I’ve been known to build some crazy itineraries, but this week’s travels might just take the cake.

I took three flights on Monday (LGA-DCA, DCA-LGA, EWR-DEN), two on Tuesday (DEN-LAS, LAS-EWR), and have another one planned for tomorrow (EWR-SLC).

Sandwiched in between them is the big Apple unveil in New York, which I’m attending right now.

All this travel means plenty of stories to tell. You definitely won’t want to miss the latest below, including major lounge updates, the cheapest MacBook ever, and much more.

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Step inside the most unique Boeing 737 I’ve ever seen.

That’s the “Freedom Plane,” a private 737-700 business jet that’s transporting some of the most important documents in U.S. history, including the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Paris.

The jet just kicked off a five-month tour to eight cities in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The documents will be on display at local museums along the way.

I waved the plane off on its maiden voyage in Washington, D.C., on Monday. I unfortunately can’t share what the plane looks like inside, but let’s just say those documents have one sweet ride — with an iconic livery on the outside, too.

Has Amex finally figured out a way to solve lounge overcrowding? I’m not so sure, but I love this new lounge concept.

Dubbed Sidecar by the Centurion Lounge, this is Amex’s first foray into a restaurant-style dining experience in the airport.

It reminds me of a crossover between Newark’s old Classified restaurant and a Capital One Landing.

The first Sidecar is now open in Las Vegas, and everything I tried during my preview tour was fantastic.

The catch? The space is petite. Catch the full recap, including access rules and how many seats you’ll find inside, below.

Apple’s big reveal just happened, and it brought the cheapest Mac ever.

Avgeeks will delight at the name: MacBook Neo. (Much to my dismay, it doesn’t stand for new engine option.)

It features a 13-inch display, comes in four colors, has a full keyboard, 16 hours of battery life, and two USB-C ports.

Some noticeable features are missing, including keyboard backlighting, MagSafe magnetic charging, and the green privacy dot next to the camera.

That said, for $599 — or just $499 for students and teachers — this will likely sell like hotcakes.

Despite growing up on the East Coast, there was a time when Denver was my most-frequented airport in the winter. (Can you tell I love to ski?)

I fondly recall when Delta opened its 90-seat Sky Club there in 2016, and few Delta outstation lounges receive more complaints nowadays than that one.

Well, there’s finally great news. I just toured the new Denver Sky Club, and it’s another beauty from the Atlanta-based carrier.

When all is said and done, the space will more than triple in size with room for nearly 400 passengers. (A second phase of expansion will open by the end of the year.)

Nevertheless, you’ll immediately notice the improvements the next time you pass through. And yes, this might just be the nicest lounge in Denver now.

Korean Air and swanky lounges historically haven’t been synonymous. (If you’ve ever visited the Korean Air Priority Pass lounge at JFK, you’ll know what I mean.)

Well, it seems that the airline wants to change that narrative. I’ve been looking forward to checking out the airline’s new lounge at LAX, but the airline hosted the media preview on a Friday night. (I love lounges, but Friday nights are sacred family time.)

The good news is that based on the press photos, this space looks like a winner — and not just relative to the old facility. It spans two stories and 18,000 square feet, with a warm, inviting design.

Better yet, a new 16,000-square-foot Korean lounge will be opening in JFK’s new Terminal One later this year. Hopefully, the airline won’t schedule a weekend preview event for this one, too.

There’s an interesting shift happening in loyalty right now.

Back in the day, the best way to book award tickets was often through partner programs with lower redemption rates.

Today, we’re seeing the opposite. More airlines are restricting premium award space to their own members. (Think United with Polaris or Delta across most cabins.)

International carriers are now following suit, and pairing that strategy with U.S. credit card transfer partnerships.

I recently wrote about how Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue has turned this into a standalone business. Now it looks like Japan Airlines is starting down a similar path.

JAL has been offering limited-time transfer bonuses to Capital One and Bilt members, and it also releases more award space to its own Mileage Bank members than to partners like American. (JAL is even partnering with Rove Miles, a new loyalty program startup in the U.S.)

My take: JAL wants a bigger slice of the U.S. loyalty wallet, and funneling awards through AAdvantage isn’t the most profitable way to do it.

The good news? If you have Capital One or Bilt points, this trend should mean better access to awards, even if pricing creeps slightly higher than the existing partner sweet spots.

Question: What camera do you use for your photos?

Answer: I strongly believe that the best camera is the one that’s always with you. Nearly every picture and video you’ve seen in this newsletter or on my social media feeds is captured with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Pro tip: Shoot videos in 60 frames per second to make them look a little more professional.

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