Hello from the Van Wyck (yes, possibly the most dreaded expressway in NYC).

Call it a double-header or deja vu, but I’m on my way back to JFK for the second day in a row. And no, I’m not flying anywhere.

I’m no glutton for pain, so you know there must be a good reason for going back to my least favorite NYC airport so quickly.

That reason will be revealed shortly, but yesterday’s visit was special enough to land me back in your inbox this week. (You’ll read about today’s visit early next week.)

That’s because an airline just promised that its lounge won’t get overcrowded.

But before we get to that, one quick plug.

Based on the stats I see, y’all seem to really be enjoying this newsletter. Why not encourage a friend to subscribe too? It’s free, and tell them that signing up will make them a smarter, more informed traveler.

Point them to newsletter.fromthetraytable.com to get on the list.

Unless you only fly on Tuesdays at 6 a.m., odds are you’ve seen a line to enter an airport lounge.

The reason is pretty simple: there are many more lounge-eligible travelers than there are seats in a given lounge. And while airlines and card issuers keep adding square footage, there’s only so much capacity they can realistically find in an airport.

Take it from Chase, which just opened a 5,390-square-foot Sapphire Lounge in Vegas. Much smaller than they likely wanted, but that was the space they could find.

I strongly believe that access rules should be adjusted to address overcrowding. (Don’t all come spamming me with hate mail — there are ways to do it to make it fair to everyone.)

But on Wednesday, Marty St. George, JetBlue’s president, told me that his airline’s new lounge network won’t get overcrowded.

I’d love for St. George to get this right. His airline just built a swankier lounge than I expected (more on that below), and his team is being super intentional (read: restrictive) about who gets in.

The question, in my mind, is whether St. George will abandon its no-overcrowding mantra if it means more lucrative credit card sign-ups. After all, opening lounges is supposed to be part of the push back to profitability.

Time will tell, but I’ll be watching this one closely.

As for the lounge itself, well, frankly, it surprised me in many (good) ways.

It spans 9,000 square feet across two levels (I had no idea that space in JFK’s Terminal 5 could even accommodate two levels).

The design is unmistakably JetBlue. The color scheme looks great, and the airline really did a remarkable job making it feel like you just entered a modernized pre-war apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

You won’t find showers or spas inside, but you will see things like a game room, photo booth, and even a “mailbox wall” with hidden trinkets behind each door.

The biggest surprise was the food. It’s all grab-and-go, and for an airline that prides itself on offering the best premium dining experience in the sky (for a U.S. carrier), it felt like a letdown.

One day that’ll change when the airline adds a kitchen to the space, St. George said. Hopefully, the outpost opening in Boston next year will have a proper kitchen.

There’s a lot more to read about this new lounge. And even if you’re not a JetBlue flyer, it’s always good to see what the competition is up to.

Speaking of New York airports, there’s some big news. Long-time Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton is stepping down, and Kathryn Garcia will replace him.

(The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is the government agency that actually oversees and manages JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia.)

I’ve always enjoyed my conversations with Rick, and think he’s done a great job helping to actualize some long-overdue updates to NYC’s airports.

But this leadership transition is also a great time to reflect on some changes I’d love to see.

I shared my wishlist of the five big fixes the new Port Authority chief should start working on when she takes the reins.

I’m curious: did I miss any that are on your wishlist? (You know how to reach me — just hit the reply button.)

Yesterday, I needed to book a last-minute Delta flight for someone. (I can’t be the only one who manages travel for their closest friends and family.)

The one-way domestic ticket from New York to Salt Lake City was $538. (Yikes.)

But before I blindly charged it to my Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, I did something fun.

I bought a $300 Delta gift card and immediately received a $25 free Uber voucher as part of a promo that ends on Jan. 5, 2026

Delta gift cards don’t expire, so if you’re a big Delta flyer, now’s the time to buy a $300 gift card.

So I guess this section is becoming permanent.