Hong Kong is the latest destination for Qantas 787 Dreamliner aircraft

The first Qantas Dreamliner service from Australia to Hong Kong took off on Thursday, December 13th, marking the first destination in Asia to be served by the airline’s Boeing 787-9.

QF29 pushed back from Melbourne just after 10am this morning and is scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong at 4.15pm (local time) later today.

The launch follows the arrival of Qantas’ eighth Dreamliner in November, joining the national carrier’s A330 and A380 aircraft that also fly to Hong Kong.

Customers travelling on selected Qantas flights to Hong Kong from Brisbane and Melbourne, and from Sydney, next March will experience the Dreamliner’s next generation seating in Economy, Premium Economy and Business class cabins.

Hong Kong joins Los Angeles, New York, London and San Francisco as international destinations served by the Qantas Dreamliner, as the more efficient aircraft gradually replace the 747 on key routes.

Qantas has also re-timed one of its two daily flights from Sydney to Hong Kong from 31 March 2019, offering customers the choice of a midday or evening departure from Sydney.

QF117 will operate overnight and arrive into Hong Kong in the morning, providing more options for onward connections to other destinations in Asia, including those operated by Qantas’ new codeshare partner Cathay Pacific.

New York's JFK heads the top 10 most pet friendly US airports

In its most recent study, Upgraded Points revealed the top 10 most pet friendly airports in the U.S. based on an assigned point system. The results illustrated a growing number of pet friendly airports, each fully equipped with pet-relief stations and pet parks.

Cape Air to launch service into New York's JFK airport

The small regional US airline, Cape Air has announced an impressive move that will see one of the smallest commercial aircraft flying into the mega busy New York city airport of John F Kennedy on a scheduled basis.

The airline will start offering seasonal service between Nantucket Memorial Airport and Barnstable Municipal Airport to New York JFK on a daily basis. The airline announced that the daily round-trip will be scheduled from 23rd  October this year and run all the way through to mid-May, 2019.  Passengers will be able to embark from either Hyannis or Nantucket for travel to New York City.

The daily roundtrip service will be operated by Cape Air’s Cessna 402 aircraft, which carried up to nine passengers and will be one of the smallest commercial aircraft to ever use JFK on a schedule flight basis. The aircraft will use Terminal 5 at JFK which means easy connections are possible with one of Cape Air's partners, JetBlue.

“We are excited to be able to offer the Cape & Islands the option to connect to JFK during the shoulder seasons,” said Linda Markham, President of Cape Air. “We are all about connecting communities, so creating a means of easy access between Nantucket, Hyannis and Metropolitan New York has been a priority. Having this new service grow from planning to launch has been a rewarding process for all of us at Cape Air.”

Alaska Airlines opens new airport lounge at New York's JFK

Alaska Airlines today announces the debut of its first Alaska Lounge on the East Coast, opening at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The new, reimagined lounge brings to life the company's West Coast vibe with a cool, comfortable space to work or relax while travelling through JFK.

We included a fireplace to give more of a West Coast vibe, as well as some fun lighting fixtures and a custom sofa with power at every seat.

The JFK Lounge in Terminal 7 is the first Alaska Lounge on the East Coast

Alaska's newest lounge features a living room-esque design with multiple seating areas designed with business and leisure travellers in mind. The lounge includes Starbucks-trained baristas who will create custom handcrafted espresso beverages and full-leaf tea beverages for guests. Travellers will have access to complimentary fresh foods including oatmeal and yoghurt bars in the morning and salad and soup in the afternoon and evening. Guests can also enjoy a wide selection of microbrews, West Coast wines or a signature cocktail from the lounge's welcoming bar.

"We're always looking to create warm, welcoming experiences for our guests," said Brett Catlin, managing director of guest products at Alaska Airlines. "Our newest Alaska Lounge at JFK reflects the future of our lounge offering – a signature West Coast vibe, unique beverage selections and a focus on fresh, healthy food options. We're also thrilled to be the first domestic lounge to introduce a full menu of barista-pulled handcrafted espresso beverages."