Hope you had a nice weekend!

Ours was wet, windy, and dreary. In fact, I'm about to see the sun for the first time since Friday.

That's because I'm writing today's edition from 30,000 feet on my way to Seattle.

It won't last, though. The sun is shining up here, but this weekend's nor'easter looks like a preview of the gray, wet skies waiting for me in the Pacific Northwest.

The reason for the trip: Alaska Air Group has a major event tomorrow, and I'm expecting plenty of fascinating updates. Follow along on my Instagram for live coverage, and stay tuned for the full recap in Wednesday's newsletter.

Everything else you need to know is below. And don't skip today's Tray Table Tip — it just saved my parents big time.

Advertiser and Editorial Disclosure

(This section is sponsored by Travel Guard.)

I take 100+ flights a year. I pride myself on being an expert traveler. Yet travel fails happen to the best of us.

Case in point: Years ago, my mom and I were flying to Switzerland. She left her passport on her seat, and when she went to grab it, it ripped.

Guess what happened next? We were sent right back home. (Thankfully, the newer U.S. passports are way more durable.)

I can't be the only one with an epic travel fail. And if you've got one, it could be worth $10,000.

Travel Guard's World's Unluckiest Traveler contest is back, with four prizes up for grabs, including a $10,000 grand prize.

It's free to enter and takes just a few minutes. All you need to do is share your biggest travel fail.

Entries close Oct. 5, so don't procrastinate. Then hit reply and tell me yours. (Can anyone top the passport?)

Earlier this month, I launched the newest tool in the From the Tray Table arsenal: a free search engine that finds lie-flat seats on every domestic route.

Tons of you sent feedback, and I've been working quickly to build in as much of it as I can.

Today, the tool takes its next step: It now covers short-haul international flights, too.

So whenever you're booking a domestic or short-haul international trip, check the tool first to see whether you can fly on a plane with lie-flat seats.

It's not just a win for business class, either. Those in economy can often snag a premium economy recliner for the price of an extra-legroom seat.

Here's the link. If you have more feedback or suggestions, hit reply.

I just had a full-circle moment.

Before graduating from college, I took the MCAT. The plan was to become a doctor — but first, I'd spend a few years in healthcare-focused management consulting to strengthen my application to MD/MBA programs.

So when a role at ZS Associates opened up, I jumped on it.

About a year in, a friend flagged an opening at The Points Guy that "might be interesting." (I'd always been a points maximizer on the side.)

The rest is history. My MCAT score has long since expired (no regrets), and I'm all in on building my own travel brand.

But last Friday, I was back at ZS, if only for a few hours.

This time, I was there to lead an intro session on maximizing points, miles, and travel. Hundreds of attendees left rave reviews, and my former boss even joined the call.

I've led these sessions for years, but this one came with a bit more reflection.

Turns out the consulting detour paid off — just not the way I originally planned.

(If you work at a midsize or large company and want a similar session for your team, reach me at [email protected].)

Bilt is celebrating the launch of points transfers to Amtrak Guest Rewards with a wildly lucrative transfer bonus.

If you live in the Northeast and ride Amtrak, it deserves a serious look.

On Oct. 1 only, Bilt is offering a tiered transfer bonus to Amtrak. Points normally transfer at a 2:1 ratio, but with the bonus, Platinum members can transfer at 1:1 (or even better — more on that below).

You can also redeem $400 in Bilt Cash to jump up one tier, which is worth an extra 25%. (That means Platinum members can get a 125% bonus.)

Amtrak points are worth about 2.7 cents apiece. With the maxed-out bonus, that works out to over 3 cents per Bilt point.

Riding Amtrak may not be as sexy as flying Emirates first class. But for most people, it's a far easier way to maximize points than hunting for elusive award space.

American's app will now let you set a seat preference, and it'll automatically move you to that seat if one opens up.

At launch, it’s only for solo AAdvantage members, and it doesn't include exit rows or other more expensive seat assignments.

But I'm loving American's renewed investment in the passenger experience.

It's not just the seats that are getting better. So are the tech and other parts of the journey, like lounges.

American still has a ways to go. And while this feature copies something United rolled out a couple of years ago, better late than never.

As I mentioned up top, this weekend's weather was miserable.

My parents were in town and needed to get home yesterday. To decide which airport to fly from, they first checked the FAA's National Airspace System Status site.

It lists every ground stop, ground delay program, and airport delay nationwide. (Power users can dig deeper with the FAA's Operational Information System.)

They picked JFK, which had the shortest delays of the three New York-area airports.

Before you fly, I'd absolutely recommend checking it. If anything looks confusing, just ask your favorite AI chatbot to explain it.

(Airlines sometimes let you switch to a nearby airport for free when they issue weather waivers, and often during major delays, too. JetBlue also lets you switch airports within the same city as part of a same-day switch.)

Otherwise, it was a quiet weekend. I promise Wednesday will be way busier.

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