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Global Entry

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Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Members enter the United States by accessing the Global Entry processing technology at selected airports .

At airports, program members proceed to the Global Entry lanes where processing technology will be used to expedite the members by capturing a photo to verify their membership. Once the photo has been captured, the member will receive on-screen instructions and proceed to a CBP officer who will confirm that you have successfully completed the process.

Travelers must be pre-approved for the Global Entry program. All applicants undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interview before enrollment. If a traveler was unable to schedule an interview at an Enrollment Center prior to their international travel, they have an option to complete their interview via Enrollment on Arrival upon their arrival to the United States.

Another upcoming processing technology option for travelers will be the Global Entry Mobile App. This app will enable members to validate their arrival to the U.S. on their iOS or Android device prior to entering the Federal Inspection Services area.

While Global Entry’s goal is to speed travelers through the process, members may still be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the program’s terms and conditions will result in the appropriate enforcement action and termination of the traveler’s membership privileges.

Global Entry Benefits

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• Available at major U.S. airports
• Reduced wait times

Frontier Airlines Offers ‘GoWild!’ All-You-Can Fly Fall & Winter Pass Plus Elite Silver Status for Just $299 for a Limited Time

Gowild fall & winter pass™ features unlimited travel from sept. 2024 through feb. 2025.

DENVER – August 8, 2024 – Frontier Airlines ( NASDAQ: ULCC ) wants passengers to “GoWild!” with all-you-can-fly fall and winter travel, and enjoy FRONTIER Miles Elite Silver Status through the end of 2025! The ultra-low fare carrier announced today a limited-time promotion offering its GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass for just $299. As an added bonus for passes purchased through Friday August 23, 2024, customers will also receive instant FRONTIER Miles Elite Silver Status at time of purchase*.

The airline’s innovative GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly Pass enables passholders to fly as much as they want on Frontier to any destination the airline flies to, including Puerto Rico and international destinations (subject to availability). The GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass is valid from September 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025. Bookings can be confirmed the day before flight departure for domestic travel and 10 days before departure for international travel. For each flight, pass holders pay $0.01 in airfare plus applicable taxes, fees and charges at the time of booking. Passholders can now also plan ahead and book select flights early. An early booking charge may apply. Seats available to pass holders are capacity controlled, limited in quantity and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

FRONTIER Miles Elite Status is the most rewarding program in the sky. With Elite Silver Status customers enjoy benefits including standard seat assignment at booking, no change or cancel fees seven or more days before departure, priority customer care, and more. To learn more about Frontier’s Elite Status tiers and benefits, click here .

“For only $299, GoWild! pass holders can enjoy an all-you-can fly Fall & Winter plus Elite benefits on Frontier – an unbeatable value,” said James Fenner, vice president of pricing and revenue management, Frontier Airlines. “Thousands of GoWild! pass holders are enjoying spontaneous, affordable travel to destinations across the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. The GoWild! Pass is a great fit - and a great gift - for anyone with flexibility in their travel plans, including students, families, retirees, and remote workers.”

New for 2024, GoWild! passholders can earn miles with their GoWild! booking on purchases like bags and seat assignments. Travel with the pass qualifies as activity to extend FRONTIER Miles expiration.

Important things to know about the GoWild! Pass:

·         Flights can be booked and confirmed the day before flight departure for domestic travel and 10 days before flight departure for international travel

o   Plan ahead and book select flights early. Simply search and choose GoWild! when available. A GoWild! Early Booking charge may apply

·         Flights must be booked at FlyFrontier.com

·         Flights are subject to blackout periods

·         Flights do not include any add-on products like bags or seat assignments

·         Access to all domestic and international destinations Frontier serves

·         Taxes, fees and charges apply at time of booking

·         Flights and seats are subject to availability; last seat availability is not guaranteed

·         The GoWild! Pass is non-transferable. The pass holder is the only passenger allowed to travel with GoWild! Pass privileges

·         Your pass will automatically renew unless you cancel. Customers may opt out of auto renewal on their Frontier Airlines profile page

·         You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the United States to purchase the GoWild! Pass. The pass holder may be under the age of 18 and must be a resident of the United States. Pass holders under the age of 13 must be enrolled by their parent or legal guardian. Children under the age of 10 must travel accompanied by a passenger who is at least 15 years old

The airline’s reimagined, industry-leading frequent flyer program, FRONTIER Miles , enables consumers to ‘Get It All For Less.’ Customers earn miles and points fast and get rewarded for each dollar spent on Frontier products. Miles and points accrue based on dollars spent with a standard 10X multiplier: $1 = 10 miles and points. Mileage/point multipliers increase at every elite level up to 20X. Elite status enables members to enjoy benefits like priority boarding, free seat selection, no change or cancel fees when changes are made seven days or more in advance of flight departure, and free bag(s) at Gold, Diamond, and Platinum levels. Like the airline, FRONTIER Miles is family friendly, and the program makes it easy for families to enjoy the rewards together, including family pooling of miles. Joining is free .

*About the Promotional Fare Offer:

Earn Elite Silver Status when you purchase a GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass at Flyfrontier.com from August 8, 2024, to August 23, 2024, at 11:59PM ET. The Member's Frontier Miles account will earn an additional 6,000 Elite Status Points following purchase of the GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass. Miles for eligible pass purchases will be allocated to the Frontier Miles account associated with the pass, regardless of the pass purchaser. Elite Silver Status is valid through December 31, 2025.

