Hello from NYC!

I’ve been looking forward to being home for a few days, but it’s yet another weekend with rain in the forecast.

I'm heading to the Bay Area on Sunday night for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, and I'm excited to see what's coming to our devices.

I just booked my flights — and I'm about to do something I haven't done in nearly five years.

More on that soon. For now, here's everything going on.

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Another European border mess has been brewing over the past few days.

This time it's the UK's Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, which suffered outages this week.

Travelers couldn't submit the required pre-arrival paperwork, triggering chaos at departure.

Several readers were denied boarding on flights to London because their ETA didn't come through in time.

(The UK ETA is valid for two years, so if you already have one linked to your passport, this doesn't apply to you.)

If you're heading to the UK this summer, apply for your ETA now — it can't hurt to get ahead.

And if the rest of Europe is on your itinerary, here's my updated guide to beating the new EES system, which is causing its own chaos at the border.

While all eyes are on the 150,000-point welcome bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® that’s ending soon, Chase just debuted two limited-time offers on its cobranded Marriott cards.

If you stay at Bonvoy properties, now could be a great time to pick up one of these cards.

I don’t currently have either of these cards, but I’ve been eyeing the Boundless for a while.

Historically, the Boundless welcome bonus has overindexed toward extra free-night awards. I personally prefer bonus points to certificates, and if you’re in the same boat, this is an offer worth considering.

I just tried Starlink on a long-haul flight for the first time.

Air France has been moving fast to outfit its fleet with free Starlink, and both my intra-Europe and transatlantic flights had it.

It might just be the biggest travel game-changer I've experienced yet.

I FaceTimed a friend on the same flight during takeoff and landing. I uploaded videos to the cloud. I streamed YouTube. All without a second of buffering.

My take: if your airline hasn't committed to Starlink yet, it's time to rethink your loyalty.

(Looking at you, Delta and JetBlue. Amazon Leo is still years away.)

Stale cheese cubes and "snack towers of sadness" used to be staples at American Airlines lounges.

Those days are firmly in the rearview mirror as American bets big on premium.

The airline just overhauled the dining experience across its Admirals Clubs and Flagship Lounges, including a la carte options for business-class passengers and revamped menus with more wholesome meals.

Even the charcuterie board looks like something you'd find in a Sky Club, the reigning airline lounge dining champ.

Honestly, with these changes, I'd now rank the United Club last on food.

I just did something I'd never done before: took a swim in a heated rooftop pool overlooking John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

That meant checking into the TWA Hotel at JFK — probably the best airport hotel in the world.

Inside, the space feels like a love letter to the golden age of travel. Think chili-pepper-red carpets and the iconic split-flap flight board, all inside Eero Saarinen's restored 1962 TWA Flight Center.

The best part? It's free to walk around before or after your JFK flight. I can't recommend it enough.

Amex and Delta just did something you rarely see in the travel space: introduce an overwhelmingly positive change with no gotchas.

The update? Most cobranded cardholders now get two free checked bags instead of one.

That’s some serious savings given the recent bag-fee hikes.

It applies across the entire Delta card portfolio except the no-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card.

Better yet, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card will offer up to $10 in monthly ride-hailing credit with select U.S. ride-hailing providers upon account renewal (up to $120 per calendar year; enrollment required).

Sadly, my new go-to rideshare pick — the super-cheap (if janky) Empower app — didn't make the list.

But use my referral link for Empower, and you’ll get up to $20 off your first ride. Use code “ZACH” when signing up.

There are more tools than ever making travel easier. Today I want to spotlight two.

First, a browser extension that plugs into Chrome and automatically surfaces points prices and bank transfer partners — for free — while you browse Google Flights.

Second, a tool that saves you money on flights and hotels you've already booked. If the price drops after you book, it’ll automatically get you a credit or refund.

Using these links is the easiest way to support FTTT — and I only recommend what I actually use.

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