Friends,
I love this moment in January. It feels like a clean page. Not in a naive way, but in a hopeful one. A chance to pause and ask a better question than “Where am I going next?” The better question is “How do I want to travel this year?”
Not just the destinations: its about, if I can be a little dramatic, the posture.
Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking about that a lot. Airports have returned to full speed. Caribbean airspace is open again. Widebody jets are popping up on routes you wouldn’t expect. Demand is back. Complexity is back. So is the stress.
A video made the rounds recently of a top tier frequent flyer arguing at the gate about boarding order. A family with small kids stood right in front of him. The irony was that the time and energy spent being upset was longer than it would have taken to simply step onto the plane.
I’ve been there before. Not in that exact way, but in the internal version of it. Airports have a way of pulling urgency and ego to the surface. They blur the line between a transaction and identity. Airline “status” turns into something personal (however embarrassing to admit). Suddenly it feels like you are fighting for more than a seat.
Years ago, when I worked as a flight attendant, I saw the opposite side of this too. Calm changes everything. A steady voice. A slowed cadence. A reminder that we are all trying to get to the same place safely. That kind of presence can change the entire energy of a flight.
That’s part of what “traveling well” means to me.
It also shows up in the practical choices. Booking hotels through a travel advisor is one of the most underrated upgrades available. Same or better rates. Breakfast included. Property credits. Real humans advocating for you before you even arrive. When a hotel knows who you are and why you are there, your stay feels different.
If you’re planning meaningful travel this year, that part matters.
There are also a few tactical things worth flagging early in the year. JetBlue has a status match running right now that can be valuable if you fly them with any regularity. Delta is once again allowing hotel stays and vacation packages to count toward Medallion status. These programs are shifting in real time, and early awareness pays off.
And one simple pro tip that saves disappointment every time. If you’re flying domestic first class, always preorder your meal. Always. The difference between choosing ahead of time and hoping for the best onboard is material.
None of this is about perfection. Travel will still be messy. Flights will still delay. Bags will still get lost. But how we enter those moments matters.
So as you map out the year ahead, I’d love to hear what you’re hoping for. Big trips. Small trips. Fewer trips with more intention. More trips with better pacing.
Here’s to a year of great trips, not just long flights.
Fly well.
