Hello from 35,000 feet!
I'm on one of my shortest flights of the year, and that's by design. We're taking a family trip up to Maine for the weekend, and our nearly two-year-old daughter isn't a great flyer right now.
We'll be exploring Portland (my first time there), and I'll report back with our recommendations on Monday.
In the meantime, a few major updates just dropped. Check them out below.
📋 In this edition
Chase lounge shake-up
Chase is making changes to lounge access, and I actually like what they’re doing here.
Effective Aug. 15, all Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club outposts will no longer be part of the Priority Pass or LoungeKey network.
That means you’ll no longer be able to get into the Chase lounge once per year with a Priority Pass (and the discounted $75 paid entry option disappears with it).
Furthermore, those with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ will be able to use the lounge beginning five hours before a connecting flight, up from three hours under the previous policy.
There’s more to unpack, all of which you can read in my story below.
What is Rove?
Whenever I ask an industry insider about Rove, the first (or second) comment is usually about the economics of the program.
(Most people can't work out how Rove makes money. I'm still unsure myself, but that’s a good thing for consumers.)
After holding out for months, I just opened an account.
Rove is an airline, hotel, and shopping portal that awards miles you can transfer to 20 partner programs, including hard-to-access ones like Lufthansa's Miles & More.
The earning rates on the shopping portal are among the best in the business. And when you book through the hotel portal, you earn a boatload of Rove Miles on top of your usual loyalty points and status credits directly from the hotel.
Rove is free to join. And if you use my link below, you'll earn 1,500 miles as a sign-up bonus
American shortens the refund window
Effective immediately, American Airlines no longer offers free 24-hour refunds on last-minute tickets.
If you book within seven days of departure, your ticket is immediately nonrefundable. You'll get a trip credit if you need to cancel, unless you splurge for a flexible fare or redeem miles.
For someone like me who books a lot of last-minute travel, this is a big devaluation. Until this week, American offered free 24-hour refunds on tickets purchased up to two days before departure.
The change brings American in line with the bare minimum the Department of Transportation requires.
Here's how the other major airlines stack up with their free 24-hour cancellation policies:
Alaska: applies to bookings made more than 24 hours before your flight
Delta: no time restriction
JetBlue: strict seven-day rule
Southwest: Seven-day rule on paper, more lenient in practice
United: Seven-day rule on paper, more lenient in practice
For an airline that’s been pushing to become more premium, this feels like a step backward.
How much does American's refund change bother you?
Amsterdam travel guide
You might remember that my wife recently went on a girls' trip to Amsterdam. (The one that nearly got postponed because of my almost-diverted flight.)
Well, she's back with a long list of recommendations. I've also been to Amsterdam plenty of times myself, so I just compiled everything into a city guide.
It covers where to stay (on points, of course), what to do, where to eat, and more.
It joins my recently published guides for Rome and Sicily. Bookmark them for your travels. And let me know what I'm missing!
Massive Dulles makeover
President Donald Trump, United Airlines, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority just unveiled a $20 billion makeover for Dulles International Airport (IAD) outside Washington, D.C.
The renderings make it look like IAD could become one of the nicest airports in the country.
Some of the highlights include:
A revamped departures and arrivals hall with new parking areas
New and modernized concourses, including a replacement for the current C/D concourse
An end to the "absurd mobile lounges" (Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's words), with an expanded AeroTrain taking over
Additional gates, more United Club space, and a larger Polaris Lounge
The work is phased over the next decade, so don't expect to walk through any of it soon.
As much as Trump and Duffy are heralding this project, the real winner is United, which operates a hub at IAD and plans to keep growing there for years to come.
Allegiant first class (seriously)
I can't believe I'm writing this, but Allegiant's new first-class seat will have a unique feature that you can’t find on most American, Delta, and United jets.
Allegiant First will have eight recliners in a 2-2 layout at the front of the cabin, with 37 inches of pitch, five inches of recline, an adjustable headrest, and — this is the good part — a calf rest.
Seats go on sale in mid-August, and the product debuts next spring. I can't wait to test whether the calf rest makes a difference in comfort.
💡 Tray Table Tip: Enable Wi-Fi calling
Whenever you travel, make sure Wi-Fi calling is enabled on your phone.
Here are a few reasons why:
When you're flying and connected to the internet, you'll receive text messages if Wi-Fi calling is enabled. (And you can make and receive calls on airlines that allow it.)
If you're traveling abroad, you can typically make and receive calls on your domestic plan when connected to Wi-Fi calling — without roaming charges.
If you're roaming on a travel eSIM, you can sometimes use mobile data to make and receive free calls on your primary line. Look for the "[Carrier] using Cellular Data" status in the status bar to confirm.
To enable Wi-Fi calling on an iPhone, go to Settings → Cellular → tap your line → turn on Wi-Fi Calling.
For more about roaming with an eSIM, see my guide below.
🗞️ News you can use
Condor goes to Chicago: You may not have heard of Condor before (it's the airline with the colorful beach-towel livery), but the German leisure carrier is connecting Frankfurt and Chicago with daily nonstops starting May 14. I've had great experiences on Condor's Airbus A330neo, and using Alaska Atmos points on Condor is a great deal.
American’s new loyalty perk: When you earn 15,000 Loyalty Points with American, you’ll have another perk to choose from. You can now redeem for two inflight food and beverage coupons. Two free cheese plates, here we come.
🔗 Links to use
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