Frontier Airlines, Inc., a subsidiary of Frontier Group Holdings, Inc. ( NASDAQ: ULCC ), is committed to “Low Fares Done Right.” Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the Company operates 148 A320 family aircraft and has the largest A320neo family fleet in the U.S. The use of these aircraft, along with Frontier’s high-density seating configuration and weight-saving initiatives, have contributed to Frontier’s continued ability to be the most fuel-efficient of all major U.S. carriers when measured by ASMs per fuel gallon consumed. With approximately 200 new Airbus planes on order, Frontier will continue to grow to deliver on the mission of providing affordable travel across America.

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Free travel in Ireland

What is the free travel scheme, how to use free travel, where can i use free travel, how to qualify for free travel, how to apply for free travel, where to apply for free travel, senior smartpass for travelling in northern ireland.

The Free Travel Scheme allows you to travel, free of charge, on public transport and some private bus and ferry services.

Everyone aged 66 and over, living permanently in Ireland, can get the Free Travel Scheme.

People with disabilities and carers aged under 66 may also qualify for Free Travel.

If you qualify for Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, your partner may travel with you for free if you meet certain criteria (see ‘Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants’ below).

If you can’t travel alone for medical reasons, you may get Free Travel for a companion. This allows a person aged over 16 to travel with you for free.

Changes to the Free Travel Scheme in 2024

From 29 July 2024, you will qualify for the Free Travel Scheme if you are aged over 17 and under 66, and:

• Have never been able to drive due to a disability
• Have a driving licence and are medically certified as ‘not fit to drive’ for at least 12 months.

While the change won’t take effect until July, you can download and fill in an application form for Free Travel for people medically certified unfit to drive (FTM) (pdf) now.

In this case, your spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant cannot accompany you free of charge when travelling.

If you qualify for Free Travel, your Public Services Card (PSC) will have FT (for Free Travel) in the top left-hand corner. The letter following it shows who can travel for free with you:

• FT-P - you can travel for free
• FT+S - your spouse, partner or cohabitant can travel with you for free
• FT+C - you can have a person (over 16) travel with you for free

You must show or scan your Public Services Card to the travel operator when you are travelling on public transport. Find out more about 'How to use your public services card for free travel' .

Paper travel passes are no longer being issued but you can still use your paper pass, if it is valid.

You can use your Free Travel on most Iarnród Éireann , Bus Éireann , Dublin Bus , DART and Luas Services and on certain private bus and ferry services (pdf) .

Free travel is also available on Dublin Bus Nitelink , Go-Ahead Ireland and TFI (Transport for Ireland) Local Link services .

Free travel does not include some special services such as Dublin Bus AIRLINK services .

You can find a full list of services where you can use Free Travel (pdf) on gov.ie.

There are no restrictions on the times you can use your Free Travel.

Living on the Aran Islands or Tory Island

If you are permanently living on any of the Aran Islands, you may get up to 12 single (or 6 return) air trips each year between the islands and Galway City.

People who live permanently on Tory Island (Co. Donegal) are entitled to 8 (or 4 return) free journeys on the seasonal helicopter service operating between the island and Falcarragh on the mainland.

If your public services card includes free travel for a companion, spouse, partner or cohabitant, they can also travel with you for free on the above services.

Going to Northern Ireland

You may also travel free of charge on certain cross-border services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. But to travel free in Northern Ireland, you must have a Senior Smart Pass – see ‘Senior SmartPass for travelling in Northern Ireland’ below.

To get Free Travel you must be living in Ireland and meet one of the following conditions:

• You are aged 66 or over
• You are getting Disability Allowance , Blind Pension , Carer's Allowance or an Invalidity Pension
• You are blind or visually impaired and meet the medical conditions for Blind Pension
• You have been getting Incapacity Supplement or Workmen's Compensation with Disablement Pension for at least 12 months
• You are a specified carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relative's Allowance
• You are getting a social security invalidity payment (or similar payment) from a country covered by EU regulations or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement for at least 12 months

Widow or widower or a surviving civil partner

If you are a widow or widower or a surviving civil partner aged 60 or over, living in Ireland and your late spouse or civil partner had Free Travel, you can get Free Travel, if you are getting one of the following payments:

• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme
• A similar social security pension or benefit from a country covered by EU regulations or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement
• You are getting an ordinary Garda widow's pension

Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants

If you are entitled to Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, your partner may be able to travel with you for free.

Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant cannot travel with you for free, if you are under age 66 and getting Free Travel because you are:

• Getting Carer's Allowance
• The nominated carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relatives Allowance

Your PSC card must have FT-S on it to allow your partner travel with you. To add your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant to your Free Travel - see ‘How to apply for Free Travel’ below.

If you can’t travel alone

If you are unable to travel alone , you can have a person, over 16 years of age, travel with you for free. Your PSC card must have FT-C on it. To add a companion to your Free Travel, see ‘How to apply for Free Travel’ below.

Free travel companion card for children

A child with a visual impairment can get Free Travel for a companion if they are under 18 and they either:

• Satisfy the blindness condition for a Blind Pension, or
• Are registered with Vision Ireland or the National League of the Blind of Ireland

The person they travel with (companion) must be age 16 or over.

Work and Free Travel

You can keep your Free Travel for 5 years, if you moved from one of the following disability payments to work:

• Disability Allowance
• Invalidity Pension
• Partial Capacity Benefit (from Invalidity Pension)
• Disablement Benefit paid along with Incapacity Supplement

You can also keep your Free Travel for 5 years if you transferred from Disability Allowance or Invalidity Pension to a Community Employment , SOLAS or a Back to Work scheme.

If you are aged 66 or over and are getting a State pension, your Public Services Card (PSC) will be issued showing that you have Free Travel automatically.

If you are under 66, you will get Free Travel automatically issued on your PSC if you get one of the following payments:

• Blind Pension
• Carer’s Allowance

If you are married or in a civil partnership, your PSC will be issued with FT-S on it. If you are cohabiting, you must fill in Part 1 and 2 of the Free Travel application form FT1 (pdf) .

