In the end, I’m so glad that I didn’t escape to Florida before the blizzard.

It dumped 20+ inches in New York City, but I still had a great time introducing my daughter to snow.

Better yet, I’ve been impressed by how quickly the snow has been cleared from the roads and sidewalks. (Maybe that’s just because I had low expectations from the last time round.)

Plus, the return flights I booked from Florida all ended up getting canceled, so I would’ve been stranded there until Thursday at the earliest.

Hopefully, you’re staying warm, and your week has been far less eventful. Catch up on the latest in travel below.

Advertiser and Editorial Disclosure

ICYMI, the Global Entry program remains suspended amid the partial government shutdown. (Thankfully, Precheck is still open.)

I’m hopeful that cooler heads prevail in D.C. After all, it doesn’t take a political consultant to know that Global Entry increases throughput while requiring less manpower.

But in the meantime, if you’re returning to the U.S., the best way to expedite the immigration process is with the Mobile Passport Control program.

It’s not available everywhere, and it’s not as efficient as Global Entry. But at least it’s something.

If your credit card portfolio doesn’t currently include a Capital One card, I’d recommend changing that.

For one, I’ve been loving the issuer’s new lounges, especially the stunning new LaGuardia dining outpost, which is already getting rave reviews from fellow readers.

Plus, with lounge overcrowding everywhere, Capital One is the only issuer with grab-and-go areas in its lounges that make it easy to get value from the card even if you only have a few minutes.

Furthermore, I regularly hear from readers who want to travel to Asia in style. Japan Airlines offers an unbelievably good business class that’s actually easy to book with Capital One Miles.

Japan Airlines’ proprietary Mileage Bank program offers more availability to its members than it does to partners like American. Plus, Capital One Miles transfer directly to JAL. There’s even a 30% transfer bonus expiring on Feb. 28, bringing the transfer rate to nearly 1:1.

The icing on the cake is a limited-time sign-up bonus offering up to $1,000 towards travel.

Check out my full review of the two most popular Venture cards below.

One of the questions I receive most often is “what’s my favorite travel backpack?”

Well, I have good news. My go-to backpack is back in stock in all five colors.

I’ve been using the Away Commuter backpack since it was introduced, and I’m still impressed by its stylish design and functionality.

I used the original Away backpack for years before the zipper broke on me (twice). When the company launched the new Commuter Backpack, I (somewhat begrudgingly) upgraded. Thankfully, I haven’t had any zipper issues since.

If you’re a points maximizer, odds are that you’ve heard of Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue loyalty program — even if you’ve never flown on either carrier.

And guess what? That’s exactly the behavior that the carrier wants from points-obsessed travelers based in North America. (The carrier’s U.S.-based loyalty chief even told me so.)

Flying Blue partners with all four major transferable points currencies, and it still offers compelling redemption rates on many long-haul routes (especially when you double-dip with either a transfer bonus or a limited-time promo).

Flying Blue even just relaunched a U.S. credit card.

Loyalty and credit cards are big businesses for U.S. airlines. Just look at United’s major update last week for proof.

So even though Flying Blue is based in Europe, it wants a piece of that pie.

I recently asked for your input on our next big family travel decision.

Our daughter has outgrown the Doona (a travel car seat/stroller combo), and I wanted recommendations for what to do next.

Two suggestions kept coming up: the Cosco Scenera ($59) and the Wayb Pico car seat ($499).

We went with the former, and I also ordered a travel backpack to make it easier to lug around. (I’m grateful this wasn’t a major splurge. The Scenera is just $59, and the backpack was $36.95.)

If all goes according to plan, I’ll put this setup to the test this weekend and report back.

Question: How exactly did you double dip at the Four Seasons with Chase’s Points Boost and The Edit?

Answer: On Monday, I shared how I booked the Four Seasons in Hong Kong (which is a great hotel, btw) for 45,000 Chase points, and I still managed to get free breakfast, a $100 dining credit, a room upgrade, and more.

Y’all had a bunch of questions, so here’s how I used both programs to make this happen.

So if you’re redeeming points directly with Chase, you’ll find the best deal when you pair a Points Boost rate with a stay at a property that participates in The Edit.

Using these links supports my work. I only recommend what I use and love. Thanks!

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.