It’s been less than a year since Southwest Airlines ended its longtime “bags fly free” policy and started charging most customers to check a bag. Now, the airline is raising its prices. Southwest just revealed the cost to check a bag will rise from $35 to $45 beginning with tickets booked later this week. That’s…

Despite switching to dynamic pricing in 2024, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club continues to offer noteworthy Saver-level fares and attractive partner award charts. Though booking through this U.K.-based carrier loyalty program can sometimes be costly when factoring in taxes and fees and additional surcharges on award tickets, some sweet spots remain. Plus, since Flying Club partners…

When Marriott acquired Starwood Preferred Guest, it merged three separate loyalty programs — SPG, Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Marriott Rewards — into Marriott Bonvoy in 2019. This combination has resulted in one of the largest loyalty programs worldwide, with over 235 million members worldwide (as of early 2026) who can earn and redeem points at almost…