If you are not getting one of the payments above but you are eligible for Free Travel, you must fill in the Free Travel application form FT1(pdf) and send to the Free Travel Section in the Department of Social Protection.

If you can’t travel alone and need a companion

If you are unable to travel alone, you can apply for Free Travel for a Companion, using either of the following forms:

• Over 70 Companion pass form (pdf)
• Under 70 Companion pass form (pdf)

You can get an application form for Free Travel from the Department of Social Protection. The form is also available at your local post office and Citizens Information Centre .

Lost or damaged Free Travel pass or PSC

There are currently 2 types of Free Travel Pass:

• A paper Free Travel Pass
• A Public Services Card with Free Travel (with F-T written in the top left-hand corner)

Paper passes are no longer being issued so if you need a replacement for a lost or damaged paper pass, you must undergo SAFE registration and get a Public Services Card .

If your Public Services Card Free Travel is lost, stolen or damaged, you should telephone 0818 837 000 to request a replacement card.

Free Travel

Social Welfare Services College Road Sligo Ireland

If you are 66 or over and have Free Travel, you can travel free of charge on all bus and rail services within Northern Ireland using a Senior SmartPass card.

If you are 66 or over and have Free Travel, you do not need to meet the residency condition in Northern Ireland to apply for a Senior SmartPass card.

How to apply for a Senior SmartPass

To get a Senior SmartPass, you must fill in an application form (FTNI1). You can get this form from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office. It is not possible to get this form online .

You should not use a photocopy of the form as each form is barcoded. The application form must be filled in with black ink only and returned in person (not posted) to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

You must bring each of the following items with your application form to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office:

• Your Irish Free Travel pass/Public Services Card
• Proof of your address, (for example, a gas, electricity, phone bill or bank statement)
• Proof of your identity, (for example, your driving licence, passport or another form of photo identification)
• A recent passport standard colour photograph

It may take up to 6 weeks to process your application. There is further information on the extension of the Free Travel Scheme .

Travelling with a partner or companion

A spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or companion cannot travel with you for free on public transport within Northern Ireland.

However, your Irish Free Travel allows your spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or companion to travel for free on certain cross-border services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. For example, a cross-border train journey that starts in Ireland and ends in Northern Ireland or vice versa.

Renewing and replacing a Senior SmartPass

Your Senior SmartPass will expire after 5 years.

• If you have electronically used your card within the last 2 years, you will get a new card automatically in the post from Translink when your card expires.
• If you have not used your card in the last 2 years, you will be sent a renewal application form to fill in. The renewal form is not the same as a first-time application and you do not need to supply a photograph.
• If you have never used your card, you will not hear from Translink at all. If you wish to get it renewed, you must contact Translink by email at [email protected] , or telephone 00 44 289 075 9129 or 028 90 66 66 30 and they will send you a renewal application.

If you lose or need to replace your Senior SmartPass for travel in Northern Ireland, you can fill in form (FTNI 2) (pdf) .

Brexit and the Senior SmartPass

On 31 January 2020 the UK exited the EU . Senior SmartPass holders can continue to travel in Northern Ireland on the bus and train.

Related documents

• Tax-free purchases for non-EU travellers The Retail Export Scheme, allows visitors to Ireland (from outside the European Union) to buy goods in Ireland to take home with them and benefit from tax relief. 2722.5022
• Customs regulations for travellers to Ireland Find out about the important rules in place regarding customs regulations for people travelling to Ireland. 2619.5715
• Travelling from Ireland for healthcare in Europe Introduction to the options for Irish residents who want to access healthcare in other countries in Europe. 2546.8228

If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

You can also contact your local Citizens Information Centre .

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*TSA uses unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, throughout the airport. All travelers will be screened, and no individual is guaranteed expedited screening.

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To enroll in TSA PreCheck just follow these three steps or walk into any enrollment location. Be sure the enrollment provider selected has enrollment locations near you. To renew simply click here and complete your renewal online in as little as 5 minutes.

1. Apply Online

Select an enrollment provider with enrollment locations near you. Submit your TSA PreCheck application online in as little as 5 minutes.

2. Visit an Enrollment Location

Complete enrollment in 10 minutes at your chosen provider which includes fingerprinting, document and photo capture, and payment.

3. Get Your TSA PreCheck Number

Once approved, get your Known Traveler Number (KTN), add it to your airline reservations and start saving time in screening.

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TSA has selected the following partners to help enroll travelers in TSA PreCheck. Applicants can pick any enrollment provider based on cost, locations , and additional benefits. Get started below.

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Enroll in minutes when it's convenient for you - no appointment necessary.

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Renew through CLEAR and you may qualify for discounts on other CLEAR travel products.

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Swiss Travel Pass.

Discover Switzerland with just a single ticket: The Swiss Travel Pass takes international guests to the most beautiful places in the country on flexible and affordable public transport.

The Swiss Travel Pass gives you unlimited travel by train, bus and boat, as well as many other advantages.

The advantages for you.

• Unlimited travel by train, bus and boat
• Unlimited travel on premium panorama trains (seat reservation fees and/or surcharges apply)
• Unlimited use of public transport in more than 90 towns & cities
• Free admission to more than  500 museums Link opens in new window.
• Mountain excursions included: Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos
• Discount of up to 50% on other mountain excursions
• Discount of up to 50% on leisure travel offers

Swiss Family Card.

