Is Citi Strata Elite Underrated? Plus Porter's E2 Surprise and $399 "Private" Flying

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Ed and Richard are back, and Richard's Flight Wall is finally making its on-camera debut—although New York airspace isn't exactly cooperating.

Ed recaps a very AvGeek-heavy few days, including Cranky Dorkfest at LAX, where aviation fans got up close with everything from a United 787 and American's AirCal livery to Southwest's 1776 MAX 8 and Lufthansa's 100th-anniversary 747.

But Ed's biggest aviation experiment happened before he got to Los Angeles. He flew out of Montreal Metropolitan Airport (YHU), a long-established airport that's new to commercial service. The small terminal has just nine gates and a surprisingly comfortable central seating area, with Porter currently providing the primary commercial service.

From there, Ed spent roughly five hours aboard a Porter E195-E2 from Montreal to Vancouver. That sounds like a long time on a regional jet, but the experience surprised him. Porter Reserve offered 36 inches of legroom, the standard seats had 34 inches, the seats were roughly 18 inches wide, Wi-Fi was available, and the crew provided repeated beverage and snack service. The verdict? Ed would happily fly it again.

Then it's time to reconsider a credit card that hasn't gotten much attention on M2G: Citi Strata Elite. The card earns 1.5X on everyday purchases, 3X at restaurants—with 6X on Friday and Saturday nights—and offers elevated earnings through Citi Travel. More importantly, Citi ThankYou points can transfer to American Airlines. Richard and Ed debate whether the card's $595 annual fee and collection of credits make it compelling, particularly for travelers focused on accumulating AAdvantage miles.

Ed also reports back from his first real Blacklane airport transfer. The experience was significantly more expensive than a typical Uber or Lyft, but also considerably better. Richard shares his experience with Blacklane pricing in New York and explains why Bilt Cash can make the premium easier to justify—especially for family airport trips where reliability matters.

Finally, the guys dig into some special Chase Sapphire Reserve 10th-anniversary credits, and one jumps out at Richard: JSX. He's looking at a Teterboro-to-Miami flight for $699. Combine the $200 Sapphire Reserve JSX credit with another $100 referral credit, and Richard could potentially try the semi-private experience for just $399—less than the Delta economy fare he's seeing.

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