#southwest-airlines

#southwest-airlines

Beginning April 24, eligible customers can check one case of wine (up to 12 bottles) at no additional charge from select West Coast locations, including Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa, the heart of California's Wine Country.

AwardWallet has long been the leading tool for tracking rewards programs. In most cases, setting up accounts to track is pretty straightforward.

In Southwest Airlines' new Super Bowl ad, boarding looks more like the Hunger Games than an orderly process. Set in an airport that's been reimagined as a dense jungle, passengers rush to secure their preferred seats before it's too late: a woman swings on a giant vine to cut her fellow travelers; a grandma shoulder-checks a passerby; and a man creates a dummy seatmate out of twigs to convince other fliers that his aisle seat has already been snagged.

Wizz Air has reopened sales for its WIZZ Multipass offer, which enables customers to secure a fixed monthly flight price regardless of seasonality or last-minute demand. The subscription is available for all international routes to and from the UK, and is on sale now.

Low-cost carriers have to earn money too, and they often do so with significant add-on fees, which can drive that seemingly low price to new heights. Just look at Spirit Airlines as a prime example. The carrier revealed in its 2024 earnings report that its average fare revenue was $45.02 per ticket; however, it also reported earning an additional $63.44 in 'non-ticket revenue,' aka fees.

Cases can be useful and informative, but recognize that they aren't reality. The companies featured typically require that the case writer submit the case to them for approval. That introduces survivor bias-whoever is still around at the time of publication gets to dictate how the narrative is told. Another issue is that the companies selected and held up as exemplars are subject to the halo effect. This is the tendency to believe that because a company was successful, copying its practices will create success elsewhere.

On-time performance used to be something airlines discussed quietly - in boardrooms, with investors, or behind the scenes with select partners. Now, it's becoming a consumer-facing badge of honor.

Basic economy fares typically mean no seat selection, last boarding, and limited-or no-checked baggage. The appeal, however, is clear. "Basic economy is a good option for frugal travelers who don't mind forgoing comfort to save on travel costs," Joe Cronin, president of International Citizens Insurance, told Travel + Leisure. He noted that these tickets can cost 20 to 30 percent less than standard economy, making them financially tempting for travelers focused on price above all else.

Nonstop service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport begins Oct. 3. The flight will operate on Saturdays and on a seasonal basis, according to Sonoma County officials. An announcement appeared on the county's Instagram account over the weekend. A quick search on Southwest's online site showed bookings available for its nonstop service beginning Oct. 3 with a three-and-a-half hour flight out of Sonoma County departing at 11:10 a.m. and arriving in Austin at 4:45 p.m.

Airline miles and points can feel unnecessarily difficult to navigate, and I say that as a seasoned traveler with airline status - one who's spent more time than I'd like to admit squinting at award charts and fine print. I'm constantly inundated with social media posts from people claiming they've booked flights to Europe for something like 3,000 miles, while I'm left wondering what algorithm they've managed to crack that I haven't.