With the Swiss Family Card, children aged at least 6 and under 16 travel free of charge when accompanied by a parent with a valid Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card. The Swiss Family Card is issued free of charge. To receive it, enter the children travelling with you under ‘Add passengers’ on SBB.ch during purchase of the Swiss Travel Pass (Flex). Children who are not travelling with a parent get a 50% discount on the regular price of the Swiss Travel Pass.

Offers for adults aged 25 or over.

Choose 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days of travel.

Prices effective until 31.12.2024. Prices and product specifications subject to change.

Swiss Travel Pass Flex.

Valid on 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 freely selectable days within one month.

Offers for young persons under 25.

The Swiss Travel Pass Youth gives young persons under 25 a 30% discount on the Swiss Travel Pass. It offers the same validity.

Swiss Travel Pass Youth.

Swiss travel pass flex youth., important information about the swiss travel pass..

• The Swiss Travel Pass has been developed for guests from abroad. It is available to persons permanently resident outside Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
• The Swiss Travel Pass is available online or at any staffed public transport point of sale.
• For online purchasing, purchase as a “guest”. You do not need a login.
• The Swiss Travel Pass and the Swiss Family Card cannot be loaded onto a SwissPass card. You will not receive a customer number or an additional card.
• Children aged under 6 travel free. 

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Watch CBS News

Trump wants to cut income taxes on Social Security. Here's how that would impact your benefits.

By Aimee Picchi

Edited By Alain Sherter

Updated on: August 5, 2024 / 2:37 PM EDT / CBS News

Former President Donald Trump is promising to eliminate taxes on Social Security, a vow aimed squarely at the 67 million Americans who receive monthly benefit checks from the retirement and disability program. 

"Seniors should not pay taxes on Social Security and they won't," Trump said at a Wednesday campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Such a pledge could be be a potent campaign plank at a time when poverty among seniors is on the rise , according to the National Council on Aging, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office has found millions of older workers are nearing retirement without a penny in savings . Currently, about 40% of Social Security recipients pay federal income taxes on their benefits, according to the agency.

But cutting income taxes on Social Security income would ultimately harm the program by cutting off one of its funding sources – taxes — which in turn would likely hasten the insolvency of its trust funds , experts told CBS MoneyWatch. If that occurred, the Social Security Administration could be forced to make larger benefit cuts a year earlier than is now forecast. 

"It really is, in some ways, Trump advocating defunding Social Security," Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group for the program, told CBS MoneyWatch. "It's a sleight of hand — it's giving with one hand and taking with another."

The Trump campaign didn't respond to a request for comment.

Payroll taxes, the FICA taxes taken out of workers' paychecks, fund the bulk of Social Security. But about 4% of its financing stems from the income taxes that recipients pay on their benefits, providing about $50 billion in annual revenue to the program, according to the latest  annual report from Social Security's board of trustees.

While 4 in 5 Social Security recipients are senior citizens, the remaining beneficiaries are people who qualify for disability payments or are the children and spouses of deceased workers, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Social Security's solvency problem

Social Security's funding issues have been years in the making, partially due to changing U.S. demographics. With baby boomers retiring in record numbers and seniors living longer, the program is increasingly strained by growing financial demands.

Because of that shift, Social Security is now paying out more in benefits than it receives in income, which is eating away at the $2.7 trillion in assets held in its trust funds — the reserves that pay out retirement and disability benefits. 

By 2033, the trust fund paying Social Security benefits is on track to be depleted, at which point the Social Security Administration would be forced to cut recipients' monthly benefits by 17%, according to the agency's latest report.

Trump's proposal to nix income taxes on benefits would wipe out $950 billion in funding for Social Security over the next decade, according to a July 31  estimate from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a nonpartisan advocacy group focused on fiscal policy. 

That would have a twofold effect, pushing the program's insolvency date forward a year to 2032 and forcing the Social Security Administration to cut benefits even more deeply than it now predicts, the group said. Recipients would face a 25% cut in their monthly checks in 2032, the CRFB estimated.

Cutting income taxes on Social Security could also potentially lead to funding shortfalls for Medicare, because a portion of those taxes are directed toward the program, the CRFB added. It estimates that Medicare would lose about $650 billion in revenue over the next decade, resulting in its potential insolvency being pushed forward by six years, from 2036 to 2030. 

"Freeing them from taxation is a kind of benefit increase, but [the Social Security Administration] has to get the revenue from somewhere else or the benefits would just be cut," Altman of Social Security Works told CBS MoneyWatch. 

Are Social Security benefits taxable?

There is a misperception among some Americans that Social Security benefits aren't taxable, perhaps reflecting that such income wasn't taxable until 1984 . But under changes signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, Social Security income above a certain threshold became taxable. 

More seniors are subject to the tax each year because those thresholds haven't been adjusted for inflation since 1984, which means each year more middle-income beneficiaries are paying taxes on their Social Security checks. For instance, the share of seniors who paid taxes on their benefits was 26% in 1998, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That figure now stands at 40%. 

Individual tax filers with combined annual income (Social Security and other income, such as retirement distributions or dividends) ranging from $25,000 to $34,000 may have to pay income tax on up to half of their benefits. Individuals with earnings of more than $34,000 may pay taxes on up to 85% of their Social Security income. 

Joint filers with incomes between $32,000 and $44,000 may have to pay income tax on up to 50% of their benefits, while married couples with incomes over $44,000 may be taxed on up to 85% of their benefits. 

For instance, a single filer who collects the average annual Social Security benefit of $22,884, but whose total income is $50,000, would be taxed on 85% of their benefits, or $19,451. Only $3,433 of their Social Security income would be tax-free.

Trump's tax promises

It's not the first time Trump has made a promise on the campaign trail to lower taxes for specific groups of people. The former president pledged in June to end taxation on tips  for service workers, a move that experts said would cost $250 billion over 10 years. 

