Hello from 35,000 feet!

I'm writing today's edition from American's first retrofitted Boeing 777, the one with a whopping 70 new Flagship Suites.

That's more business-class seats than any other jet flying for a U.S. airline. But it's not entirely good news.

Before I dive in, I've also got updates across a bunch of other important topics. Catch everything you need to know below.

Advertiser and Editorial Disclosure

American is on a mission to reinvent itself as a premium airline.

And I'll be the first to admit that the airline has been making the right moves: adding seat-back TVs, announcing Starlink, upgrading lounges, and introducing a new business class.

Next up is retiring international first class, with Flagship Suites taking its place. (No U.S. airline really needs both a first- and a business-class cabin.)

Flagship First is available on just two jets today — the transcon Airbus A321T configuration, which is on its way out, and the Boeing 777-300. (American just revealed the official retirement dates, which are in my story below.)

Those 777s are now getting a nose-to-tail retrofit headlined by a 70-seat business-class cabin.

That's a lot of premium seats to fill, which should be a boon for upgrades and awards.

I toured the jet and then flew a special media charter from Dallas to New York. All my pictures and first impressions are below.

I can't believe it's already September. Where did the summer go?

With fall on the horizon, I'm getting a head start on cool-weather gear. Here's what I'm buying this month, including a few things still marked down for Labor Day.

Men

Women

You know the drill; I’ll add this once my wife sends over her picks.

Travel gear and tech

I've been writing about Rove a lot recently. It’s the platform that hands out outsized bonus miles on shopping, travel, and dining purchases.

It works with your credit card points, and you still earn loyalty credit and miles with your travel provider.

(Rove’s earning rates are so far ahead of the competition that I wonder how sustainable this is long-term.)

My favorite part of Rove miles is where you can transfer them.

The program just added its 21st partner, Copa Airlines ConnectMiles, and I'm already eyeing it for a few redemptions.

One sweet spot is discounted United flights. Polaris between Newark and San Francisco runs 25,000 to 55,000 Copa miles. (United routinely charges far more for the same seat.)

I’m going to California next week, and United wants 108,000 miles for Polaris, while Copa wants 55,000 for the exact same seat.

To celebrate the new tie-up, Rove is even running a 40% transfer bonus to Copa through Sept. 30.

Signing up for Rove is free. If you use my link, you'll pick up 1,500 miles by simply creating an account.

JetBlue just unveiled its long-awaited domestic first-class cabin called BlueFirst.

The seat is a 2-2 recliner, with three or four rows depending on the plane.

Pricing and routes are still TBD. But JetBlue did confirm that Mosaic members will be eligible for upgrades, with details coming soon.

It's not all good news, though.

I've got a full BlueFirst breakdown, with plenty of pictures, below.

A new month means a new round of transfer bonuses.

I'm not speculatively transferring for any of these. But if you've got a booking in mind, the 30% bonuses to Avios and JAL can unlock some deeply discounted redemptions.

Southwest just confirmed it'll open at least 11 lounges in partnership with Chase.

Long-time readers won't be surprised — I've been talking about these rumors for a while. It's also the latest example of Southwest turning into a more traditional airline.

The first four locations are slated to open by the end of next year in:

Southwest says a new premium credit card is coming next year with lounge access included. Existing cards might get you in too, but that won't be clear for a few more months.

Southwest didn’t share renderings or where the next locations will be, but stay tuned because I’ll be following this one closely.

If there's one thing United does better than anyone, it's technology. No other travel provider comes close.

Now the airline just announced two more app upgrades, though these features have been in beta for the past few weeks.

I flew American first class to Dallas yesterday, and I ate better than anyone else on the plane.

That's because I pre-ordered my meal.

American offered five pre-order exclusive choices, plus every special meal under the sun. Everyone who didn't pre-order picked between chicken and pasta.

I preordered the salmon greens and grains bowl, which was the best domestic meal I've had on a network carrier all year. (Alaska still holds the overall crown with this one.)

If you're not pre-ordering before departure, you're missing out on extra options that aren’t available onboard. Here are the preorder windows to keep in mind.

Everything you need to know is above!

Using these links is the easiest way to support FTTT — and I only recommend what I actually use.

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.