Happy Friday!
I love the convenience of day trips, but they drain me. I’m only now recovering from waking up extra early on Wednesday.
Good thing we’re heading upstate this weekend to relax at one of my favorite family-friendly resorts: Mohonk Mountain House.
I’ll share more when I’m back in your inbox — just not on Monday. It’s a federal holiday, so there’s no newsletter.
Hopefully, you have the long weekend off.
If not, you’re in good company: An unnamed major travel company scheduled a fun event for Monday. I had to decline because our nanny is off, and I’ll be hanging with the family.
📋 In this edition
Amex’s blockbuster lounge expansion
American Express just unveiled its biggest Centurion Lounge expansion ever. The pipeline now includes four new lounges and three expansions across two continents.
I’ve got the full breakdown below, including opening timelines and locations. But the Newark news surprised me most.
When I first broke the news about this lounge in 2021, Amex had signed a lease for about 17,000 square feet.
Now, the issuer has somehow found a second floor. When the outpost opens in Terminal A next year, it’ll measure more than 30,000 square feet — the largest Centurion Lounge yet.
The one catch: Amex originally promised it would open this year, so it’s running late.
October edit
Every month, I round up my favorite fashion, lifestyle, and gear picks for the season.
It’s October, which means the pumpkins, skeletons, and candy bowls are out. Here are my early fall picks. (I’ll post women’s picks soon.)
Men
Staple crewneck sweater ($49.90)
Travel gear, tech, and lifestyle
Get $30 off your $60+ purchase with code HELLO30
Away’s brand-new Series 3 bags (starting at $328)
My go-to travel backpack ($228)
American’s cash-and-miles math
American just quietly started selling flights with a combination of cash and miles.
Unlike other airlines’ versions, these redemptions are priced dynamically by route. Plus, the maximum number of miles you can apply is dynamic, too (it seems to be based on what an all-miles award would cost).
I ran the numbers on five sample routes, sorted by how many miles American lets you apply:
LAX-PHX: $247.40 fare, up to 7,500 miles at 1.18 cents each
DFW-LGA: $418.40 fare, up to 13,000 miles at 1.18 cents each
JFK-MIA: $333.40 fare, up to 15,700 miles at 1.06 cents each
ORD-CLT: $382.41 fare, up to 27,000 miles at 0.99 cents each
LGA-DFW: $418.40 fare, up to 37,800 miles at 0.86 cents each
The redemption rate stayed fixed within each route, so there’s no sweet spot on the slider.
Across routes, a clear pattern emerged: the more miles American lets you apply, the worse the rate.
That said, I’d still suggest redeeming miles for awards outright. You’ll usually get a much better deal.
The bulkhead’s big flaw
This week, I did something rare: I sat in the bulkhead aisle on both of my flights.
I’d rather take a regular extra-legroom aisle or window, but the bulkhead was the only extra-legroom seat left, so I took it.
Here’s where I’ve landed on bulkheads:
On single-aisle planes, airlines are using half-height dividers instead of full walls. That’s a win, since you can still stow a backpack under the divider in front of you.
Don’t expect to watch TV comfortably. Whether the screen is wall-mounted or swivels out of the armrest, the viewing angle is almost always awkward.
The seat-belt airbags are uncomfortable. This is my biggest gripe, though not every bulkhead has them: Delta’s Airbus A321 did, but United’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 didn’t.
What’s your go-to extra-legroom seat?
What the best airport gets right
At long last, I found an airport that nails its flight information displays.
In Minneapolis-St. Paul, one screen is dedicated to flights that are boarding, delayed, canceled, or changing gates. Each sits in its own box, so you can’t miss it.
Every other flight appears in color-coded, easy-to-scan tables.
Compare that with Dallas-Fort Worth — or United’s new boards — where every flight gets a box with text so tiny I can barely read it.
Maybe MSP deserves its top spot in J.D. Power’s airport rankings after all.
The rundown: AI travel agents
AI agents are already changing how we plan, book, and manage travel.
So far, I’m tracking three big players: Meta’s Muse, the invite-only Instinct, and Hark, which launched with plenty of fanfare this week.
The pitch is simple: text a request, and the agent handles it. Think:
“Book me the 4 p.m. flight home in my usual seat.”
“Move me from this middle seat to an aisle in rows 4-10 if one opens up.”
“Let the hotel know I’m landing late.”
I’d love to put all three to the test. That said, I have privacy concerns, especially about what Meta does with everything you feed Muse. (Instinct hasn’t been spotless here either.)
Expect AI to become a recurring theme in this newsletter. I’ll do the testing, so you don’t have to.
Have you already taken one for a spin? Reply and tell me what worked, what flopped, and which agents I’m missing.
American’s glow-up continues
American Airlines will install Starlink Wi-Fi on more than 1,000 mainline jets. (It announced a more limited rollout earlier this year.)
Starlink is the best inflight internet, and I’ve repeatedly gone out of my way to fly Starlink-equipped planes to stay productive.
I love this move from American for a few reasons:
American is in its glow-up phase. Combined with the return of seatback screens, its onboard experience is shaping up to be among the best.
Viasat, American’s primary Wi-Fi provider today, recently activated a new satellite that’s supposed to deliver more reliable connections. Based on my two flights this week, it doesn’t.
Delta is falling far behind on Wi-Fi. Yes, it offers free Wi-Fi across its fleet, but it runs on Viasat (see above). Delta plans to install Amazon Leo — a new Starlink competitor — starting in 2028. By then, every United jet and many American jets will be far more connected.
💡 Tray Table Tip: Fastest security lane
Most travel experts will tell you to use Touchless ID or Clear to speed through airport security. (I concur.)
But once you’re past the ID check, the savviest travelers hunt for the fastest lane.
These days, many TSA lanes use the new blue Analogic screening machines. (Who came up with that name?)
These are the lanes to use
Some lanes move much faster than others. Skip the ones with automated bin dispensers — they’re slower than standard belts where you load bins by hand.
You’ll usually find at least one manual-loading lane at the end of each checkpoint. Even if its line looks longer, you should still pick it.
🗞️ News you can use
United Elevated to Newark: For the first time, United is bringing its next-generation Elevated Polaris product to Newark. You’ll find it on select premium transcon flights to San Francisco through the end of the month. To catch opportunities like this, use my free lie-flat finder.
Air France’s new U.S. duo: Air France will launch service to Nashville and San Diego next year. The seasonal routes kick off in May 2027 with three weekly Airbus A350 flights. Here are the launch dates and schedules. (Air France is also cutting Denver in the process.)
United’s new snack box: United hasn’t introduced a new snack box in five years. That just changed. Check out what’s inside the new Wishes box. It's quickly become my favorite, and buying one also supports Make-A-Wish. A rare win-win.
🔗 Links to use
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.