered pretty consistently in first class, while there are select airlines that offer them in business class. I sometimes get questions from readers surrounding the etiquette of wearing pajamas on airplanes, so I’d like to talk about that in a bit more detail in this post, and also share how I approach wearing pajamas on airplanes, and why I value them. I’m also curious to hear where OMAAT readers stand on this. Why I like wearing…

Australia will welcome ten new and returning international passenger routes in December. Many have already started. Some are particularly notable, such as Jetstar beginning the first-ever nonstop service between Australia and Cebu. They add to the raft of international links that took off in November. They included Virgin Australia from Melbourne to Doha, its fourth and final route to the Middle East on behalf of Qatar Airways, and Jetstar from Perth to Manila. Among other additions, Cathay Pacific returned to Adelaide, and Malaysia Airlines resumed service to Brisbane. These International Routes Begin In December Credit: GCMap Six Australian cities are involved.…

Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines has launched a $179 million (€154 million) takeover of Czech carrier Smartwings, subject to regulatory approval. On December 8, 2025, Pegasus announced that it taken a “major step toward its international growth goals” with an agreement to purchase Czech Airlines and its subsidiary Smartwings. In 2024, Czech Airlines was absorbed into the Smartwings Group and ceased operating under its famous ‘OK’ code but was repurposed as a holding company. In November 2025, the Polish flag carrier LOT appeared to be nearing the acquisition of Smartwings, the largest airline in the Czech Republic, but those attempts have…

WARSAW, Poland — Poland is seeking new joint ventures and purchases from American defense contractors that could be financed by European loans, according to Konrad Gołota, Poland’s deputy state assets minister.Warsaw plans to expand its armed forces following Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The growing Polish defense budget is already fueling a shopping spree for weapons and gear, including acquisitions of fighter jets, tanks, helicopters, rocket launchers and missiles from the United States.“We are modernizing our Army. We are building now the biggest EU land Army, focusing on the protection of external borders, focusing very much on securing the Baltic…

In April 2025, we saw Qantas close its lounge at Auckland International Airport (AKL), so that it could undergo a full redevelopment. There’s an exciting update, as this lounge is now just over a week from opening. Details of the new Qantas Lounge AucklandOn December 17, 2025, we’re going to see the reopening of the Qantas Lounge Auckland, which has undergone an expansion, plus a full renovation. Qantas Lounge Auckland entranceThe footprint of the lounge is 60% larger than the previous space, with capacity for more than 370 passengers, across dedicated zones for dining, relaxing, and working.Qantas Lounge Auckland seatingFor…

The national carrier Etihad Airways and German leisure airline Condor unveiled on December 5 a strategic partnership to introduce daily nonstop flights between Germany and Abu Dhabi, starting in summer 2026. The agreement brings new direct links from Frankfurt and Berlin to the UAE capital, connecting two of Germany’s most important cities with the Middle East. The move is designed to strengthen travel options and deepen global connectivity across Europe, the Gulf region, and Etihad’s broader international network. This development forms part of a long-term strategy for both airlines to expand their route portfolios through a comprehensive codeshare agreement. Passengers…

The creation of reliable, fuel-economical, and high-performing jet engines completely revolutionized flying in the 20th century. Initially developed for the military during the fiery forge of World War II, commercial aviation quickly built upon those advancements to transform global air travel. Not only can jet-powered planes fly further and faster, but they are actually mechanically simpler and offer a smoother and quieter ride than a propeller plane. The immense power potential of the jet engine has led to the continuous evolution of high-speed airplanes like the Concorde and enormous jetliners like the double-decker Airbus A380 “Superjumbo.” The superior design qualities…

Canada’s Air Transat has begun gradually suspending its operations after the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing the airline’s 700 pilots, issued a 72-hour strike notice on December 7, 2025. As a result, Air Transat will progressively cancel its flights from December 8 to December 9, with the possibility of a strike beginning on December 10, 2025. The strike notice follows nearly a year of negotiations by Air Transat pilots, who are seeking a “modern contract” with industry-standard pay, benefits, work rules, and job security to replace the outdated 2015 agreement, according to the airline’s pilots. Air Transat…

As one of Air Canada’s (AC) latest and greatest narrowbody jetliners, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is a star of the winter travel portfolio. Among the many routes that the next-gen single-aisle will be serving between December 2025 and February 2026, the more far-flung destinations are pushing the jet’s range to border on true long-haul flying. Offering classic snowbird, the AC MAX 8’s will be crisscrossing North America from the shores ot British Columbia and Nova Scotia to the beaches of Florida, Mexico, Hawaii, and more. The ten longest endurance itineraries on this winter’s schedule begin are 6.5 hours and…

The Boeing 737 MAX was made to be the latest and greatest iteration of the most popular jet in Boeing’s long and storied history. The aircraft incorporates a host of 21st-century technology that puts it leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessors. While its initial entry into service was marred by tragedy due to shortcuts and software development, the engineering that went into the aerodynamics, power plants, and other technologies has made it one of the most successful narrowbodies in history. To compete with the fuel-efficient Airbus A320neo, Boeing fitted larger, more fuel-efficient engines onto the existing 737 airframe. Because…