Southwest is overhauling Rapid Rewards in January 2027, and the Companion Pass takes the biggest hit. Credit card welcome bonuses will no longer count toward it, and the full pass will only come with Southwest’s new top status. Occasional flyers can pick up smaller rewards, like bonus points or preferred seats, on the way there. The airline also shared an early look at its upcoming Southwest Icon Lounges, which start opening in late 2027.

Already booked a flight? The price you paid might not be final. If your fare drops after you book, you can often claim the difference as an airline credit, as long as it isn’t basic economy. The hard part is noticing. That’s where Junova comes in. It tracks eligible flights booked directly with major U.S. airlines and handles getting the savings back for a 20% fee.

For a bigger splurge, Delta is giving Delta One, its long-haul business class, a makeover this fall, starting on flights from Los Angeles. Expect a wagyu burger, sorbet paired with Champagne Taittinger, Blanton’s bourbon, and new Missoni amenity kits.

👉 Get $25 in Junova credits with code DD

Ever stared at the same flight for days, wondering if you should book now or wait for a better price? You don’t have to time it perfectly. Since most major airlines no longer charge change fees, a price drop after you book can mean getting the difference back as an airline credit. The catch is you usually have to notice the drop and ask for it yourself.

Junova does that part for you. Book directly with United, Delta, American, Southwest, or Alaska, forward your confirmation, and Junova watches the price until departure. If the fare drops, it handles getting the savings back, and your flight, seat, and confirmation number stay the same. It can even save more than once on the same flight. So go ahead and book on a Sunday night. If the price dips on Tuesday, Junova can still get you the difference.

There’s no upfront cost, and if the price never drops, you don’t pay anything. When Junova does save you money, it charges 20% of the savings. For example, if a $500 flight drops to $350, you’d get a $150 airline credit and pay Junova a $30 fee. Fully refundable fares get a refund instead. Basic Economy fares and award tickets aren’t eligible.

If you want to try it, Departure Digest listeners get $25 in Junova credits with code DD.

Don’t automatically book the cheapest fare. Once you factor in bags, seat selection, and other fees, the next fare up can sometimes be the better deal.

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

Your holiday flights could get cheaper after you’ve already booked, and the airline will never tell you.

Welcome back to Departure Digest. Today, we’re looking at how to get some of that money back, Delta’s big business class makeover, and the end of Southwest’s Companion Pass as we know it.

So, let’s start with that cheaper flight.

On the big U.S. airlines, most tickets that aren’t basic economy can be changed for free. So if your fare drops after you book, you can often claim the difference as a credit.

The problem is you have to notice, and most of us aren’t checking our flights every day.

That’s where today’s sponsor, Junova, comes in. You book directly with the airline, then forward your confirmation to Junova. It watches the price until the day you fly, and if it drops, Junova handles getting the savings back.

Your seat and confirmation number stay the same. And it keeps watching after it finds savings, so you could save more than once on the same flight.

I connected my email, so every flight I book gets tracked automatically. Right now, it’s watching my flight to San Diego later this week and another to New Orleans. You can also just forward individual bookings.

There’s no upfront cost. Junova only gets paid when it saves you money, with a 20% fee on the savings. So say a $1,000 flight drops to $800. You get the full $200 back, and Junova charges you 40 bucks.

That money usually comes back as an airline credit, or to your card if you booked a refundable fare. Credits only work on that airline, and some expire.

It works with United, Delta, American, Southwest, and Alaska. It doesn’t cover basic economy, award tickets, or anything booked through a third party like Expedia.

Junova says flights it saves on get about $240 back on average. Obviously, not every fare drops, but it’s a nice little bonus when one does.

It’s also changed how I book. If I know I’m going and the fare looks reasonable, I book it instead of trying to time the market. If prices fall later, Junova’s already on it.

If you want to try it, sign up with the code DD and you’ll start with $25 in Junova credits. That means your first $125 in savings are fee-free. The link’s below.

Now, from saving money to spending a lot of it. Last week, Delta unveiled what it calls the next era of Delta One, its long-haul business class. Think fresh menus, new drinks, and snazzy Missoni amenity kits. It starts this fall on flights from L.A., then expands to other routes next year.

The food is the star. There’s a new wagyu burger, a sorbet you can top with champagne, and Blanton’s bourbon. Flight attendants will even crack fresh pepper over your first course, which sounds very extra, but oddly satisfying.

What I’d use most is the option to skip breakfast on long flights and get coffee and a croissant before landing. I will always pick sleep over rubbery airplane eggs.

The menu can’t fix the dated seats on some older Delta planes, so, as always, check the aircraft type before you book.

Meanwhile, if Southwest feels like a different airline lately, that’s because it is. In a little over a year, it started charging for checked bags, switched to assigned seats, and announced its first lounges. Now it’s overhauling its loyalty program, Southwest Rapid Rewards, starting January 2027.

The big change is the Companion Pass. It lets one person fly with you for just taxes and fees, as often as you want. For years, a couple of credit card welcome bonuses could get you most of the way there.

Starting next year, those bonuses won’t count, and the full pass only comes with Southwest’s new top status. That means roughly 100 flights a year, or six figures of spending on [the airline’s credit card].

That’s the end of the easy Companion Pass, and I’m a little sad. It was one of the best deals in domestic travel.

Occasional flyers get something, too. You can earn small rewards, like bonus points or preferred seats, on the way to status.

And those lounges we covered last month now have a name, Southwest Icon Lounges. The first images look pretty swanky, more like a hotel bar than anything I’d associate with Southwest. The Nashville one, for example, is designed to feel more like a supper club than a honky-tonk. They start opening in late 2027. Full access rules aren’t out yet, but we do know cardholders of [a new premium airline credit card] coming next year will get in.

If you were already planning to go for a Companion Pass with [the airline’s credit card], there’s one date to know. Cards approved by Dec. 2 still play by the old rules, but that pass would only last through 2027.

That’s all for this Monday. Forward those holiday flights to Junova, and I’ll talk to you Wednesday. Safe travels.