SHOW / EPISODE

The One Thing You're Forgetting to Check Before Booking a Flight

4m | Sep 9, 2026

๐Ÿ“ฉ Join the newsletter: https://go.departuredigest.com/subscribe

๐Ÿงญ Free points & miles beginner's guide: https://www.departuredigest.com/p/points-miles-beginners-guide

๐Ÿ›๏ธ Shop Departure Digest merch: https://shop.departuredigest.com

๐Ÿค‘ Get a $50 bonus at Rakuten: https://go.departuredigest.com/rakuten

๐Ÿ‘‘ Our favorite credit cards: https://www.departuredigest.com/p/best-credit-cards


โ€”โ€”โ€”


Before you book your next flight, take a second to check the aircraft type. More airlines are starting to fly A321XLRs across the Atlantic, including United and American. These planes can have lie-flat seats and premium economy, but there's still only one aisle, fewer lavatories, and less room to move around than on a wide-body jet. You can usually find the aircraft type in the flight details on Google Flights.

TSA also just launched Gateside by TSA PreCheck, letting certain members get through security and into the gate area without a boarding pass. You could meet someone at their gate when they arrive or walk a loved one all the way to the gate before they leave. It's starting at 13 airports, including LAX, DFW, and PHX. There's no fee, and children under 18 can come along with an approved adult. Just don't expect it to help get you into an airport lounge.

Plus, EEEEEATSCON is coming back to New York, with tickets on sale exclusively to Chase credit and debit cardholders. And before we go, there's one genuinely sweet father-daughter moment on an air traffic control frequency that's worth hearing for yourself.


Timeline

0:00 Start Here

0:21 Why Aircraft Type Matters When Booking

2:08 TSA's New Gateside Program

3:14 EEEEEATSCON Returns to New York

3:40 A Father-Daughter Air Traffic Control Moment


โ€”โ€”โ€”


Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this website are from companies which Departure Digest will earn an affiliate commission or referral bonus. Departure Digest is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies, or all available credit card offers. The content in this episode is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available.


โ€”โ€”โ€”


Stay up to date:

โ†’ Newsletter: https://go.departuredigest.com/subscribe

โ†’ YouTube Subscribe: https://yt.departuredigest.com

โ†’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/departuredigest

โ†’ X: https://x.com/departuredgst

โ†’ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/departuredigest

โ†’ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@departuredigest

Paused
Audio Player Image
Departure Digest
Loading...