Happy Tuesday. Here’s your miles, points, travel, and deals news for July 22, 2025:
Southwest Seat Selection Details
Southwest Airlines will start offering seat selection during the booking process beginning July 29, 2025, with actual seat assignments available for flights departing January 27, 2026 and beyond.
The airline will simultaneously launch a group-based boarding system with numbers 1 through 8, replacing the current open seating model where passengers pick any available seat after boarding.
Southwest is retrofitting aircraft with three distinct seat categories: standard seats with reduced legroom near the back, preferred seats with standard legroom in the middle section, and extra legroom seats with five additional inches of pitch at the front and in exit rows.
The new fare structure includes Basic (seat assigned at check-in, boards in Groups 6-8), Choice (select standard seat at booking, boards in Groups 6-8), Choice Preferred (select preferred or standard seat at booking, boards no later than Group 5), and Choice Extra (select any seat type at booking, boards no later than Groups 1-2).
A-List members receive preferred seats at booking and extra legroom seats if available, boarding in Group 5 or earlier, while A-List Preferred members get access to both preferred and extra legroom seats at booking with boarding no later than Group 2.
Southwest credit cardholders will receive Group 5 boarding and seat selection benefits, with the Plus card offering standard seats within 48 hours, Premier cards providing standard or preferred seats within 48 hours, and Priority cards allowing standard or preferred seat selection at booking.
Companion Pass holders can book companions into the same fare class as the primary ticket starting July 29, 2025, with companions receiving identical seating and checked bag benefits as the primary traveler.
The changes represent Southwest’s shift toward a traditional airline model that rewards elite status holders and credit card customers, while passengers without these benefits will likely face additional fees for preferred seating and boarding positions.
Rakuten Launches New Card
Rakuten has introduced the Rakuten American Express Card, a no-annual-fee credit card exclusively for Rakuten members that provides an additional 4% cash back on Rakuten purchases up to $7,000 annually, stacking on top of existing Rakuten platform rewards.
The card offers a $25 welcome bonus after spending $500 in 90 days, plus 5% back at Rakuten partner restaurants (combining with Rakuten dining rewards for 10% total), 2% on groceries and non-Rakuten dining, and 1% on everything else.
Unlike the Rakuten platform that can earn American Express Membership Rewards points, this card only offers cash back since it’s serviced by Imprint and issued by First Electronic Bank rather than AmEx directly.
The card works best for frequent Rakuten users who can maximize the stacking benefits, though the $7,000 annual cap and mediocre non-Rakuten earning rates make it less appealing for those who don’t regularly shop through Rakuten.
Frontier Adds 15 Routes
Frontier Airlines announced 15 new routes launching this October, marking the carrier’s debut in Corpus Christi, Texas and Richmond, Virginia, while also returning to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The expansion includes new service from major hubs like Atlanta, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Chicago, with routes connecting cities from coast to coast.
Complete Route List:
- Atlanta to Omaha starting October 10 (2x weekly)
- Atlanta to Richmond starting October 17 (2x weekly)
- Charleston to Dallas-Fort Worth starting October 9 (2x weekly)
- Corpus Christi to Denver starting October 9 (2x weekly)
- Denver to JFK starting October 8 (3x weekly)
- Denver to Corpus Christi starting October 9 (2x weekly)
- Denver to Tulsa starting October 12 (2x weekly)
- Denver to Richmond starting October 19 (2x weekly)
- Dallas-Fort Worth to El Paso starting October 8 (3x weekly)
- Dallas-Fort Worth to Charleston starting October 9 (2x weekly)
- Dallas-Fort Worth to Tucson starting October 9 (2x weekly)
- Newark to Chicago Midway starting October 7 (4x weekly)
- JFK to Denver starting October 8 (3x weekly)
- JFK to Chicago O’Hare starting October 8 (4x weekly)
- Kansas City to Tampa starting October 11 (weekly)
- Phoenix to San Antonio starting October 10 (3x weekly)
- Salt Lake City to Santa Ana starting October 9 (2x weekly)
The new destinations of Corpus Christi and Richmond each receive two routes, with Corpus Christi connecting to Denver and Richmond linking to both Atlanta and Denver.
