Happy Friday!
I've enjoyed being home in New York this week with my wife and daughter, and the nice early-summer weather.
I'm back on the road Monday, taking the long way to California. More on that next week.
Before you head into the weekend, just a reminder: the rare, limited-time offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is still live.
Here's my full breakdown if you've got time this weekend to think it through.
📋 In this edition
Chase just paid me $1,700
Last month, I was in Europe with friends when one of them drove my rental car into a pole.
I filed a claim, and Chase just deposited $1,692.12 — the full damage bill — into my bank account.
That's thanks to the auto rental coverage included at no additional cost with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® cards.
I didn't call my primary auto insurer, and I didn't pay a cent extra. I just paid for the rental on the Sapphire card, filed a claim, uploaded documents, and got reimbursed.
The best part is twofold.
This coverage comes with the $95-a-year Preferred card. That's a lucrative perk for an affordable card.
The Preferred is currently offering a 100,000-point limited-time welcome bonus after spending $5,000 within the first three months.
This is only the third time in the card’s 17-year history that Chase has offered this many bonus points.
If you've been on the fence, I wouldn't procrastinate.
Quick note: If you apply through my affiliate link, I'll earn a small commission that keeps this newsletter free. Questions? Hit reply.
BA denies my claim
Just when you thought my British Airways saga couldn't get any more frustrating, it did.
In case you missed it, I was flying BA from Chicago to London to Toulouse last week. I missed my connection in London (thanks to a late departure from Chicago) and landed in Toulouse five hours late, costing me a full day of this special event.
(This was after the airline sent a car to expedite my transfer, then closed the gate on me — despite my arriving before departure time.)
I originally thought there'd be a silver lining: $682.13 (600 euros) in UK/EU261 compensation for the missed connection.
Well, BA strikes again.
I just got an email from BA global customer care denying the claim, blaming the Chicago delay on "a passenger issue" and "waiting for Air Traffic Control permission to start the engines."
UK/EU261 doesn't apply to "extraordinary circumstances” that couldn’t have been avoided.
But when the crew mentioned the reason for the first delay, they cited an oxygen tank issue related to a passenger — something that seems like the airline could have caught before boarding.
BA didn't provide a way to reply to the email, so the next escalation step is the UK's Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).
For full disclosure, I did (professionally and respectfully) let my BA media relations contact know about the situation, but I haven't heard back.
This was my second major BA irregular operation in a matter of weeks.
What would you do if you were me?
Summer picks under $100
I recently shared my June edit, which includes a selection of summer gear and outfit picks for men and women (the latter selected by my wife).
Now that summer's officially here, I wanted to share a few more picks — all available for under $100.
Women
Cute pants for summer ($79.95)
Easy tank top ($24)
Great summer bag ($49.50)
Men
Drawstring linen shorts ($44)
Easy, respectable t-shirt ($27.50)
Gear
Twelve South’s refreshed AirFly 2 ($59.99)
A must-have if you’re flying on an older jet
Power bank with built-in USB-C ($47.49)
On sale for Prime Day
Portable, rechargeable fan ($19.99)
Necessary for summer in Europe
JetBlue's quiet cash grab
JetBlue’s latest money-making move is to charge more for the same seats that used to be free.
The airline just expanded the number of Preferred seats it sells on its Airbus A220. These seats don't have more legroom — they're just in a better location, many without a middle seat.
It's pretty wild to see JetBlue charging for seats all the way back to row 20.
The carrier confirmed the move with a boilerplate statement: "We continue to evaluate and adjust the number of Preferred Seats offered on each aircraft type."
For context, Delta — the other major U.S. carrier flying the A220 — charges for Preferred seats only up to the equivalent of row 16.
Qatar’s FIFA jet — and a giveaway
The world's biggest sporting event is here, and Qatar Airways just turned one of its Boeing 777s into a FIFA jet.
I toured the new livery at JFK this week, and the carrier did a great job on the outside.
Inside, you'll find FIFA-themed pillows, PJs, and chocolates.
You could win this swag
The real winner, though, could be you. I'll mail the FIFA-themed gift bag — amenity kit, PJs, slippers, and a model plane — to whoever refers the most people to the newsletter by Monday.
Click the button below for your personalized referral code.
The challah everyone's asking about
Over the past few weeks, I've shared pictures on Instagram of the homemade challah I've been making.
Several of you asked if I'll sell them (maybe one day, if I can't make money in this business). Until then, here's the recipe.
But first, a big thank you to NYC's to-die-for Breads Bakery for sending a sampler package after seeing my homemade challah.
That soccer ball is actually a chocolate croissant 😋
Ingredients
1¾ cups warm water
2 packets active dry yeast (¼ oz. each)
¾ cup sugar
⅔ cup oil
5¼ cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten (for basting)
Directions
Dissolve yeast in water and 1 tsp sugar; wait 2 minutes to start proofing
Add sugar, oil, flour, and salt; mix with a spoon
Knead until dough is firm
Form challahs, let rise, baste with beaten egg, and add toppings
Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes
Cool completely on a rack (may be frozen!)
💡 Tray Table Tip: Getting your VAT refund
I recently wrote about how I lost out on my VAT refund from last week’s trip to Europe. (If you missed it, here’s a recap of what went wrong.)
Several readers asked for a primer on how the European VAT process is supposed to work, so here goes.
When you shop in Europe, ask the store for a VAT receipt. Most stores partner with one of the major VAT refund agencies, like Global Blue or Planet Payment, to handle the form.
Collect all your forms. Upon departure from the EU, present the items you purchased, along with the forms, to customs.
If you're checking the items, do this after your bag is tagged but before you drop it and clear security.
If you're only carrying on, do it after security and immigration.
After customs stamps the forms, you either validate them digitally at a kiosk or drop them in a mailbox for processing.
I've been to Europe more times than I can count and have followed this exact process on every trip. It's worked every time except this one.
And no one has been able to explain what I did wrong.
🗞️ News you can use
Delta One at the mothership: I first broke the news that Delta will (eventually) open a business-class-only Delta One Lounge in Atlanta's Concourse E. Details were scant at the time, but city filings now show the space will measure 39,000 square feet and open in 2029 — at the earliest.
Bilt's one-day offer: On the first of each month, Bilt runs a 24-hour Rent Day promotion for members. July's edition includes a transfer bonus of up to 200% to Hilton Honors. This is far from the best Bilt deal, and I'd wait for a more lucrative offer down the line.
Qatar's reward rules: Airlines take all kinds of measures to prevent loyalty fraud. Qatar's new restriction, though, is especially punitive. You can no longer redeem your Qatar points for friends or family unless your account is at least 30 days old and you either hold a cobranded Qatar credit card or have recently credited a flight to Privilege Club.
🔗 Links to use
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