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Southwest Airlines lets friends fly free with new limited-time pass

Your friend or loved one flies free of airline charges during this promotion.

Photo courtesy of Southwest Airlines

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines has dropped a new promotion but you need to act fast, and it's only for those in their loyalty program.

Starting Monday, August 28, Southwest customers can bring a loved one or friend along for free (mostly) with a new Companion Pass promotion for Rapid Rewards members. Rapid Rewards members can enjoy unlimited usage between January 8 and March 8, 2024.

According to a release, Rapid Rewards should:

Register for the Companion Pass online and purchase a Southwest flight — one round trip or two one-way trips — between August 28 and August 30.
Be sure to travel by September 30.
Designate one companion who will fly for free (flight taxes and fees starting at $5.60 one-way apply, hence the "mostly" free) with them from January 8 through March 8, 2024.

Importantly, the promotion applies to one round trip or two one-way qualifying flights that are booked between August 28, 2023 and exactly 11:59 pm CDT on Wednesday, August 30. Travelers should also remember that the travel period to qualify ends on September 30.

"The Companion Pass is one of the most coveted airline perks in the industry, rewarding Customers for being part of our Rapid Rewards loyalty program,” said Jonathan Clarkson, vice president marketing at Southwest Airlines, in an announcement. "As the airline with heart, we want our Customers to feel appreciated for flying with Southwest, and what better way to do that than to offer the opportunity to travel and share experiences with a Companion."

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American Airlines adds new roundtrip from DFW Airport to Venice, Italy

Skyscrapercity.com

New destination from DFW Aiport.

Starting in May 2025, Fort Worth-based American Airlines is adding new flights to Italy, including a direct flight from DFW Airport to Venice.

It's part of a big Italy expansion with increased flights to Rome (FCO), Naples (NAP), and Venice (VCE).

“As Italy continues to remain popular for summertime travel, American is making it easier than ever for customers to shop, dine or unwind in their favorite destinations,” says American senior VP Brian Znotins in a release.

Tickets will be available for purchase starting Nov. 4 on aa.com and American’s mobile app.

American will offer its first-ever nonstop flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to VCE starting June 5. Complementing existing service from Philadelphia (PHL), the airline will offer convenient one-stop connections to VCE from more than 230 destinations in North America.

Other non-DFW flights include:

Building upon its new NAP service that launched this year, American will fly nonstop from Chicago (ORD) to NAP in 2025.

Rome will see expanded summer service from Miami (MIA) and Philadelphia (PHL), starting in June. American already offers daily year-round service from Rome to Philly but now will operate a second daily flight during the summer.

American recently announced additional nonstop service to Europe, including resuming service to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), next year. The airline will also launch more flights to Athens, Greece (ATH), and Milan (MXP) next year.

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