Many seniors might like the idea of eliminating taxes on their benefit checks, Altman noted. Many older Americans feel like they're losing ground after years of high inflation, despite the annual cost-of-living adjustment that's applied to Social Security checks, she said.

Trump's Social Security proposal could be designed to appeal to seniors who were put off by a proposal from the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservatives in the House, to  raise the retirement age to 70 for both Social Security and Medicare, Altman added. Currently, the full retirement age for Social Security is 67, while seniors can qualify for Medicare at 65.

"They were really targeting Social Security, and seniors took notice," Altman said. Trump "is throwing things out to try to win voters."

If Trump were elected, it's unclear whether his proposals to eliminate taxes on tips or Social Security benefits would come to fruition. For one, lawmakers would need to pass legislation to change the tax code, which could be a hurdle if either the House or Senate were to be controlled by Democrats under a second Trump administration. 

Meanwhile, Trump hasn't yet released detailed plans for his tax proposals, unlike at this point in the 2016 race, according to Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics. 

"Although Trump occasionally talks about eliminating the taxes on tips or lowering the corporate tax rate a little more, these are throwaway lines in his stump speech rather than firm costed proposals," Ashworth wrote in a report this week. "At this point in the 2016 election race, Trump had a (relatively) detailed plan to cut taxes by a massive $7 trillion over the following decade."

• Donald Trump
• Social Security

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

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Six Flags introduces new All Park Passport for legacy Six Flags, Cedar Fair

North America’s largest amusement park operator, Six Flags, just introduced a new pass to all of its parks, but it’s not on sale everywhere yet. 

The new All Park Passport debuted this week as an add-on to 2025 season passes at both Schlitterbahn parks in Texas. 

Schlitterbahn, like Cedar Point and Knott's Berry Farm, joined the Six Flags family on July 1, when legacy Six Flags merged with Cedar Fair .  

“It’s clear that our guests see tremendous value in the season-pass programs and we are excited to offer them expanded access to our parks," Six Flags spokesman Gary Rhodes told USA TODAY.

The All Park add-on will be available at other parks as 2025 season passes go on sale there, but the full slate of benefits won’t start right away.  

Here’s what guests should know. 

When does the All Park Passport take effect?  

Guests who add the passport onto 2025 season passes for legacy Cedar Fair properties, like Carowinds or Kings Island, will be able to visit any other legacy Cedar Fair park for the rest of its 2024 operating calendar and 2025 season. 

Similarly, guests who add the passport onto 2025 season passes for legacy Six Flags properties, like Six Flags Magic Mountain, will be able to use the pass for entry to all legacy Six Flags parks for the remainder of their 2024 operating calendars and 2025 seasons. 

Starting Jan. 6, All Park Passport holders will be able to enter both legacy Six Flags and legacy Cedar Fair parks using the pass. 

Six Flags Fright Fest goes extreme: ‘Saw,’ ‘The Conjuring,’ ‘Stranger Things’ experiences headed for select parks

Which parks are included in the All Park Passport?  

There are 27 amusement parks and 15 water parks under the expanded Six Flags umbrella. All of them will be included in the All Park Pass starting Jan. 6. 

Legacy Cedar Fair parks: 

• California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. 
• Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario 
• Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina 
• Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio 
• Cedar Point Shores in Sandusky, Ohio 
• Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania 
• Kings Dominion & Soak City in Doswell, Virginia 
• Kings Island in Mason, Ohio 
• Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California 
• Knott's Soak City in Buena Park, California 
• Michigan's Adventure & WildWater Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan 
• Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston in Galveston, Texas 
• Schlitterbahn New Braunfels in New Braunfels, Texas 
• Valleyfair & Soak City in Shakopee, Minnesota 
• Worlds of Fun & Oceans of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri

Legacy Six Flags parks: 

• Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland 
• Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien, New York 
• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California 
• Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas 
• Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey 
• Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois 
• Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury, New York 
• Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California 
• Six Flags Mexico in Mexico City 
• Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts 
• Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Georgia 
• Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas 
• Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri 
• Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
• La Ronde in Montreal, Quebec 
• Hurricane Harbor Arlington in Arlington, Texas 
• Hurricane Harbor Chicago in Gurnee, Illinois 
• Hurricane Harbor Concord in Concord, California 
• Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles in Valencia, California 
• Hurricane Harbor New Jersey in Jackson, New Jersey 
• Hurricane Harbor Oaxtepec in Oaxtepec, Mexico 
• Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
• Hurricane Harbor Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona 
• Hurricane Harbor Rockford in Rockford, Illinois 
• Hurricane Harbor San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas 
• Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Spring, Texas 
• Six Flags White Water near Atlanta, Georgia

How much is the All Park Passport?  

Prices will vary by park and pass type, according to Rhodes.

As of Wednesday, the All Park Passport add-on cost $75 on top of $115 price of the 2025 Texas 2 Splash season pass on Schlitterbahn New Braunfels’ website, bringing the total pass to $190 there. 

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The Department of Natural Resources has issued a statewide burn ban restricting the use of outdoor burning, campfires, the use of charcoal briquettes, and prescribed burns on all forest lands within DNR’s fire protection, including all Washington State Parks, through Sept. 30, 2024. This date may be extended or shortened depending on fire conditions. For more information, visit our Alerts page .

Press Release

August 08, 2024

State Parks updates camping, moorage fees

Media contact.

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is updating its camping and moorage fees for 2025 to support its operations amid inflation impacts and rising costs.  

The camping fee changes will take effect on May 15, 2025, and the moorage fee changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Because visitors can make reservations up to nine months in advance, on Aug. 15, 2024, campers will see the new fees reflected when they make reservations for May 15, 2025, and beyond.  

