Happy Friday!
The weekend is nearly here, which for me means lots of family time in a hot and humid NYC.
I'm back on the road next week for a few fun events, so stay tuned. But first, catch up on everything that's happened since the last edition. It's been busy!
📋 In this edition
Half-priced airport rides
This week, I took a $60 rideshare from Newark to the Upper West Side — less than half of what Uber and Lyft were charging.
I use Empower, a cheaper rideshare app that's been on an expansion spree since I last wrote about it.
It now works in nine major metro areas:
Atlanta
Baltimore
Dallas-Fort Worth
Houston
New York City
South Florida
Tampa/Orlando
Washington, D.C.
Winston-Salem/Greensboro
In my experience, Empower is always cheaper than the other options. The app isn't as polished, the cars aren't always as nice, and the service sits on questionable legal footing in a few cities. But I'll take those tradeoffs to save hundreds on rideshare.
If you haven’t downloaded it yet, use promo code ZACH for at least $10 off your first ride.
Ditching Verizon, part two
On Wednesday, I wrote about how disappointed I've been with Verizon service at airports, subway stations, and crowded venues like Yankee Stadium and even Central Park on a weekend.
Despite having bars of LTE and ultra-wideband 5G, I often can’t establish a reliable data connection. That’s been especially frustrating when I’m trying to use mobile hotspot to get work done on the road.
Hundreds of you replied. (I told you I read every one.) Some takeaways:
I'm not alone. Roughly half the replies came from readers who feel the same way about Verizon.
Many of the rest pointed me toward T-Mobile or US Mobile, an MVNO that leases network access from the big three carriers and lets you switch between carriers as needed.
Verizon's PR team read the post and replied. They told me they're investigating, and a member of the executive customer service team reached out.
I'll give Verizon a few more days to dig in, but my hunch is that it's time to switch. It's a pain because we're on a grandfathered family plan.
At some point, I probably need to bite the bullet — but want to hear what you think first. Click the relevant button below.
American guts free upgrade perk
American just announced a slew of loyalty changes, and one of them will sting.
Beginning Aug. 25, elites booked in economy will no longer be eligible for complimentary upgrades to business class on North American flights where premium economy is sold as its own cabin. They'll clear into premium economy instead.
If you buy premium economy, then you can get on the business-class waitlist.
This doesn’t change how systemwide upgrades work (which continue to allow two-cabin upgrades), but it’s a pretty big devaluation for those who frequently fly on American’s most premium domestic routes.
There’s lots more to digest, which I cover in my complete breakdown below.
Getting paid to move flights
Southwest will pay you to move off a busy flight before you ever get to the airport.
I didn't know that until a reader shared that he'd been offered a $30 LUV voucher to switch to a less crowded flight — for a departure still two weeks out.
So I did some digging and found that this is standard practice.
The logic is simple. If a flight sells out days before departure, the airline is leaving money on the table because it can't sell pricey walk-up fares. This move lets Southwest resell that seat to someone paying more while handing the flexible traveler some credit.
I think the airline could probably offer even more compensation and still come out ahead.
Personally, I haven't been chosen as a volunteer in over three years, but I still waitlist myself every time.
Big family travel changes
Family travelers, rejoice.
United is now issuing real bag tags for car seats and strollers, replacing the flimsy pink ones I was always nervous would rip off in transit.
Both still get gate-checked for planeside delivery. And because the new tags carry barcodes, you can track them in the app. (Another example of United's tech leading the way.)
For everyone who's asked what stroller and car seat we use:
Stroller: we travel exclusively with the Bugaboo Butterfly 2. It's the best travel stroller I've tested (and currently $100 off). The Yoyo3 is a more affordable option.
Car seat: the Cosco Scenera is the most affordable, most practical travel car seat out there. It's light, and our daughter finds it comfortable. It is bulky, so I bought this black canvas bag from Amazon that turns the seat into a backpack.
The ultimate combo: the Doona stroller/car seat is a godsend for infants and toddlers. It converts between stroller and car seat in seconds, and we used it constantly until our daughter outgrew it. I can't recommend it enough.
Lots of you have been asking family travel questions lately. What else can I answer?
💡 Tray Table Tip: Easy bonus points
I recently posted about Rove, a new airline, hotel, and shopping portal running lucrative bonuses that still count as direct bookings — so you keep your loyalty credits and airline miles.
Here's an example:
My parents are heading to Marco Island, Florida, so I looked on Rove for a hotel.
The Hilton and JW Marriott were priced at the same rate as booking direct.
Booking the JW Marriott through Rove, they'll earn:
15x Rove Miles on the room rate = 8,749 miles
10x base Marriott Bonvoy points = 5,830 points
4x credit card points = 2,332 points (on a card that earns bonus points on hotels)
I still don't understand the economics behind Rove’s lucrative offers, but if you haven't opened a free account yet, you might as well take advantage.
Rove Miles can be redeemed for any travel booked through the Rove platform or transferred to a bunch of airlines and hotels.
Use my link for 1,500 bonus miles, then add code FTTT at checkout to earn 5,000 more bonus miles on your first hotel booking of $500 or more.
🗞️ News you can use
Marriott’s increased sign-up bonuses: The cobranded Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card just got new increased welcome offers that end on Sept. 30. These are better than the standard offer, but I’d recommend waiting for a higher bonus on each. I'll post when that happens.
Delta’s surprising Asia move: After a seven-year hiatus, Delta is returning to Tokyo Narita with a daily Seattle flight starting March 27, 2027. I’m shocked by this move since Delta spent years consolidating all of its Tokyo operations to the far more convenient Haneda airport. It’s not like Delta has much, if any, connectivity beyond Narita.
🔗 Links to use
Using these links is the easiest way to support FTTT — and I only recommend what I actually use.
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