I’m so over this winter.

Even though I’ve lived in the Northeast for nearly 15 years, I’m a Floridian at heart. (I grew up in Boca Raton.)

When I first saw the blizzard warning issued for NYC, I immediately considered flying down to Florida with my daughter before the storm hit.

I went so far as to book three different flight options, but when it came time to start packing, I just didn’t have the energy. (If you got stuck, here are my tips for dealing with delays and cancellations.)

So instead, we’re cooped up in our Upper West Side digs, with no childcare under a citywide travel ban.

Wish us luck, and enjoy catching up on some major travel stories below.

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Is now the time for free agency?

That’s the question I keep coming back to after United’s MileagePlus shakeup.

If you missed it, the airline is cutting mileage earning for travelers without a cobranded credit card, eliminating basic economy earnings in most cases, and continuing to shift loyalty toward high-value customers.

I’ve already shared my detailed take, but it all points to a bigger concept: free agency.

Instead of staying loyal to a particular airline (or hotel chain), free agency means booking whatever works best for each trip. No more unnecessary connections or schlepping to less preferable airports just to protect status.

For most travelers, I believe there are only two rational choices these days. Either go all-in on one airline or become a free agent.

The middle ground is no fun. It’ll take forever to earn enough miles for a big award, and low- or mid-tier status isn’t enough to materially improve your experience (especially when cobranded credit cards already unlock many of the entry-level elite perks).

Loyalty programs increasingly want a deeper commitment from travelers. In United’s case, that commitment now starts with a cobranded credit card. Without one, you’re effectively a second-tier MileagePlus member.

Interestingly enough, you don’t actually need to spend on the card to enjoy the perks and benefits. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend spending on the United card since there are far better alternatives for maximizing everyday spending.

(Here’s my referral link if you’re thinking about signing up for a United card.)

For everyone else, free agency works best when it’s paired with a credit card that earns transferable rewards. That gives you the flexibility to decide airline by airline, trip by trip.

I’m curious where you land on this. Are you doubling down on one airline or embracing free agency? Reply with your thoughts. I want to hear them.

On my recent trip to Asia, I spent time in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The hotel I was most excited about is the Park Hyatt Tokyo, which just reopened after a 19-month-long renovation.

This is perhaps the most iconic points hotel in the Hyatt portfolio, and for good reason. I thought the hotel did a great job with the renovations.

The public spaces feel noticeably more modern but still preserve the original vibe popularized in Lost in Translation. The rooms, meanwhile, are far more modern and feel built for the 21st-century traveler.

Unlike some of my colleagues in the travel world, I wouldn’t hesitate to return. While the Shinjuku location isn’t ideal for first-time visitors, I love walking. Plus, Tokyo’s transit system makes getting around easy.

And here’s the kicker: award nights start at just 35,000 Hyatt points. That makes this one of the best sweet spots in the entire Hyatt portfolio.

(Remember, you can instantly transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt.)

Hong Kong’s hotel market is a bit of an enigma. The Ritz and St. Regis are probably the two best points redemptions, but I don’t have a big enough Bonvoy points balance to redeem there.

So I decided to do something different. I actually made my first-ever booking with Chase’s The Edit, combined with Points Boost.

I booked the Four Seasons for under 45,000 points per night.

On paper, that worked out to 2 cents per point. But the real value came from stacking The Edit perks: a $100 dining credit, free breakfast, upgrade, 4 p.m. checkout, and more.

For a Four Seasons, that’s a very compelling redemption.

As for the hotel itself, the location is hard to beat. It sits within the IFC complex on Hong Kong Island, making it incredibly central and easy to reach.

My harbor-view room was spacious and polished, and the outdoor pools were a standout. That said, parts of the property — especially the spa — are starting to show their age.

Over the weekend, you might’ve seen the confusing back-and-forth around the Trump administration’s suspension of TSA Precheck and Global Entry.

Within hours of the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement, TSA clarified that Precheck checkpoints would remain open. (There have been scattered reports of Global Entry kiosks being offline at some airports.)

I’d bet that Global Entry returns quickly. It’s one of the most efficient, least labor-intensive ways to process international arrivals.

I don’t envy the reporters who had to work this one in real time. It was a messy weekend for travel news.

When airlines raise bag fees, everyone usually notices. Not this time.

Maybe it’s because American framed the announcement under the headline: “customers save time and money when prepaying for checked bags.” Or maybe it’s because there’s still a workaround.

American is raising the cost of a second checked bag on most itineraries from $45 to $50 when purchased at the airport. But if you prepay online, you’ll still pay the current $45 rate.

American’s app has improved, but I still regularly run into issues helping family and friends add bags online.

I guess every dollar counts in Fort Worth these days?

Last week, JetBlue announced it will resume service between New York and Houston on May 21, ending an 11-month hiatus.

What makes this notable isn’t the route itself. Rather, it’s how much the strategy deviates from the airline’s JetForward turnaround plan.

JetBlue has been doubling down on high-demand leisure flying from Boston, New York, and South Florida.

Houston doesn’t exactly fit that mold. It’s a well-served, corporate-heavy market where JetBlue has historically struggled to stand out.

This one is a headscratcher — unless, perhaps, the airline is just trying to cozy up even further with United, which has a big hub in Houston?

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that when I’m not thinking about travel or tech, I’m usually doing something active. (Or eating — which feels slightly ironic.)

My go-to boutique workout is Barry’s, so I was intrigued by a new collab that lets you redeem Virgin points for Barry’s classes.

It’s not an amazing redemption, but if you’re sitting on a small stash of orphaned Virgin points, it’s a pretty reasonable use.

Question: Should you book a flight with a business-class consolidator?

Answer: Never.

These consolidators often advertise business- and first-class tickets for 50-70% off retail prices. Most of the time, they’re just redeeming points and charging you cash for the ticket.

Not only does this violate most loyalty program rules, it can also make your reservation far harder to manage if plans change. Plus, some consolidators even source points through the black market, which creates even more risk.

Do this repeatedly, and you could find yourself facing an account shutdown or even a lifetime ban from a frequent flyer program.

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