Dallas, Texas – Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE: LUV) today announced five enhancements to the award-winning Rapid Rewards®1 program. The enhancements reward the airline’s loyal Members by making it easier for Customers to earn tier status; awarding A-List Preferred Members with up to two complimentary premium drinks; and allowing Customers to pay for Southwest® flights using a combination of cash and Rapid Rewards® points.
Earn A-List Status Faster: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, Southwest Rapid Rewards™ Members only need to fly 20 one-way qualifying flights2 (previously 25) or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points3 to reach A-List status.
Earn A-List Preferred Status Faster: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, Rapid Rewards Members only need to fly 40 one-way qualifying flights2 (previously 50) or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points3 to earn A-List Preferred status.
Earn Tier Qualifying Points Faster with Southwest Rapid Rewards™ Credit Cards from Chase: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers will receive 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent4 (previously $10,000) on purchases using their Rapid Rewards Premier, Premier Business, Priority, or Performance Business Credit Cards from Chase.
New Perk Alert—Complimentary Premium Drinks for A-List Preferred Status: Starting Nov. 6, 2023, A-List Preferred Members can receive up to two complimentary premium drinks per flight, added directly to their mobile boarding passes.5
Redeem with Cash + Points: Starting in spring of 2024, Rapid Rewards Members will have the option to pay for their flight with a combination of cash and points, starting with as few as 1,000 points.6
TORONTO – Porter Airlines is adding Victoria to its network, with flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Victoria International Airport (YYJ). Victoria is the second city in British Columbia that Porter serves with the new 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The E195-E2 has the lowest fuel consumption per seat and per trip among its class, and is the quietest single-aisle jet flying today. The two-by-two configuration means no middle seats on any Porter flight.
Service begins on September 20, 2023, with one daily roundtrip flight. Connecting flights with Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and St. John’s will also be available. Introductory roundtrip fares start at $476.
Route
Departure
Arrival
Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) to Victoria (YYJ)
10:55 a.m.
1:04 p.m.
Victoria (YYJ) to Toronto-Pearson (YYZ)
2:00 p.m.
9:31 p.m.
Porter’s distinct service includes complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, free premium snacks, and free, fast WiFi, with full access to web surfing or favourite streaming platforms, available to all travellers. Fresh, healthy meals, pre-mixed cocktails and additional snack options are also available on the new route.
Sustainability is at the heart of the menu design, with a priority on reducing and eventually eliminating single-use plastics onboard, providing biodegradable cups and cutlery, and eco-friendly packaging.
Porter continues to expand its presence in Western Canada, now serving Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg.
Flights and Porter Escapes vacation packages are now available for booking at www.flyporter.com and with travel agents.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak is launching a limited-time fare sale for travelers to skip I-95 and travel nonstop from the Northeast to Florida onboard the Amtrak Auto Train. Tickets are available for purchase between March 2 – March 12 for travel to Sanford, Fla., in Coach for as low as $9 or in a private room for as low as $109 each way, plus the cost of your vehicle.
Customers traveling in Coach will enjoy wide, reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seat and a big picture window to enjoy the view. Prior to arrival, a complimentary continental breakfast is served.
A Roomette features comfortable seating, newly-upgraded bedding, pillows, towels and linens, and a dedicated attendant. An upgrade to a Bedroom offers a trip with twice the space as a Roomette as well as other added amenities. Customers in private rooms can enjoy a complimentary dinner and continental breakfast onboard.
These limited-time one-way fares are as low as:
Limited Time Fares*
One traveler
Two travelers^
Coach
$9
$18
Roomette
$109
$159
Bedroom
$249
$299
*Plus the cost of your vehicle ^Double occupancy required for Roomettes and Bedrooms.
The offer is valid for sale March 2 – March 12, 2021 for southbound travel from Lorton, Va., to Sanford, Fla. Travel dates are March 15 – June 30, 2021.Blackout dates are April 2 and April 5, 2021. This offer is available on Amtrak.com and the Amtrak app. Other terms and conditions apply. To learn more, visit:
The Amtrak Auto Train offers daily, non-stop service between Lorton, Va. (near Washington, D.C.), and Sanford, Fla. (near Orlando). Customers can skip I-95 and travel with their vehicles, including cars, vans, SUVs, motorcycles and even small boats or jet-skis. This is the only such service in the U.S. and eliminates nearly 900 miles of driving between the Northeast and all points in Florida.