Under the new fee rates , standard campsite costs will increase between $3 to $5, partial utility campsite will increase $5 to $6 and full-utility sites will increase $6. This proposal does not change primitive site fees, which would remain $12, or roofed accommodation fees, which vary.  

Daily watercraft launching fees will increase to a flat rate of $7, daily moorage per foot charges will increase to $1, daily moorage minimums and buoy moorage will increase to $23, annual moorage per foot charges will increase to $7 and annual moorage minimums will increase to $80.  

The proposed change was presented at the April 10 work session held by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Parks Director Diana Dupuis approved the proposal on April 29.  

Understanding finances impact equitable access to the outdoors, the agency takes any fee increase very seriously. Since the last camping fee change, inflation has increased by more than 20 percent, while infrastructure maintenance needs have also increased. From fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2023, the agency’s utility costs increased by 37 percent.  

Reduced rate camping is provided to those eligible through five discount pass programs , equating to roughly 17 percent of the value of the camping we provide.  

Parks manages more than 6,400 campsites and 40 marine parks across the state, as well as more than 8,500 feet of moorage in Puget Sound. The agency is funded from a mix of state revenue and user fees, with user fee revenue making up roughly two-thirds of its operating budget. Parks depends on visitor fees to maintain camping and moorage infrastructure and provide a high level of customer service and recreational access. 

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Is a Disney Theme Park Vacation Still Worth the Price?

As Disney has raised the cost of tickets and hotel rooms at its theme parks, and added pricey, difficult-to-navigate tools, even its most loyal fans are asking themselves if they should rethink their vacations.

By Tariro Mzezewa

Earlier this year, Jake Williams, a filmmaker and content creator in Toronto, made his long-awaited return to one of his favorite places on earth: Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. After traveling to Disney World and Disneyland multiple times a year since childhood and becoming an annual pass holder as an adult, Mr. Williams hadn’t been to a Disney park since 2019.

“As someone who went all the time, it’s crazy to me that I hadn’t gone to a Disney park in that long,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s a special place. ”

Before his trip, Mr. Williams heard about some changes at Disney World, but he didn’t anticipate how different things would be, starting at the airport. Since his last visit, the company had gotten rid of the Magical Express, a free bus that for more than 15 years shuttled people from Orlando International Airport to their Disney resorts. Guests must now take a shuttle that costs between $23 and $30 per adult each way, depending on the time of year, use a ride share service or rent a car.

To Disney-goers, the end of the Magical Express speaks to a larger issue: The cost of being at the happiest place on earth is going up while the perks are going away. As the company has raised the price of tickets and hotel rooms, and added costly, difficult-to-navigate tools to book rides as replacements for previously free products, even its most loyal fans are asking themselves if it’s still worth it.

Mr. Williams said that a day in the Orlando parks and a one-night stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort cost a “jaw-dropping” $886.34 for two adults. He decided to calculate how much the same trip cost in 2017 — a year when he visited the park several times. The cost: $567.90. Even accounting for inflation, he was stunned.

“It’s hard to justify going to Orlando rather than, like, Iceland,” he said. “When you have a budget like this, you can go a lot of places and see and do a lot of things. You could even do a Disney cruise for less than that.”

Epcot’s Italy, or Italy?

He’s not alone. Len Testa, president of Touring Plans , a site that helps travelers organize Disney trips, and a co-author of “The Unofficial Guides to Walt Disney World and Disneyland,” said that he increasingly hears from Disney lovers who are now planning other types of vacations.

“At some point a Disney vacation starts competing with ‘Let’s go see Europe’ and I think that’s what a lot of people are doing,” Mr. Testa said. “I’ve had a number of people in the last few years say, ‘We priced it out and we could take our children to eat pizza in the Italy pavilion in Epcot or for the same money we could actually go to Italy for two weeks. We’re going to go to Italy for two weeks.’”

For Mr. Testa, collecting data about Disney is a passion. In the late ’90s, as a graduate student in computer science he decided he wanted to build a computer program that could help people navigate Disney World as efficiently as possible. That research continued through his Ph.D and the program he created turned into Touring Plans. His team of developers and data scientists model what’s going on at Walt Disney World on a minute-by-minute basis every day. The data they’ve collected in recent years shows that the cost of a Disney World trip, on average, has gone up almost 25 percent since 2019. Seventy percent of that increase is for services that used to be free.

The prices of parking and entry tickets have consistently risen in recent years. In 2022 ticket prices went up two times. In 2023 annual passes saw a $30 to $50 increase, depending on the tier, while multiday tickets also went up. A one-day ticket to either of Disney’s U.S. parks now costs $109 for anyone over the age of 10.

One analysis concluded that between 2014 and 2025, the base price for tickets has gone up 32 percent and increased by 90 percent for the highest-priced tickets. In 2025 the base price for an adult one-day ticket will be $119 and the higher tickets will be $199. Hotel prices have also risen. The cheapest hotels at Disney World now cost an average of $187 per night, according to Disney Magic Guides , a resource for planning trips to the parks.

In an earnings call this week , Disney’s leaders acknowledged that they’ve seen a slowdown at the parks and that, because of the economy, lower-income visitors are financially stressed, while higher-income guests are traveling internationally. And Disney is not alone: Tickets for Universal Studios in Florida and in California often cost as much as Disney tickets. In July, Comcast said Universal’s revenue fell by 11 percent in the prior quarter, with visitors turning to cruises and international travel.

In an email, a spokeswoman for Disney said the company is always trying to offer guests an array of tickets and experiences. To the company, and its most loyal fans, she said, the value of the experiences is worth the price.

