Happy Monday — I hope you had a great weekend!
This was my last full weekend in NYC for the month of August, which means that my travel schedule is about to get busy.
Catch all the updates you need to know, and don’t miss the new Priority Pass lounge in the "News you can use" section below.
📋 In this edition
What airlines won't tell you
I just recorded an episode of This is TASTE, the podcast from famed foodie and author Matt Rodbard.
We talked airplane and airport food, of course. But I also spilled some secrets about elite status, including what airlines don't want you to know about invite-only tiers.
You'll probably learn a thing or two — listen on your commute home.
Family travel hacks
Many of you keep asking for more family travel content.
So I compiled my top hacks for traveling with infants and toddlers.
Everything I share comes from our lived experience, and I think parents and grandparents alike will pick up a few tricks.
There's also a full section on family travel gear — including every item we bring with us whenever we're on the go.
Does Bilt care about cards anymore?
It’s been six months since Bilt rolled out its new cards, and I keep hearing from readers who aren't sure what to do when the annual fee comes due in February. (I'll have much more to share as we get closer.)
Most of us interact with Bilt through its cards and loyalty program. But the company has been busy diversifying.
The latest announcement is a new Bilt Operating System for Hospitality, a platform built to help travel agencies and advisors book and manage travel for their clients.
Bilt will presumably make money on commissions, and it may also charge for access to the platform.
The move makes sense for Bilt. It's also another example of the company moving away from what was once its core business.
Is your Bilt card worth the annual fee?
United's 2 surprise new routes
United will launch two new domestic routes from San Francisco, as first seen in Cirium schedules.
The first is nonstop service to Cincinnati, which takes off Oct. 26.
The only other airline flying this route is Breeze, so it’ll be interesting to see how United performs.
The airline will also launch once-weekly flights from San Francisco to West Palm Beach, beginning Nov. 7.
If that service performs well, I imagine United will upgrade it to daily flights in the coming winters. (United already flies twice-daily transcons from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale and Miami.)
3 hotel pet peeves
With more than 100 nights on the road each year, I feel like I've seen it all when it comes to hotels.
But three pet peeves have been driving me crazy in recent weeks.
Intentionally underpowered air conditioning: It's been a hot summer in the Northeast, and I strongly dislike when hotels lock the thermostat to a set temperature. You can call the front desk to unlock it (or try this move yourself), but in peak summer, hotels should be letting you blast the AC.
No gym equipment lists: Staying fit on the road is one of my favorite ways to beat jet lag and feel healthy. Hotel gyms are a big part of that, and I wish more properties adopted the Four Seasons model of listing the equipment you'll find in each gym. Or, at the very least, share a few staged images of what the gym looks like.
Shared refillable toiletries: I don’t like bulk toiletries. You never know what other guests will put inside, housekeeping often doesn’t refill them, and when they do, cheaper brands sometimes show up. (There's one flagship hotel in New York City that keeps putting pink Sysco soap in its Malin+Goetz containers.) I’m all for sustainability, but there’s probably a better way to do this.
You’re also on the road a bunch — hit reply and tell me which ones I missed.
DCA’s glow-up + Southwest lounge
Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is set to get another terminal transformation.
This one is a nine-gate concourse in Terminal 1 — a big win for Southwest, the terminal's primary operator.
Work hasn't broken ground yet, and the new facility won't open until 2031 at the earliest, according to a report from Airport Architecture’s Ned Russell.
The most interesting part: the new concourse has room for a 10,000-square-foot lounge, which is likely earmarked for Southwest.
Word on the street is that Southwest is getting closer to announcing a lounge network.
💡 Tray Table Tip: Skip these tolls
Tolls are one of the biggest money-makers for rental car companies.
Using the pre-installed transponder usually triggers a $15 daily convenience fee, on top of the tolls themselves (which are often charged at out-of-state rates).
On a multi-day rental, that adds up fast.
So whenever I rent a car in E-ZPass territory, I add the car's license plate to my existing account.
On longer trips in other parts of the country, I always stop at a convenience store to grab a local toll pass.
🗞️ News you can use
ATL’s new Priority Pass lounge: Atlanta just got a new grab-and-go lounge that’s accessible with Priority Pass. It’s called Poppin, it’s located in Concourse F, and it’s open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you swing by, send some pictures and let me know what you think!
Lufthansa’s Starlink rollout: The first Lufthansa jet (an Airbus A320neo registered D-AINM) will take off with Starlink next week. The entire Lufthansa Group fleet is due to be equipped by 2029, which is a bit too long in my opinion.
🔗 Links to use
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