Qantas has today announced a major expansion to its regional network, adding seven new routes across New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, in response to customer demand.
The announcement means Qantas will be flying to five more destinations across Australia than it was pre-COVID (up from 57 to 62). The airline also today begins flying direct from Sydney to Merimbula on the New South Wales Sapphire Coast for the first time.
NEW ROUTES
Route
Start date
Frequency (return flights per week)
Sydney – Griffith
1 Feb 2021
Daily
Melbourne – Newcastle
1 Feb 2021
Twelve
Melbourne – Merimbula
1 Feb 2021
Four
Melbourne – Mount Gambier
28 March 2021
Five
Melbourne – Wagga Wagga
28 March 2021
Four
Melbourne – Albury
28 March 2021
Four
Adelaide – Mount Gambier
28 March 2021
Five
Qantas is offering special fares for flights on the new routes from $125 one-way, available at qantas.com or through Travel Agents, until 20 December 2020, unless sold out prior.
The flights will largely be operated by the airline’s 50-seat Q300 turboprop aircraft, with upgraded cabin interiors, adding more than 320,000 seats to these regional destinations each year.
Qantas has already introduced a number of initiatives to encourage customers to book with greater flexibility, as well as to improve safety and peace-of-mind when travelling domestically through its Fly Well program.
ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS
– Melbourne-Gold Coast weekly flights will double – from daily to twice daily – from April 2021 with the new schedule to cater for both corporate and leisure travellers.
– Sydney-Orange flights will increase from three days per week to daily from February 2021.
– Melbourne-Launceston flights will be upgraded from a Q400 aircraft to a larger Boeing 717, adding more than 400 seats on the route each week.
– A number of seasonal routes originally scheduled for the summer have been extended to operate year-round, including Perth-Hobart, Canberra-Hobart, Sydney-Merimbula and Brisbane-Port Macquarie.
QantasLink CEO John Gissing said these new routes were a great opportunity for travellers to explore the best of regional Australia.
“As the national carrier, we have an important role to play in driving tourism and supporting the industry’s recovery,” said Mr Gissing.
“Before COVID, more than 11 million Australians travelled overseas each year, so these flights will help convert some of these international trips into domestic holidays instead.
“We know there is significant pent up demand for travel. These new flights will help more Australians explore some of the incredible places in their own backyard and drive tourism, which is so vital to the local economies of regional areas.
“We’ll be promoting these new flights to millions of our frequent flyers across the country in the lead up to the flights commencing next year.
“We’re also pleased to be able to offer locals more choice and competitive fares on these routes, most of which have been monopolies for years.”
Since domestic border restrictions started to ease in July, Qantas has announced or commenced flying on 13 new routes across Australia. Today’s announcement brings that number to 20.
Qantas has been progressively “waking up” its domestic and regional aircraft to support this new flying, with the vast majority of the airline’s regional fleet expected to be operational by early 2021.
“All our aircraft carry fixed costs, regardless of whether they’re grounded or not. We’d rather get as many aircraft back in the air as we can because it’s better for our business, our customers and gets more of our people back to work,” added Mr Gissing.
Qantas flights continue to have complimentary baggage and food and drink included with every seat. The airline has now opened 30 of its 35 domestic and regional lounges across its network.
Today is the last day to register for Qantas’ Status Fast Track initiative that has seen thousands of members from other airlines switching to Qantas Frequent Flyer to take advantage of the national carrier’s extensive lounge and flying network.
Qantas is also offering customers the opportunity to join its Frequent Flyer program for free until 31 January 2021 via qantas.com/freejoin. Travellers will be able to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on the new routes as well as using their points to book flights.
Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 service to Bahrain on 15 December, one day ahead of the country’s 49th National Day celebrations. The deployment is in response to high passenger demand during the National Day holidays in the Kingdom.