“We are purposeful about creating more ticket and hotel price points than ever before to provide guests a variety of opportunities to visit our parks,” she said, adding that “a visit to a Disney theme park is a 10- to 16-hour experience with attractions, entertainment and more.”

Apps overload

For many guests, price isn’t the only hurdle. Visitors now have to navigate several new apps and tools if they want the best chance at getting on the most popular rides. In the past, they could get a free FastPass, which allowed them to go to the front of a line for a ride. In 2021, Disney replaced the FastPass with a digital feature called Genie+ that park goers had to pay for and that was supposed to make booking rides more efficient. Instead, it caused so much confusion that content creators started making videos that showed viewers how to “hack” the tool.

To get the best out of Genie+ guests had to buy the app early in the morning ( avid park-goers recommended doing so at 6 a.m.) and then, at 7 a.m., they would book rides for the day. They could only book more rides after they’d completed their first activity or two hours after making their first reservation. And they couldn’t choose what time they wanted to get on a ride — Genie+ would do it for them. Mr. Testa said all of this led to “Disney complexity fatigue.”

“ God forbid on your vacation, you want to go back to your hotel and take a nap,” Mr. Testa said. Others said having to always be on their phones took away from the experience of being on vacation.

Disney heard the complaints. In June, Genie+ became Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which makes it possible for people to reserve rides ahead of time, instead of on the day they are in the park. The new system, which starts at $30 a day, is an attempt at mixing Genie+ and FastPass, but only those willing to pay extra can use all the features. The Disney spokeswoman said that so far, guests are “very pleased” with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Reviews on social media show that it may be too soon to tell. On Reddit, reviewers lamented the different prices for Lightning Lane passes, with one person saying she “despised the process” of booking in the new system so much she felt like throwing her phone.

Jeremy Sonkin, a Chicago-based content creator who makes videos about theme parks, was at Disney World on the first day the new system was available. He said the new app is less confusing than Genie+, but it doesn’t feel like an upgrade.

“The idea and thought behind trying to bring back the ‘Fast Pass plus’ system is correct, but it’s not a level playing field and I can see this causing just as much, if not more, frustration from guests,” he said.

Greg Antonelle, the managing director of MickeyTravels , a travel agency that focuses on booking Disney trips, said his company is having a great year, with travelers looking to experience new rides like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure , which replaced the old Splash Mountain ride. He said that complaining about Disney is par for the course.

“We’ve been in business for 13 years and we’ve heard complaints about cost for 13 years,” Mr. Antonelle said. “It’s nothing new.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Tariro Mzezewa, a former national correspondent at The Times, is a reporter who writes about culture and style. More about Tariro Mzezewa

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Salzburg, Austria:  The compact Austrian city of medieval alleys, majestic Alpine views and just 150,000 residents bursts to life in the summer .

Southern Sardinia:  This overlooked island region of Italy, with its idyllic beaches and buzzing capital , is ready to share its essence.

Adirondacks :  New York’s Adirondack Park draws more than 12 million visitors each year. Here’s where to go to avoid the crowds .

Los Angeles:  The California city has one of the most diverse urban forests in the world and each neighborhood has its own characteristic plantings .

Nighttime Activities :  Travel adventures, from goat hikes to snorkeling , get even better when they’re done under the stars.

How to earn and use the Southwest Companion Pass

O ne of the most advantageous offerings in the travel industry is the Southwest Companion Pass . This pass grants you the privilege of bringing a companion along for free (excluding applicable taxes and fees) on an unlimited number of Southwest Airlines flights until the pass expires. For frequent Southwest flyers, this benefit alone can easily amount to thousands of dollars saved annually.

However, the question arises: How does one earn this highly coveted golden ticket? To obtain the pass, you must earn 135,000 qualifying points (or complete 100 one-way qualifying flights) within a calendar year. This achievement will grant you the pass for the remainder of the calendar year in which you earned it and the entirety of the following year. While earning such a substantial number of points may seem daunting, you can expedite the process by taking advantage of the welcome bonus offered by a Southwest cobranded credit card .

Let's delve into the steps to obtain the pass and explore how to maximize this incredible privilege once it is in your possession.

How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass

To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you have two options: Earn 135,000 qualifying points or complete 100 qualifying one-way flights within a calendar year.

You can earn qualifying points through various means, such as by flying with Southwest or engaging with its partners. The latter includes making purchases via the Southwest shopping portal, reserving hotels with Southwest partners and using a Southwest credit card for your everyday expenses.

Opting for a Southwest cobranded credit card is often the simplest way to earn the Companion Pass since it allows you to earn points effortlessly, and the welcome bonuses count toward the requirement as well. Additionally, holders of a Southwest cobranded credit card receive 10,000 qualifying points annually, effectively reducing the total requirement to 125,000 qualifying points per year.

Southwest offers various credit card promotions that facilitate earning the Companion Pass.

The following cobranded consumer credit cards are offering identical welcome offers: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within the first three months of account opening.

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Additionally, Southwest offers the following business cards, and you can earn up to 120,000 bonus points by meeting the tiered spending requirements.

• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card : Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and an additional 60,000 bonus points when you spend $15,000 in nine months.
• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card : Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and an additional 40,000 bonus points when you spend $15,000 in nine months.

These are the best offers we've seen on these cards . It's not often we see such high sign-up offers for Southwest credit cards, so jump on this deal if you've been considering getting a new business card.

If you aim to earn the Companion Pass — which you can snag for the remainder of 2024 and 2025 — be sure you meet the spending threshold before the end of the calendar year, as qualifying point totals to earn the lucrative pass restart on Jan. 1.

Related: I flew to Atlanta for the day to earn a 2-month Southwest Companion Pass — here's why (and how it went)

How to use the Southwest Companion Pass

Once you've earned a Companion Pass, Southwest makes it incredibly easy to use.