All routes launch between October 7-19, 2025, representing a significant network expansion for the ultra-low-cost carrier as it continues growing its domestic footprint.
Hawaiian Boosts Winter Dreamliner Service
Hawaiian Airlines is expanding its winter schedule with increased frequencies and aircraft upgrades on key routes from Honolulu to Los Angeles, Seattle, and Sydney to handle peak holiday travel demand.
Starting November 21, the airline will replace its daily 9 a.m. Honolulu-Seattle flight’s narrow-body Airbus A321neo with a wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner (adding 111 seats of daily capacity), launch a fifth daily Honolulu-Los Angeles service during peak periods, and boost its Honolulu-Sydney route from five weekly flights to daily service from December 18 through January 31.
The airline’s Seattle-Tokyo Narita route will also receive a Dreamliner upgrade featuring Hawaiian’s premium Leihōkū Suites business class product, giving travelers more opportunities to experience the carrier’s flagship aircraft and best onboard offerings.
Citi Shop Day Offers 20%
Citi will offer 20% cashback through its Citi Shop portal at select retailers during a two-day promotion on August 5-6, 2025. The participating retailers include Best Buy, eBay, Sephora, StubHub, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Petco, Nike, Anthropologie, L.L. Bean, Shark, Bed Bath & Beyond, Le Creuset, and Ulta Beauty.
You can stack this cashback with other card-linked offers since you don’t need to pay with a Citi card to earn the 20% back, and the cashback gets applied as a statement credit rather than bonus ThankYou points.
Breeze Airways 35% Off Sale
Breeze Airways has launched a flash sale offering 35% off base fares for round-trip flights booked by July 25, 2025 at 11:59 pm PT using promo code LETSROLL.
Travel must occur between August 6, 2025 and January 31, 2026, excluding extensive blackout periods including September 1, October 10-13, November 20-26, November 28-30, December 19-23, and December 26 through January 4, 2026.
jetBlue 25% Flash Sale
jetBlue launched a flash sale offering 25% off base fares with promo code SAVE25, but you’ll need to book by July 24th at 11:59 PM EST for travel between August 12th and November 20th, excluding Friday and Sunday departures.
The discount only applies to nonstop flights booked directly through jetblue.com and excludes Mint premium cabins, Transatlantic routes, and previous bookings, plus flights purchased with this code won’t count toward their current 25 for 25 Birthday Promotion.
Starlux Launches Taipei-Phoenix Service
Starlux Airlines will begin operating three weekly flights between Taipei Taoyuan Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport starting January 15, 2026, marking the carrier’s first route to a US destination without existing Taiwan service.
The 7,401-mile route will operate on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays using Airbus A350-900 aircraft, with eastbound flights blocked at 11 hours 55 minutes and westbound flights at 15 hours 10 minutes, making this Starlux’s longest route and Phoenix’s first nonstop service to Asia.
Marriott Homes Gets 10% Discount
Marriott Homes & Villas is offering a 10% discount on stays of two or more nights when you book between July 16 and August 31, 2025, for stays completed through December 19, 2025.
The discount applies to both cash bookings and Marriott Bonvoy point redemptions (excluding Free Night Awards), with no registration required and stays must begin on or after August 1, 2025.
Spirit Launches Key West Service
Spirit Airlines will begin flying to Key West International Airport from its Fort Lauderdale hub starting November 6, 2025, marking the airline’s eighth Florida destination and the only nonstop service between these two airports.
The route will initially operate four times weekly on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays before expanding to daily service on December 18, 2025, with introductory one-way fares starting at $79 for the 145-mile flight that takes just 50 minutes.