On 15 December, the Emirates A380 service will operate as EK 839 and EK 840, departing Dubai at 1605 and arriving in Bahrain at 1625hrs. The flight will then depart Bahrain at 1745hrs arriving in Dubai at 2000hrs.
Emirates customers arriving from Bahrain have the option to take a complimentary COVID-19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai, or do their COVID-19 PCR test 96 hours prior to departure, making it even more convenient for those planning their holidays.
Passengers coming from Bahrain, along with three other GCC countries do not need to take a COVID-19 PCR test prior to departure.
Emirates celebrated its 20th anniversary to Bahrain this year, and since its first flight to the Kingdom has carried more than 6 million passengers between Bahrain and Dubai. The airline currently operates double daily flights to the Kingdom, connecting travellers to 99 global destinations, with safe and convenient onwards travel via Dubai to the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific.
Emirates has deployed the A380 on one-off missions to the Kingdom six times, including during busy Eid travel periods, on Bahrain’s National Day in 2017, and has also displayed the double-decker twice during the Bahrain airshow.
The airline recently reinstated its signature A380 experiences, including the Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa, introducing additional health and safety measures. In early November, Emirates also restored its signature dining service across all classes while observing strict hygiene protocols. Customers can now enjoy multi-course meals and choose from a complimentary selection of beverages. Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment, ice, continues to add new content every month, and currently boasts over 4,500 channels.
For more information to book a journey on this special one-off A380, travellers can visit www.emirates.com/bh , travel agents or contact the local Emirates Sales Office.
Starting Thursday, Delta Air Lines’ premium customers and eligible frequent fliers will be welcomed into the award-winning Plaza Premium lounge at London-Heathrow Terminal 2.
Following their temporary move to Terminal 2 from Terminal 3, eligible Delta and Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to enjoy complimentary food and beverages in the Plaza Premium lounge before their flight. Delta offers daily flights between Heathrow and New York-JFK and a three-times-a-week service to Atlanta.
Since the pandemic, Delta has implemented a new level of clean – the Delta CareStandard – so customers can travel with confidence. In line with this ethos, Plaza Premium has also enhanced its cleaning and safety measures so customers can feel confident when they use the lounge before they fly. Customers are also encouraged to wear a face covering and practise social distancing.
“Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Delta and we’ve implemented additional measures to provide peace of mind for customers at every step of their travel journey,” said Shane Spyak, Delta’s Vice President – Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. “This includes working with our airport partners across our global network to provide additional layers of protection in lounges.”
In the U.S., there are limited Delta Sky Clubs open at Atlanta and New York-JFK airports. Customers will find seating that adheres to social distancing guidelines, plus a streamlined food and beverage offering among the measures being taken to limit touchpoints and keep the Clubs clean.
Delta remains the only U.S. airline offering nonstop service between the U.K. and United States that is keeping middle seats blocked throughout the aircraft on all routes until September 30, 2020, to help protect the health and safety of its customers and crew. Seat blocks are automatically implemented to prevent the adjacent seat being booked once a reservation is complete and seats are chosen. Parties of three or more are able to book seats together, including middle seats.
As part of its COVID-19 health and safety measures, Delta requires employees and customers to wear a face mask or appropriate covering when travelling. The airline also has enhanced booking flexibility in place on flights purchased until August 31, 2020, to provide reassurance to customers should they need to amend their plans. Changing an existing booking is easy via the “My trips” area on delta.com.
Furthermore, the airline has a rigorous onboard cleanliness programme, which includes:
– Sanitizing the aircraft before every flight
– State-of-the-art air circulation systems with HEPA filters that extract more than 99.99% of fine particles in the air, including viruses and bacteria, on all trans-Atlantic flights (and mostly across Delta’s network).
– Boarding flights from back-to-front – reducing the instances of customers needing to pass by one another
– Temporarily streamlining onboard food and beverage service to reduce touchpoints
– Providing supplies directly to customers when available, including hand sanitizers in wellness kits
Following the ceremonial opening of the first concourse to comprise Delta’s state-of-the-art terminal at LaGuardia Airport last month, all Delta Shuttle flights to Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., will relocate to these new gates from Terminal C starting Nov. 16, 2019.
