JetBlue is finally getting domestic first class, but it's bad news for everyone else in the back of the plane. The airline's new BlueFirst cabin will have bigger recliner-style seats and Bluetooth connectivity. But to make room, JetBlue is cutting about two inches of legroom from regular economy, which has long been one of its biggest selling points.

If you're still figuring out a last-minute Labor Day getaway, don't panic. International airfare is actually down about 4% compared to last year. We share why it can pay to let the price pick your destination by searching broadly on Google Flights or Seats.aero. Plus, United's app can now help you get on standby for an earlier flight if your travel plans get disrupted.

Flying Blue also has new Promo Rewards for September, with flights between the U.S. and Europe starting around 19,000 miles one-way in economy or 30,000 miles in premium economy. The discounted awards can be booked for travel through Feb. 28, 2027, and it's worth booking before Sept. 8, when new award ticket options with more restrictions take effect.

Rove is a free travel rewards program that lets you earn transferable Rove Miles on hotels, flights, dining, and shopping using the credit cards you already have.

The real standout is hotels. Book a Loyalty Eligible rate through Rove and you can earn Rove Miles alongside your hotel points and elite night credits. Departure Digest listeners get a 1,000-mile welcome bonus instantly upon joining.

Ask the hotel concierge where they actually eat nearby instead of trusting TikTok. You'll usually land somewhere better with a shorter wait.

Have a travel or points question? Submit it here and it may be featured in a future episode.

Labor Day weekend is almost here, and if you procrastinated with planning a trip, don’t panic.

You’re listening to Departure Digest. Today, we’re talking last-minute Labor Day travel, JetBlue’s new first class, and a new points deal to Europe.

Labor Day is only a few days away, and AAA says travel costs are generally higher this year, which, to be fair, feels like what these surveys tell us every year.

Domestic airfare is averaging around $750 round-trip. Hotels are more expensive this year too.

But international airfare is a bright spot. AAA says it’s down about 4%.

And even this close to the weekend, it’s not too late to book something.

Instead of searching for a specific destination and hoping the price looks good, I’d flip it around. Open Google Flights, search from your home airport to a region, like Europe, or you can literally type anywhere, and see what’s cheap first.

Let the destination pick itself.

If you want to use points instead, Seats.aero does something similar. You can search from your home airport, or even an entire region, to see where award space is available.

That’s especially useful for a last-minute trip, when being flexible about where you go can make a huge difference.

If you’re flying United this weekend, there’s a new app feature worth knowing about.

If your flight gets disrupted and United rebooks you onto a later flight, you can now add yourself to standby for up to three earlier flights.

United will watch those flights for you and send you a text if a seat opens up, while your original reservation stays confirmed until you decide to switch.

United already has one of the better airline apps, and this fits right in. For example, it can show you where your inbound plane is coming from, and if a bag goes missing, you can even share your AirTag location with United to help track it down.

So if something goes sideways this weekend, check the app before getting in the customer service line that never seems to move.

The big takeaway for anyone still making plans is pretty simple. Being only a few days away doesn’t mean every decent option is gone.

Stay flexible with your destination, and if you can, your travel dates too. There may still be a last-minute trip worth booking.

Now, JetBlue just announced some big news.

The airline finally revealed more details of its new domestic first-class product, called BlueFirst.

JetBlue never had a traditional domestic first-class cabin before, so this is a pretty big shift.

BlueFirst will have recliner-style seats, similar to what you’d find in domestic first class on other airlines. Meanwhile, Mint is still JetBlue’s lie-flat business-class product for longer flights.

BlueFirst will have more space, bigger seats, and some fun JetBlue touches, like Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect your AirPods and a feature that lets you customize a cocktail through your seatback screen.

There’s one detail I find especially interesting, though.

JetBlue planes don’t have ovens, so there won’t be any hot food.

But here’s the tradeoff, and I think this is the bigger story.

To make room for first class, JetBlue is cutting about 2 inches of legroom from regular economy.

That’s lowkey a lot.

Extra legroom has always been one of the things that made JetBlue’s economy experience stand out. So BlueFirst may be a nice upgrade for the people sitting up front, but everyone behind them is losing a little of what made JetBlue special.

BlueFirst also won’t include access to JetBlue’s new lounges, but that’s pretty normal for domestic first class.

My advice once these fares go on sale: don’t just see “first class” and assume every version includes the same perks. As with the new basic Mint fares, JetBlue is planning different fare options for BlueFirst, so pay close attention to what you’re actually booking.

And if Europe is on your radar, Flying Blue just released its latest Promo Rewards.

Flying Blue is the loyalty program for Air France and KLM, and every month it discounts select award flights.

September’s deals include flights between the U.S. and Europe starting around 19,000 miles one way in economy, or around 30,000 miles in premium economy.

The discounted flights are available from cities including New York, Chicago, L.A. and D.C.

One important reminder, though.

Starting Sept. 8, Flying Blue is changing how award tickets work. Flights will be sold in three versions: Light, Standard, and Flex.

Think of Light as the basic version, so it may come with more restrictions and fewer perks.

And that change applies even to business-class awards.

So if you see one of these low Promo Reward prices, check the details before booking.

Okay, so, if you’re still figuring out Labor Day plans, stay flexible and see where the deals take you.

We’ll chat soon!