Greetings from Hong Kong!

It’s been a whirlwind 36 hours since I touched down. I wanted to pack in as much as possible since it’s been six years since I’ve been here.

I began my stay with the only jet-lag buster that actually works for me: an outdoor activity. I hiked up to Victoria Peak for a great view of the city and to work up my appetite. (If you have better jetlag-busting tricks, I’m all ears.)

I then bounced around the city and relaxed a bit at the hotel. I managed to sleep seven hours overnight and woke up this morning for the main reason I’m here: the unveiling of Cathay Pacific’s iconic retro livery.

Catch all that, and everything else you need to know, below.

And stay tuned for Friday, when I’ll share some more Hong Kong recommendations before continuing on to my next destination in Asia.

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I’m not sure there’s a more iconic jet in the skies right now.

I just returned from the tarmac at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), where I was among the first to see the Cathay Pacific retro lettuce leaf sandwich livery on the Boeing 747.

To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Cathay painted two jets (an A350 and a 747) in its iconic lettuce livery that flew from 1971 to 1994.

The 747 — aka the Queen of the Skies — looks great in the green-and-white paint job. Even if you’re not an aviation enthusiast, you’ll probably marvel at some of these pictures I took.

On the way to Hong Kong, I flew Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suite business class.

This product has been at the top of my list since it was introduced, and I’m glad I finally had a chance to try it. (Note: I was a guest of the airline, but all opinions are mine and haven’t been reviewed by anyone, not even ChatGPT.)

This is a top-notch business-class product. The suites are spacious, the tech is unrivaled, the bed is comfortable, and there’s plenty of enclosed storage.

Plus, the cabin design is warm and inviting, especially the artwork hanging in the forward galley.

Better yet, there’s even a feature I’ve never seen before: a live lavatory occupancy map on the inflight entertainment system.

Right now, you can catch the Aria Suite on Cathay’s North American routes from San Francisco and Vancouver to Hong Kong.

If you’re a frequent United flyer, odds are that you received a buy-up offer to boost your Premier status for 2026.

The offers vary depending on how much flying you did last year, but readers keep sharing some of the wildest offers they’ve seen.

Someone was offered Premier 1K status for $10,498 or a whopping 1,049,800 miles.

Based on all the data points I’ve seen, I can’t imagine United’s take rate is that impressive. The only people who should even consider the splurge are those who plan to expense the charge.

Otherwise, it’s a hard pass.

In the end, I signed up for the $495-a-year Bilt Palladium card.

I figured that the 50,000-point sign-up bonus (after spending $4,000 in the first three months) would be worth keeping the card for the first year.

But boy, is Bilt’s rollout full of hiccups. I still haven’t received my physical card, and when I went to make my first charge via Apple Pay, it was declined.

Plus, my credit line is lower than it was at Wells Fargo, and I still don’t understand why Bilt Cash needs to be so confusing.

I’m going to hit the sign-up bonus and then reevaluate what to do next year. Barring big changes, I’ll close the card.

United and JetBlue just announced the latest expansion of their Blue Sky partnership.

Effective immediately, you can book cash flights on both websites. This is exciting, but there’s much more to look forward to. You’ll soon be able to mix United and JetBlue flights in one itinerary.

Plus, starting this spring, the airlines are activating reciprocal elite perks, such as priority boarding and preferred and extra-legroom seating on both airlines.

The most exciting part of the deal, at least for United, is the forthcoming expansion to JFK’s Terminal 6. JetBlue will lease seven slot pairs to United, which will likely operate Coastliners from JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

By now, you’re familiar with the ongoing fight between American and United for dominance in Chicago. (It’s arguably the most interesting story happening in travel right now.)

The two airlines are dueling over gate space, network, and the passenger experience.

To that end, American just announced a new 10,000-square-foot Admirals Club coming to O’Hare’s Concourse L. It’ll feature the carrier’s latest design motif, which is so much nicer than what you’d find in existing outposts.

Is a new lounge enough to convince you to fly American? I doubt it, but it can't hurt.

Last week, I questioned whether Marriott would relaunch the annual double elite night promotion that it has offered since 2021.

Well, the world’s largest hotel chain is bringing it back, but it’s far less lucrative than it used to be. You can earn 2,500 bonus Bonvy points per stay, plus one bonus elite night credit for each unique brand stayed at during the promotion.

In the past, you earned double elite nights on every stay, no strings attached.

You need to register for the promo, and valid stay dates are Feb. 25 to May 10.

Question: How do you make your Google Flights look like that?

Answer: If you want to search for flights like a pro, there are two Chrome extensions that you should download now.

The first is Legrooms+, which shows you the seat pitch, aircraft type, and seat configuration directly in the search results.

The other is Points Path, which displays the mileage pricing next to the cash pricing for many itineraries. The basic version is free, but the paid premium subscription unlocks a few more advanced features.

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

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