A popular low-cost air airline is expanding globally. Southwest Airlines recently announced a partnership to offer international flights by partnering with carriers who operate international fights in Southwest markets. “Southwest is formalizing partnerships with international carriers to expand its network and connect Customers with more global destinations to generate additional demand for travel across the Southwest network,” Southwest shared in a news release. The launch of this new international flight program will take place in 2025, with Icelandair as the first partner airline, and will depart from the Baltimore, MD (BWI) airport. There, travelers can fly on Icelandair to Iceland, where they can connect to a variety of European destinations including Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Oslo, Prague, Rome, and more. Icelandair is a discount carrier that operates international flights, and similar to Southwest, does not have a first or business class section on their aircraft. “The partnership will unlock many exciting travel options for our customers, and our extensive network in Europe will open for Southwest customers,” Icelandair President and CEO Bogi Nils Bogason said in a statement. “As part of our strategic focus on expanding our global partnership network, we seek out airlines known for exceptional service and connectivity.” As an example, a traveler would start their journey on Southwest from Nashville to Baltimore, and then continue on Icelandair from Baltimore to Iceland.
New partnership: Transfer Wells Fargo Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red at 1:1
26.09.2024 - 12:59 / thepointsguy.com / John F.Kennedy
Wells Fargo Rewards has added a seventh transfer option to its growing list of airline and hotel partners. Consumers can now transfer their reward points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Virgin Red at a 1:1 ratio.
There is no minimum transfer amount, so you could transfer as little as 1 Wells Fargo Rewards point to become 1 Virgin point. However, transfers are not reversible, so be sure you find flight availability or have a use for the points before transferring.
In our September 2024 valuations, TPG values Virgin points at 1.4 cents each and Wells Fargo Rewards points at 1.6 cents each.
The Virgin programs are closely intertwined, with a single Virgin points balance shared between them. So whether you transfer to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Virgin Red, once you link your two Virgin accounts, the single Virgin points balance will show in both, and you can easily redeem the points through either program (with many of the same rewards available through both).
Virgin points can be redeemed for a wide range of rewards, including upgrades on Virgin Atlantic, flights with Virgin or its SkyTeam partners (including Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines), Virgin Atlantic Holidays (vacation packages), concert tickets, food tours and duty-free products.
Related: Virgin Atlantic's new redemption sale is offering 25% off all routes, but is it worth it?
While redeeming points for flights operated by Virgin Atlantic comes with steep carrier-imposed surcharges, Flying Club uses a peak and off-peak award chart, unlike other airline programs, which price flights dynamically. So, while you may be charged more than $2,000 for a round-trip business-class flight from the U.S. to the U.K., it's always best to double-check the cash fare against the award ticket price to see if it's worth redeeming your points.
Plus, Flying Club offers networkwide redemption discounts several times yearly, which can help your points go even further.
You can also use Virgin points to book SkyTeam partner awards, such as international flights from the U.S. to Europe on Delta. Booking a one-way Main Cabin Delta flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club should cost you 15,000 points plus around $200 in taxes and fees. Though the unavoidable fees can be a bit steep, Delta may charge triple the amount of SkyMiles for that same flight.
Plus, if you fly Delta from the U.S. to other European destinations outside of the U.K., the taxes and fees are significantly lower, though it will cost you more Virgin points.
Again, it's always best to compare multiple programs to see which offers the best value. For example, if Virgin Atlantic Flying Club charges 30,000 points
Southwest Announces New Nashville Routes and More Red-eye Flights for 2025
Southwest Airlines is extending its flight schedule into early next summer and introducing new destinations from its Nashville hub. The airline, which usually releases its schedule eight months in advance, has just released its booking calendar through June 4, 2025, announced Wednesday. With the schedule update, the carrier has announced several key updates across its network. For starters, the carrier will expand significantly out of Nashville International Airport (BNA), which has been one of Southwest's fastest-growing hubs and newest crew bases. Starting April 8, 2025, the carrier will begin daily service from Nashville to Albuquerque, Jackson, and Tulsa; as well as up to 6x weekly flights to Providence and up to 5x weekly flights to Albany. In addition, the airline will offer “intra-Tennessee service for the first time” with its brand-new, once-daily service from Nashville to Memphis. “The new flights will boost Southwest’s scheduled presence in Nashville to an all-time high of 174 Sunday departures in April and May 2025,” the airline wrote in a statement. The new route announcement comes as the airline is undergoing notable changes, as Southwest will introduce its first-ever overnight flights to its network next February. With today’s announcement, the airline shared a few more routes that will see redeye service — flights from Honolulu to Las Vegas and Phoenix, Kona to Las Vegas, and Maui to Las Vegas and Phoenix will be offered as red-eyes starting April 8, 2025.
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