I hope your weekend started better than mine.
On Friday afternoon, I stopped by my local CVS for my flu and COVID shots (Moderna, for the record). By Friday evening, I was completely out of commission.
I'm talking aches, chills, night sweats… the works. Fortunately, I woke up Sunday feeling like nothing ever happened.
The silver lining?
I'm (hopefully) not the one getting everyone sick on my next flight. So if you see me on the road, come say hi.
📋 In this edition
Heroes and miracles
By now, you’ve probably seen what transpired on FlyDubai flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept. 30.
According to the latest reports, the copilot who repeatedly stabbed the captain was trying to kill him, fly the plane to Tel Aviv, and then crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in a 9/11-style terrorist attack.
If not for the heroism of Capt. Smit Machchhar, who unlocked the flight deck door, the Israeli passengers who restrained the copilot, and the off-duty pilots on board, this could've been one of the worst terrorist attacks in history.
After digesting the news over the past few days, I have a few thoughts:
The captain and the Israelis who restrained the copilot are heroes. I keep imagining myself sitting a few rows from the cockpit on that flight. I can only hope I'd have shown a fraction of their courage.
The copilot’s plot was calculated and chillingly logical. By killing the captain and continuing the approach into Tel Aviv, he likely wouldn't have triggered any suspicion from local authorities.
When the copilot put the plane into a nosedive, it was seconds away from being unrecoverable. When it landed without the rudder intact, it became clear to me just how miraculous the whole ordeal was.
Personally, I’ve flown the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv route many times, including on FlyDubai. Thank God it ended the way it did.
Southwest: Earn points for unread pings
Southwest just launched a new brand campaign that could net you over 10,000 Rapid Rewards points.
Called "Enter Airplane Mode," the campaign is designed to help you escape burnout and use your vacation days.
But what's in it for you?
Notification Vacation: Screenshot and upload your unread notification bubbles to earn up to 10,000 Rapid Rewards points. The more unreads, the more points you earn.
100 unreads: 500 points
1,000 unreads: 1,000 points
6,200 unreads: 6,200 points
10,000+ unreads: 10,000 points
Burnout Quiz: Complete a short quiz on burnout to earn 500 points.
I value Southwest points at 1.3 cents apiece, so those red bubbles could finally be worth more than a headache.
Too bad I just upgraded to the new iPhone — my old one had thousands of unread notifications.
Finally, a real shower door
I finally found an upscale hotel that didn't cave to one of my biggest pet peeves.
The bathrooms at Hilton's Charter Hotel in Seattle have a full-length glass panel spanning the entire shower.
I get why hotel owners prefer fixed half-doors (lower maintenance costs). But I can't imagine the savings are worth the liability from all the slip-and-falls on flooded bathroom floors.
Speaking of hotel pet peeves, some of you have asked for mine. Here's the full list.
Snowbird private jets are back
As travelers spend more on experiences, I'm not surprised by the growing interest in semi-private carriers.
One of their biggest markets is the snowbird express between New York and South Florida.
JSX has long flown scheduled seasonal service between the two, and now Blade is reentering the market by resuming its 16-seat BladeOne service.
I've never flown either carrier on this route, but I've seen JSX fares start at around $600 — tempting, given how high airfare is these days.
Plus, you fly to and from private terminals and skip the madness at commercial ones.
2x miles on everything
Whether you're new to points and miles or a seasoned pro, here's a little secret: You're probably leaving miles on the table.
For beginners and veterans alike, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is worth a look.
To start, it's running its best limited-time welcome offer in years:
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months
Receive a one-time $300 stays credit toward hotels and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year
Those diapers can earn bonus miles
For beginners, the card earns 2x miles on everything you buy. Redeeming them is simple, too: Use them at 1 cent apiece toward eligible travel booked through Capital One Travel. Add in the stays credit, and the welcome offer is worth over $1,000 ($750 in miles plus the $300 credit).
For veterans, I put spending on my Capital One card that wouldn't earn bonus miles anywhere else — think childcare, diapers, and even insurance and tax payments. Most other cards earn just 1x on those purchases, so the Venture card doubles your return.
If you're in the market for a simple, rewarding card, now's the time to grab it.
💡 Tray Table Tip: United’s revenge match
If you've been thinking about jumping ship to United, now's the time.
The airline is running one of its best status match offers in years. It's also waiving the rule that limits you to one status match every three years.
The offer is designed to capitalize on the fallout from Delta's decision to skip Starlink in favor of Amazon's yet-to-launch Leo internet service.
If you're ready to make the switch, I'd jump on this offer before it ends Oct. 15. Note it only applies to American and Delta elites.
🗞️ News you can use
AA cash and miles: American is gearing up to let you combine cash and miles to lower your out-of-pocket cost on flights. The feature rolls out over the coming weeks, but the airline stopped short of saying how much your miles will be worth. If you spot one of these redemptions, let me know!
Emirates A350 to the U.S.: For the first time, Emirates will fly its Airbus A350 on scheduled U.S. service, starting with Orlando on Nov. 1. It's also the jet debuting the viral U-Dream economy headrest that doubles as a built-in neck pillow. I'm excited to test it on a long-haul flight.
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