The spacious new concourse, which houses gates 92 through 98, features floor-to-ceiling views of Citi Field and Flushing Bay and dining options from favorite New York chefs and eateries.
“Our Shuttle customers are among the very first to experience Delta’s newest facility at LaGuardia, and we’re so excited for them to enjoy all of the amenities it has to offer,” said Ginny Elliott, V.P. — Delta’s LGA Operations. “Its modern design, spacious gate areas, and delicious dining offerings are sure to elevate the travel day for some of our most frequent fliers.”
Until the terminal’s centralized check-in lobby in the new headhouse opens (scheduled for early 2022), the new concourse will be accessible via a pedestrian walkway on the east side of Delta’s existing Terminal D. The security checkpoint in Terminal D is being expanded to support both concourses. Customers arriving into the new gates with checked bags will claim their bags in Terminal D baggage claim.
Volunteer wayfinders from Delta’s Peach Corps will be stationed at the airport throughout the week to assist customers.
The new concourse, a major milestone in Delta’s $4 billion redevelopment investment at LGA, opened on Oct. 29, to rave reviews and participation by Delta CEO Ed Bastian, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and representatives of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Shuttle customers will continue to have access to benefits including:
Check-in as close as 15 minutes prior to departure without bags or 30 minutes with checked bags
Boarding up to 5 minutes prior to departure
Consistent gates
Expedited security options via Clear and dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes
Complimentary onboard snacks and beverages
Weekday flights to Washington, D.C., operated by Delta Connection partner Republic Airline using E-170 and E-175 aircraft, will continue departing near the top of the hour beginning at 6 a.m. with 10 peak-day departures on the November schedule. Flights to Chicago, operated by Delta on mainline Boeing 717 aircraft, will continue to depart at 10 minutes past the hour beginning at 6:10 a.m. with 13 peak-day departures on the November schedule. And flights to Boston will continue departing near the top of the hour beginning at 6 a.m. with 17 peak-day departures on the November schedule. Boston flights are operated by a mix of Delta mainline B717 and A220 aircraft and Delta Connection partner Republic Airline using E-170 and E-175 aircraft.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak will introduce a series of enhancements on the Auto Train during the next six months. This train offers daily, non-stop service from Lorton, Va. (near Washington, D.C.), and Sanford, Fla. (near Orlando). Customers can skip I-95 and travel with their vehicles, including cars, vans, SUVs, motorcycles, and even small boats or jet-skis.
Customers in the Sleeping Car will notice enhancements such as upgraded towels and bed linens and other pleasantries in each room. The dining car will feature a new menu and the addition of complimentary wine to the dinner service. This complimentary dinner service will become an exclusive amenity to Sleeping Car customers beginning on Jan. 15, 2020.
Amtrak will also expand the availability of every Sleeping Car accommodation — Roomette, Bedroom, Family Bedroom and Accessible Bedroom — to meet the demand for this class of service.
Coach customers will continue to take advantage of low fares and can choose from new dining options with the debut of the Cross-Country Café. Beginning on Jan. 15, 2020, the new menu will offer more meals, snacks and beverages for sale. At that time, Coach class tickets will no longer include complimentary dinner service. Coach customers will receive a complimentary continental breakfast prior to arrival at the Amtrak stations in Lorton, Va., or Sanford, Fla.
For all customers, food trucks will be on-site in Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla., to offer a variety of dining options before their journey begins.
“These upgrades represent an investment in improving the travel experience on this one-of-a-kind train,” Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson said. “Our continued success depends on increasing customer satisfaction by upgrading sleeping accommodations, keeping Coach as an affordable option and providing more choice in food options in the station and onboard.”
By the start of 2020, customers can take advantage of additional offers to travel on the Auto Train:
Share Fares will be available for travel with up to three companions. The discount will be up to 70% for a group of four and apply to select departures
The Oversized Vehicles fare will be available for minivans, full-size pick-up trucks and SUVs with three or more rows. This option will allow customers to pack more into their vehicle.
Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Executive members will receive a complimentary priority offload coupon as part of their tier member benefits.
Southbound Auto Train heading over Neabsco Creek in Woodbridge, VA.
