Hope everyone is having a good week!

I just took an exhausting — but fun — day trip, and I’ll have more to share about that soon.

Below, you’ll find updates on American’s newest jet, your favorite soda brand, a wicked cool birthday gift, and much more.

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I just returned from visiting one of the coolest and most convenient airports in the country. (Note: this is a paid advertisement, but I genuinely mean it.)

I toured Long Beach Airport (LGB) for the first time, and loved how it felt more like a resort than an airport. Check-in, security, and gates are all in their own buildings, connected by an open-air central walkway lined with palm trees, fire pits, and outdoor seating.

You board by walking across the tarmac. And there are even rear-door stairs to speed up boarding and deplaning.

This limited-time welcome bonus worth at least $1,000 toward travel ends on Monday, April 13.

So consider this your last chance to pick up the card before the offer disappears.

I’m talking about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which carries a modest $95 annual fee and currently offers:

To maximize those 75,000 miles, I’d suggest transferring to partners like Air Canada or Japan Airlines to really stretch the value.

The Venture card earns 2x miles per dollar on all purchases and 5x miles on select Capital One Travel bookings.

It’s a simple, easy-to-use card with a modest annual fee and a killer bonus.

Every time I mention my live TSA tracker, I inevitably get a few questions about the difference between Touchless ID and Clear.

Here’s the quick breakdown.

If you’re already a Precheck member, all you need to do is opt in to Touchless ID in your frequent flyer account. Just make sure you also have a passport saved to your profile.

If you have a credit card that covers Clear, then signing up is a no-brainer.

If not, I generally suggest just sticking with Touchless ID.

Across my hundreds of flights, I can count only a handful of times when Clear would’ve saved me more than 10 minutes versus Touchless ID.

Spring has finally sprung in New York, which means I’m now rotating into more short-sleeve shirts and lighter jackets.

I’ve been sharing some of my latest travel-friendly finds over the past few months, and I’m back with my picks for April.

Check them out below.

United officially turned 100 this week, and to celebrate, it’s launching a limited-edition collab with Adidas Sambas.

These are shoes I’d actually wear, and I’m probably not the only aviation geek who feels that way.

There’s just one problem.

United isn’t actually selling them to the general public. Instead, the shoes are being released exclusively for employees to buy — at $125 a pair.

I’ll be watching eBay closely to see whether I can snag a pair. Or two.

Marriott is making what might be the biggest change to its culinary program ever.

The chain will soon switch all of its hotels to Coke products, ending a 35-year partnership with Pepsi.

Marriott says that more than 70% of Bonvoy members prefer Coke to Pepsi.

Personally, I don’t have much skin in the game (I don’t drink soda), but I know plenty of you do.

American’s newest jet — the extra-long-range Airbus A321XLR — is, perhaps unsurprisingly, facing delivery delays.

As a result, the airline is switching up its premium transcon deployment plan.

Boston to Los Angeles will now be flown exclusively by the A321XLR starting in August.

New York to San Francisco will no longer see the jet until October — and even then, only once daily.

American is making the switch to provide a more consistent passenger experience on each route.

The A321XLR features three cabins: brand-new Flagship Suites, a new premium economy cabin, and standard economy.

The transcontinental A321T, which is being phased out, also has three cabins — but they’re Flagship First, Flagship Business, and economy.

So instead of randomly downgrading passengers at the last minute, American is reshuffling its fleet to maintain greater consistency. I approve of this move.

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