Travel Expert Samantha Brown Has a 'Homemade' Meal She Makes in Her Hotel Room — and It's a Genius Hack for Travelers

Travelers can look forward to buying tickets for Southwest Airlines’ new premium seats beginning sometime late next year, CEO Bob Jordan said Thursday. «Selling the new products [is] back half of 2025, and operating the new products [in] the first half of 2026, all of that is on track,” he said at a Goldman Sachs investor conference. The new extra-legroom seats are part of a bigger transformation of Southwest’s product that will see it discard its open-seating, egalitarian model that it credits for much of its success over the past 50 years. Other changes include assigned seating, red-eye flights, and international partnerships, the first of which will be with Icelandair. The changes follow pressure from an activist investor, Elliott Management, for Southwest to improve its financial performance. The new products and flights are expected to generate billions of dollars in new revenue for the airline in the coming years. Southwest is investing “hundreds of millions” of dollars in the new extra-legroom premium seats and other changes, Jordan said. The work includes updating more than 60 of Southwest’s technology systems to sell the new products, and securing Federal Aviation Administration approval of the new seats. The changes are not without risk. The airline has built its brand around its unique product and business, and risks alienating some customers as its offerings become something closer to the other major U.S. airlines.

I start out by washing my face with my line’s cleansers, the clearing oil and cleansing water. Then I use my plumping lotion; it has these gold specks in it and it really does something nice to your skin. I use Clearstem’s Hydraglow stem cell moisturizer before I put on my foundation, and then at night I’ll put on their Clearity serum with vitamin C and mandelic acid as well as their CellRenew serum. The beauty product most nostalgic to me is red lipstick. It’s something I started to wear once I moved to New York, because my mom didn’t let me wear lipstick as a teenager. I’ve been using Anna Sui Cosmetics the longest; we’re going on 25 years of that. We always do a red lipstick, number 400, that I wear. I also like the Nars lip pencil in Dragon Girl that I put underneath my lipstick. And I always wear my Perfect eyeliner. I use this eyeliner brush that’s Thierry Mugler, and it’s thick — it gives me that wide eyeliner look that I like. I wear my signature winged eyeliner everywhere, even when I go to the gym, even when I go to the drugstore. I love going to Bigelow [in the West Village] because they have a bubble bath that I like, Mistral in Lychee Rose Floral. I realize that bubble baths must not be popular now, because it’s really hard to find. But I like those bubbles. I guess from old movies, you always see the glamour pusses in the bathtub with all the bubbles. Garren New York, he’s cut my hair forever and nobody cuts hair like Garren. I get so many comments like, “You have such a great haircut.” I get my hair cut maybe three times a year, but I trim my own bangs in between with whatever scissors I have on hand. I wash my hair with R+C Television shampoo and conditioner or the Primary shampoo and conditioner and masque from their Bleu collection. I always use a Denman brush. Every time I go to London, I buy some from Boots. I also just bought a Dyson flat iron. I guess I copy my mom because she always wore fragrance, Chanel No. 5, and lipstick. I wear fragrance every day. I’ve been wearing our new Electric Whisper. I love the black currant and lychee, which give a slight fruitiness, but then the pink pepper patchouli and vetiver add a spiciness. And of course the hint of rose. Again to the gym, to the drugstore … it’s just natural for me to wear it all the time like my mom. The other thing I always wear is nail polish. My favorite color is Seafoam Green. I hate chipped nails, so I usually do my own, twice a week.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brandon Chia, 31, a nurse in the South Island of New Zealand. Chia moved from Singapore to New Zealand in 2022. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

The last month of the year has arrived, but that doesn’t mean it is time to give up on earning points and miles in December or on that last push for elite status with your favorite travel brands. Credit cards can help you complete the race, and even if you don’t make the finish line, there are plenty of other perks in store. With all the promotion and benefit news you need to know for December, we’re here with the last of the 2024 loyalty news.

We all need a little advice sometimes, and winter travel is sure to bring up some questions about what to pack, what not to pack, and what we should consider as we enter the busy holiday travel season.

Dec 1, 2024 • 7 min read

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One of the biggest worries when flying is that your luggage will get lost. Arming your suitcase with an AirTag has become quite popular, and Apple has now teamed up with over fifteen airlines to make it even easier to track down your checked baggage.

Great news for Chase cardholders: The Chase Travel℠ platform for premium cardholders, The Edit, now allows you to earn hotel points and elite benefits in addition to earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points. This opportunity to double-dip can help you maximize your rewards, but it only applies to certain Chase cards and properties (for now).

Holland America Line cruise line is celebrating Black Friday with 25 percent off sale on sailings and other perks for the ultimate holiday at sea.

The damage that Hurricane Helene wrought on Western North Carolina’s mountain towns this fall has been hard to comprehend. In late September, Asheville recorded over nine inches of rain in just two days, causing severe flooding in areas like Biltmore Village and the city’s burgeoning River Arts District. Landslides forced closures on key highways I-26 and I-40, cutting off major access routes; power outages and disruptions to cellular service left residents isolated for days, making the aftermath feel “post-apocalyptic” to many residents and visitors. Utilities, including water and power, were restored in stages, with certain areas still in recovery mode today: On November 18, after a 53-day water crisis, the City of Asheville City finally lifted its boil-water notice, restoring clean and potable water throughout Asheville’s taps.

Luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises is making it easier to sail in style by offering up to 40 percent off trips across the world.