Hope your week is going well!
I’m back stateside with a slew of updates.
Before we dive in, one quick favor: some of my recent emails have been landing in spam or Promotions due to a bug. If you want to keep seeing these, please drag this email into your Primary inbox.
The email gods and I thank you!
📋 In this edition
A travel app to download
Brought to you by our partners at Turbulence Forecast
A few weeks ago, I mentioned Turbulence Forecast, and based on your responses, it’s quickly become a favorite travel tool for many of you.
The app's automated forecasts predict turbulence with impressive accuracy. You’ll know exactly what to expect before you board, giving you plenty of time to use the restroom or grab a sweater before the seatbelt sign turns on.
But beyond the instant data, they also offer the human touch. You can get a personalized forecast written by a real person, tailored to your exact flight. If you have flexible travel dates, they’ll even help you pick the smoothest day to fly.
Click the button below to download the iPhone app, or find it on Android and the web. If you’re on iOS, you can use code ZACHGRIFF to get a free month of the Traveler plan.
We applied. Here's what happened next.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is currently offering its biggest public welcome offer ever. (Here’s my full review.)
That's 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Those points alone are worth at least $3,000 in my book, making the card a no-brainer — and that’s before you factor in the credits and benefits.
Unfortunately, I already have the card, so I'm not eligible for the welcome bonus.
But my wife is. (Enter two-player mode.)
She's had the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for years, but never the Reserve. Under Chase's updated Sapphire eligibility rules — which now allow you to simultaneously hold both Sapphire cards and earn each card's welcome bonus once — she's eligible for the Reserve bonus.
So we applied, and she was instantly approved.
Now we just have a few big bills to pay, and we'll be 150,000 Chase points richer.
If you're in a similar spot, this is one of the rare moments where the math really does favor doubling up.
If you apply through my affiliate link, I'll earn a small commission, which helps keep this newsletter free. Thanks in advance!
May edit: New top picks
Each month, I share my latest outfit and gear picks. Many of you have been loving the suggestions, so here's the latest for May. (If you missed April's, here's what you missed.)
Gear picks are coming on Friday.
Women (curated by my wife)
Men
Kids
What’s actually going on with Delta
If you’ve read the news recently, you might think Delta is ending all snack and drink service on short flights.
That’s not exactly true. Starting May 19, Delta is eliminating food and beverage service in economy and Comfort on flights under 350 miles.
Flights longer than 350 miles will receive a full drink and snack service.
In numbers, 14% of daily flights will gain full service, and 9% will lose it.
This doesn't bother me much. But what I am monitoring is whether it’s part of a broader shake-up.
I recently received the following message from a trusted source.
Why is nobody writing and talking more about how much Delta is cutting back on its onboard experience?
I thought I was being high maintenance, but after talking with several other avid Delta flyers recently, I know I'm not alone.
Examples include cutbacks in food for first class, a snack basket in Delta Comfort, fewer drink options, no hot towels, no pillows or blankets, and often no pre-flight drinks in first class.
Frankly, I've personally had better experiences on American lately and have stopped being loyal to Delta.
If you're a frequent Delta flyer, hit reply and let me know what your service experiences have been like.
5 key Alaska Airlines updates
After Alaska's inaugural Seattle to Rome flight, I sat down with a few of the airline's vice presidents to get a read on what's on deck.
Starlink is coming to the 787s. But it won’t happen until the fall. That’s because Alaska has one spare Dreamliner, and it doesn’t want to pull it out of service during peak summer.
San Diego was a now-or-never move. Alaska recently reshuffled its California network to grow in San Diego (largely at the expense of San Francisco). This move was opportunistic. San Diego is a single-runway airport, and Alaska needed to add flights before it gets too congested. Plus, San Diegans are signing up for Atmos credit cards much faster than those in San Francisco.
Atmos is going broader. Alaska is working to build more unique Atmos loyalty partnerships across hotels, cars, and cruises. Half of new Atmos cardholders are brand-new to the program, with strong penetration beyond the West Coast.
Europe award space will improve. Executives expect the current Atmos redemption pricing for European flights to normalize after pent-up demand is satisfied. This is the same pattern they saw in Tokyo, where award availability improved significantly after the first few months.
Portland’s unique network play. Seattle is Alaska’s biggest hub, and that’s not changing. But Portland, which is also a key Alaska hub, is now absorbing more north-south connecting traffic that would otherwise flow over Seattle. This frees up seats on Seattle flights for local travelers. Early data suggests the strategy is working.
💡 Tray Table Tip
Did you know that you can politely ask for (and receive) a free status extension?
If you’ve been a long-time elite member, many airlines and hotels will grant you a free status extension for qualifying life events — having a child, moving to a new city, going back to school, and the like.
Your mileage will absolutely vary (pun intended). These policies are rarely documented publicly to avoid abuse, but if you're in this situation, start by reaching out to the loyalty customer service department.
🗞️ News you can use
Singapore x Starlink: If there’s one thing I could change about flying, it’s that every single airline would’ve installed Starlink yesterday. Short of that, I’m loving all the announcements pledging upcoming Starlink installations. The latest comes from Singapore Airlines, which is bringing the service to its A350s and A380s. Can't come soon enough
A peculiar limitation: Delta just enhanced its tie-up with Airbnb to offer bonus SkyMiles on bookings via the platform. The catch? Your linked SkyMiles account is valid for only 10 days. After that, you need to relink. This seems… annoying. Bookmark this page so you don’t lose out on bonus miles.
🔗 Links to use
All my favorite cards, apps, and gear in one new landing page.
Using these links is the easiest way to support FTTT — and I only recommend what I actually use.
From the Tray Table is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where links appear. Not all financial companies or all available offers are included. The opinions expressed are mine alone. Content is not reviewed or endorsed by an entity.