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Sure, Southwest Airlines isn’t planning to “hard launch” extra-legroom seats until January 2026. But the soft launch is well underway. About a quarter of Southwest’s airplanes have now been configured with the new extra-space rows, executives shared Thursday. That means, if you’re flying with the carrier, you have roughly a one in four chance of being on a jet that has the new rows with more legroom. And, because open seating hasn’t ended yet, you don’t (technically) have to pay extra to score one of those seats. Why extra-legroom seats are available early Southwest will officially start selling extra-legroom seats on July 29, when assigned seating goes live in its booking channels. That’ll apply for flights taking off about six months from now, starting Jan. 27, 2026. To prepare, though, the Dallas-based carrier started retrofitting its fleet of around 800 Boeing 737s in early May, setting up cabins with the new, more premium rows. Southwest Airlines’ all-new cabin interior. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY Clearly, Southwest can’t just keep its planes out of service until January. So, once crews finish reconfiguring a cabin, the aircraft returns to service. As of Thursday, roughly 200 of those planes were flying with the new

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the largest hotel loyalty programs, both in its member count and number of participating properties. Numerous travelers strive for Marriott elite status due to its benefits and the convenience of having at least one Marriott Bonvoy property in most destinations. Many TPG staffers also strive for Marriott elite status, and their pathways range from simply holding a credit card or having lifetime Marriott status to racking up elite night credits, stay by stay. So, here’s a look at how eight TPG staffers are earning Marriott status this year, including their progress midway through the year. Andrea Rotondo Director of Content Operations Andrea Rotondo is deprioritizing Marriott elite status this year while still ensuring she makes progress toward higher tiers of lifetime Marriott status. “While I’m keeping my two Marriott credit cards (the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card) to continue building nights toward lifetime status (I’m lifetime Silver Elite now), I’m not putting more effort into Marriott,” she told me. “Instead, I plan to requalify for World of Hyatt Globalist and American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum, and I’m doing a United Airlines status match to attain Premier

There’s no denying that airport lounges can be the best part of the on-ground experience when flying. You’ll find desirable amenities, such as complimentary food and drink, shower facilities and seating areas to kick back and relax before your flight takes off. But with more ways than ever to gain lounge access, the lounges can get pretty crowded. All of these lounge access methods can also create confusion regarding who can enter and how many guests you can (or can’t) bring into the lounge with your credit card perks. Let’s look at credit cards that offer lounge access and the guest policies of each card, so you can avoid surprises when entering a lounge before your next flight. Alaska Lounges Most people gain access to Alaska lounges by having elite status with Mileage Plan or a Oneworld partner loyalty program. Access Guest policy Alaska Airlines lounge member Immediate family (partner and children under the age of 21) or two guests; additional guests $35 each. American Airlines Admirals Club member when departing or arriving on flights with American Airlines or Alaska Airlines Immediate family (partner and children under the age of 21) or two guests; additional guests $30 each. Alaska MVP