Why do weekends go by so quickly?

That’s the question on my mind as another big week in travel and loyalty gets underway.

Below, I break down my secrets for beating rising airfares, the start of fuel-related route suspensions, an update to one of the most popular credit card perks, and more.

I’m also introducing a new recurring section — Tray Table Tip — featuring a travel, tech, or credit card trick you probably won’t find elsewhere.

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Bad news: standard United Polaris flights to Europe just got $400 more expensive.

That's because United just introduced basic fares on European long-haul routes, and it's charging roughly the same amount for basic as it did for the previous classic fare.

The basic fare — which doesn’t include Polaris Lounge access, mileage earning, Premier Qualifying Flight (PQF) credit, and a seat assignment — is now the new entry-level fare. Upgrading from basic to classic currently runs $400.

This is the same playbook we've seen over the years with basic economy: add more restrictions to get people to spend more on airfare.

For now, PlusPoints upgrades still include standard fare benefits, and United hasn't introduced mileage redemptions for basic fares. But I'd bet those are coming soon.

For everyone who thought basic fares meant cheaper Polaris flights, think again.

With or without these new basic fares, airfares are creeping higher. Even if jet fuel returned to 2025 prices overnight, I don't think airlines would be quick to lower fares.

With that in mind, here are my tips for beating rising airfares.

If you're eyeing an upcoming trip, book it now.

Waiting just gives airlines more time to raise fares. And if the price drops after you book, you can still get a credit (or, in some cases, a refund) for the difference.

If the flight price drops after you book, you're entitled to the savings. (This assumes you didn't book a basic fare.)

You can manually track the ticket price every few hours, or use a service like Autopilot that handles the process for you.

It's something I've personally been doing for years.

If you're looking for the cheapest way to fly (and are okay with taking chances), here's a trick to lock in the best deal.

Book the cheapest flight of the day, then wait until the day of departure to make a same-day change or fly standby.

Many airlines let you do this for free; others charge a nominal fee. You typically don't end up paying a fare difference on these changes.

Now's the time to start using your points, especially with programs that have fixed award charts.

Most airlines haven't implemented fuel surcharges on awards (yet), and those with fixed award charts haven't raised redemption rates (yet).

So now is really the time to burn through your points. More on that below.

Whenever people ask me about the best way to redeem their points, the first thing I remind them is that points don't earn interest.

Even worse, points are subject to frequent devaluations. (Cash, meanwhile, you can invest to combat inflation.)

More broadly, I often remind followers that if they’re not actively using points, they’re probably better off with a cash-back card.

But if you needed yet another data point: Marriott and Hilton have $7 billion in loyalty liability on their combined books, according to a recent Skift report.

As we’ve seen time and again, the fastest and easiest way to bring that liability down is to devalue points.

This is Tobias Baker, one of the best and most interesting flight attendants I've ever had.

Best because he dropped off a massive bag of pretzels for me to snack on throughout the flight. (For the uninitiated, that’s my favorite snack.) But also because he was genuinely warm and kind to every passenger he interacted with.

Most interesting because he's also a hotel reviewer. He stays at the different crew hotels and writes reviews to help management decide where to board crews.

I had no idea this was even a job function. And if I ever need to bail on FTTT, you can expect me to send my resume his way.

Airlines aren't just reacting to higher fuel prices by raising airfares. They're also suspending less-profitable routes.

Delta just took the ax to seven routes, including some that might surprise you.

Delta will also postpone the resumption of flights from Detroit to Reykjavik. Air Canada is also temporarily pulling out of JFK, while low-cost carrier Norse is suspending its European service from LAX.

In my mind, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Expect lots more to come.

In many ways, the most popular premium credit cards have become glorified coupon books.

(That's not to say I don't still find incredible value from these cards. It just takes more work to maximize them than it did a few years ago.)

One of my favorite new perks is the American Express Platinum Card®'s quarterly $75 Lululemon credit. Many people have reported success triggering the credit by purchasing Lululemon gift cards.

But Lululemon supposedly just stopped allowing $75 gift card purchases.

You now need to buy gift cards in $50 increments, so you’ll have to pay $25 out of pocket if you want to try using your quarterly credit that way.

If you have any recent data points, hit reply.

Having spent two years in Philly — and as a massive bread fan — I can't help but share this article I read over the weekend in The Atlantic.

I won't spoil the fun, but it's absolutely worth a read, even if you're just looking for lighthearted commentary on American culture.

Plus, as a bread connoisseur, I could've predicted the winner before I even opened the article. It's worth the carbs.

I'm introducing a new section to this newsletter: an underrated travel or lifestyle hack of the day. (This will eventually be something available exclusively to paying subscribers, but more on that soon.)

Today's tip: wait until an hour before departure to change or cancel your flight. Never cancel beforehand. Why?

Because if your flight ends up getting delayed or canceled, you’ll be entitled to a full refund. If you modify it a few weeks early, you'll at best get a credit. And in the case of a basic fare, you might end up with nothing.

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