Step 1: Set up your Companion Pass

After earning the Companion Pass, Southwest will send you a congratulatory email within a few days to acknowledge your significant achievement. To track your progress in real time, log in to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com .

Upon receiving the email, click the provided links to set up your initial companion choice. You must provide your companion's complete name (matching their ID), birth date, email address and Rapid Rewards account number.

Alternatively, you have the option to designate your companion by calling Southwest. However, since the online selection process is straightforward, there is no need to contact the carrier by phone for this particular step.

Step 2: Confirm flight availability for your entire travel party

Now that you have chosen a companion, it's time to enjoy the exciting part: booking a flight where your companion can fly for free (excluding taxes and fees). But before you make a reservation, you must ensure there are enough available seats on the desired flight for your entire travel group. Adding a Companion Pass fare is only possible if a seat is available for purchase.

For instance, if you are a family of four planning to travel with one person using the Companion Pass, search for four seats on the Southwest website. It's important to note that all four seats need not be in the same fare category. If only three seats remain with Wanna Get Away fares but there are also Anytime and Business Select fares available (in addition to the cheaper fares), you can proceed with your booking.

Step 3: Book flights for everyone other than your companion

To use your Companion Pass, the next step is to make flight reservations for everyone in your travel group, excluding the companion. For instance, if you are a family of four with one adult holding the Companion Pass and the other adult being the companion, you should initially book tickets for the Companion Pass holder and the two kids. The companion's tickets should not be booked at this stage.

Most travelers will find it convenient to book flights online at Southwest.com. However, if desired, flights can also be booked over the phone with Southwest phone agents. You can pay for these flights with cash or Rapid Rewards points , as both methods are compatible with the Companion Pass.

If you choose to purchase these tickets with cash, remember to include the Rapid Rewards numbers of all travelers in your booking. There is no need to miss out on earning points, as even children can earn frequent flyer points on Southwest.

Step 4: Make your companion's flight booking

Once you have made flight reservations for all members of your travel group except your companion, it's time to secure a flight reservation for that individual. To ensure that you don't miss out on the ticket availability you confirmed in Step 1, it is crucial to book your companion as soon as possible. This is particularly significant for flights that tend to fill up quickly, such as during peak Christmas dates to and from peak travel destinations.

To proceed, the Companion Pass holder (the first adult in our example) should revisit the Southwest website and log in to their Rapid Rewards account. Access the "My Account" section located at the top of the homepage.

On the left-hand side of the screen, you'll see a section called "My upcoming trips." There, you should see the flight reservation you just made, along with any other upcoming trips with Southwest. If you have many flights reserved, you'll need to click the "See all trips" link for all your reservations to appear.

Underneath your flight details, you'll see a button that says "Add Companion." Click on it.

You'll find that the "Trip & Price Details" are already prefilled with the flight information and the cost of the taxes and fees. In this case, for a domestic one-way trip, that price is just $5.60 for your companion to fly.

Click "Continue" to go to the next page, which includes "Passenger & Payment Info." There, you will find your companion's name and identifying information filled in. With everything prefilled, there is very little chance of a booking mistake.

Finally, you'll be prompted to pay the applicable taxes and fees to secure the flight reservation for the companion. If you have a credit card already saved to your account profile, you can use that to expedite the process.

I have found that booking subsequent flights with a Companion Pass takes just a minute or two after you see how it works the first time. It's that simple.

Additional Southwest Companion Pass tips and tricks

Although using the Southwest Companion Pass is almost always easy, there are a few quirks.

You'll receive separate confirmation numbers

When you book flights for a group or family together, everyone will have the same confirmation number. However, with the Companion Pass, your companion will always be assigned a different Southwest confirmation number than the rest of the party. While this isn't a big deal, it can matter for the strategy surrounding Southwest's unique check-in policy.

When it's time to check in, having two reservation numbers can slow you down in the Southwest fastest-finger game to get a prime boarding position exactly 24 hours before your flight. I recommend having two devices ready to check you and your companion in simultaneously. If you check in one person first and then the other person next, you may lose out on some of the best boarding positions.

Related: Is Southwest EarlyBird Check-In worth it?

You must call to change companions

While you can change your companion three times in a calendar year, Southwest Companion Pass holders should know that this requires a phone call.

The fine print on Southwest's site says that it may take up to 21 business days for processing. In our experience, the companion is always changed nearly instantly. It will take a while for a new Companion Pass card to arrive in the mail for your new companion. Still, the change is usually implemented for online booking purposes within seconds.

Watch out for reservations close together with different companions

While you can change companions up to three times a year, you won't be able to change your companion until you've completed all travel with your current companion. If you have two trips close together with different companions, things can get a bit tricky.

For example, if you have a trip with your child on June 1 and another with your spouse on June 15, you won't be able to add your spouse as a companion to that second trip until after June 1. It is theoretically possible that the June 15 flight could sell out before June 1, leaving your spouse high and dry for the June 15 trip.

Although this situation doesn't arise often, it's an important consideration if you are planning to travel during peak times and/or on popular routes. If a flight does sell out, you may find yourself in the position of having to book a new flight for yourself at a higher price to find an itinerary with space for your companion.

Related: 15 lessons from 15 years of having the Southwest Companion Pass

Bottom line

Using the Southwest Companion Pass is a breeze, and bonuses on Southwest credit cards make it quite simple to earn. Plus, with the elevated business card welcome bonus, snagging a Companion Pass for the remainder of 2024 and 2025 is within reach as long as you can hit the spending requirements before Jan. 1.

Overall, the Southwest Companion Pass is the perfect way to travel more often without breaking the bank.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.