Delta Air Lines announced it would launch a new nonstop service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Melbourne, Australia (MEL), beginning December 2025.
15.01.2025 - 22:53 / thepointsguy.com / Andrew Watterson / Ryan Green
Southwest Airlines will launch its first international airline partnership next month, and expand its short list of international "gateways" to Denver and Nashville, the airline announced.
Baltimore had already been announced as its first such gateway, which set the stage for Southwest to officially ink an interline agreement with Icelandair at a ceremony in nearby Washington on Wednesday. TPG was on hand as executives signed a pact that will set the stage for a tie-up between the two carriers, one that will eventually allow Southwest loyalists to redeem Rapid Rewards points on flights to Iceland, Europe and beyond.
The ceremony, held inside the residence of Iceland's ambassador to the U.S., marked what Southwest is framing as the first tangible step in a series of massive changes the Dallas-based carrier outlined last year. That transformation will eventually bring the first assigned and extra legroom seats to Southwest's Boeing 737s.
Up first, though, is this joining-of-forces with Icelandair.
"Interline partnerships are very common in the airline industry. But it's our first one, so it's very exciting for us," Southwest chief operating officer Andrew Watterson said moments before the two carriers made their partnership official.
As TPG reported in September, the Southwest-Icelandair tie-up will be more limited at first.
Starting in February, travelers will be able to book itineraries featuring seamless connections between the two carriers via Icelandair's website.
From the outset, the partnership will concentrate on just one gateway on the U.S. side: Southwest's Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) base.
However, the carriers plan to soon expand the setup to Denver International Airport (DEN) and Nashville International Airport (BNA), Southwest executives revealed Wednesday.
"We'll continue to do this in phases," Ryan Green, Southwest's executive charged with the airline's wholesale changes announced last year, told TPG Wednesday.
Expect the two airlines' ties to grow in 2026, after Southwest launches assigned seats; the logistics of evolving its tech systems to facilitate a partnership in its open seating era — and again after shifting to assigned seats — didn't make sense, Green said.
Once assigned seating is live, though, Southwest plans to begin selling Icelandair seats through its booking channels. At that point, customers would be able to book flights to Keflavik Airport (KEF) and top European destinations through Southwest's website.
"We'll add components ... , like earn and [redeem] with Rapid Rewards, and loyalty," Green added. "And we'll just kind of continue to layer on."
The ceremonial launch of this partnership in D.C. was full of pomp and circumstance.
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Delta Air Lines announced it would launch a new nonstop service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Melbourne, Australia (MEL), beginning December 2025.
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Planet Hollywood is coming back to New York City.A major tourist attraction in the 1980s and early 1990s, the restaurant was owned by, among others, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.The start power was palpable. But, the allure quickly died off, like many chain restaurants.The doors on 42nd Street opened on Monday. There was a $20 million investment in the new property.According to the eatery, the restaurant redefines Hollywood glamor beneath a 360-degree canopy of state-of-the-art, high-definition screens. Encircling the entire perimeter is an impressive array of over 692 video tiles delivering cutting-edge dining and event experiences through dynamic and interactive displays."We're relaunching Planet Hollywood in Times Square not just as a restaurant but as an all-encompassing sensory experience that magnificently combines innovative technology with the unique flair of Hollywood," said Robert Earl, Founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood and Earl Enterprises. "This venue is poised to deliver exceptional entertainment and dining in the spirit of New York's celebrated theatrical grandeur."Instead of traditional memorabilia, an all-encompassing audio-visual experience brings Hollywood to life through synchronized video projections, soundscapes, and interactive elements that turn dining into a fully sensory affair. Every detail of the space has been thoughtfully curated to provide guests with a unique dining adventure that feels fresh. The venue is slated to be a hotspot for the late-night scene, with the mood on the second and third floors becoming very different when they transform following dinner service.Culinary creativity remains at the core of the Planet Hollywood experience featuring an elevated, yet approachable variety of appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, and entrees. Culinary highlights include Kobe Cheesesteak Empanadas, Prime Rib Sliders, Chicken Caesar Salad, All-American Double Smash Cheeseburger, Spicy Rigatoni Vodka, NY Strip Steak, and Lobster Pot Pie. Guests can also enjoy the nostalgic "1993 Icons" section with beloved classics that pay homage to Planet Hollywood’s original menu including the World-Famous Chicken Crunch, Planet Nachos Grande, L.A. Lasagna, and St. Louis BBQ Ribs.The new Planet Hollywood will be within walking distance of other nightclubs and Madison Square Garden.
"New Orleans is a city of mood,” chef Serigne Mbaye tells me one Wednesday morning in September. We've been discussing the merits of Parkway's po'boys and the old-school kitchen at Commander's Palace. While growing up in Senegal and New York City, Mbaye cooked with his mother, and his Uptown restaurant, Dakar NOLA, braids his memories of this time with his haute restaurant experiences and the deep-rooted African heritage of New Orleans.
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