Delta Loyalty Concerns, Southwest’s New Seats, Norwegian Viva Dining, and a $5 Million Pool Deck Lawsuit – Weekly Recap

A few things worth knowing this week: René lays out exactly why a near-two-million-miler is done with Delta for the foreseeable future, we got a first-hand look at Southwest’s new Extra Legroom seats (spoiler: better than Delta Comfort+), René ran through specialty dining on the Norwegian Viva, a big business card welcome offer is down to its final days, and Saturday’s news roundup delivered a Carnival lawsuit that will make you reconsider your poolside footwear. Busy week.

The post getting the most attention: René’s candid breakdown of why he’s unlikely to fly Delta again for nearly two years. When someone who’s more than halfway to two million miles with an airline essentially says “I’ll pass,” that’s worth reading. The three reasons — loyalty gutted, SkyMiles hollowed out, reliability no longer a differentiator — aren’t new complaints, but hearing them laid out this plainly from someone this invested in the program carries weight. The comment section is already worth a look.

On a more pleasant note: Chris put Southwest’s Extra Legroom seats through their paces on a handful of BUR-OAK and BUR-DEN flights. As a 6’1″ guy who’s spent plenty of time in Delta Comfort+, his verdict is that Southwest’s offering has more room — plus free pistachios and a complimentary drink thrown in. He also walks through all the ways to snag the seats without paying the walk-up rate, which can get genuinely painful. The full first-hand review is here.

René continued his Norwegian Viva series with a full look at the ship’s specialty dining options — Cagney’s, Tepanyaki, Le Bistro, and Onda. The verdict: better than the complimentary restaurants in most cases, but he’d never pay $40-$60 per person (plus the 18% gratuity NCL tacks on even for “included” visits) out of pocket for any of them. If your package includes the visits, use them. If not, you won’t go hungry sticking to the free options.

Time-sensitive: a business travel card’s debut welcome offer — up to 150,000 bonus miles — expires June 8. The card carries a $95 annual fee that’s easy to offset with $50 in travel credits and $50 in advertising/software statement credits — so you’re technically coming out ahead before you earn a mile. Worth a look if you’re a small business owner. (And as Chris points out, that category is broader than most people think.)

Finally, Saturday’s news roundup: TSA is rolling out a privatized airport security program called Gold+, a Carnival passenger is suing for $5 million after suffering second-degree burns from 20 barefoot steps across a hot pool deck, and more. The pool deck lawsuit is exactly as wild as it sounds. Catch the full roundup here.

In case you missed them:

• I Am Unlikely to Fly Delta Again for Almost Two Years – How Things Have Changed!
• Are Southwest’s Extra Legroom Seats Worth It? My First Flights
• Norwegian Viva Specialty Dining Review – Should You Pay to Enjoy “Better” Meals?
• Ending Soon: Earn Up to 150,000 Bonus Miles
• TSA Is Privatizing Airport Security With a Program Called Gold+, Carnival Passenger Sues for $5 Million After 20 Barefoot Steps Across a Pool Deck Cause Second-Degree Burns, and More Travel News!