Latest news with #DaveDavies
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Spirit Airlines just added several new ‘comfy' benefits for travelers
You may not recognize Spirit Airlines. The Broward-based carrier is introducing four extra inches of legroom to an enhanced premium section and new loyalty program benefits, including upgrades. Yes, the same discount airline with bright yellow colors that travelers love to hate, is making it a bit more comfortable and fun to fly. On Tuesday, Spirit announced that it would 're-imagine' its Go Comfy section, turning it into a more traditional premium option, a sign that it intends to compete with bigger airlines. Spirit says it will reconfigure seating to carve out more legroom. The work will start in June and the majority of airplanes will be finished by July, with the remainder done in 2026. Travelers can start booking extra-legroom seats starting May 15, 2025, for travel beginning July 9, the airline said. Other amenities include preferred seating and a free carry-on bag. Route expansions Spirit also said it will offer nonstop flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Savannah, Georgia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Columbia, South Carolina. That's important for FLL because Spirit is the top airline at the Broward airport. In March, Spirit accounted for 2.5 million passengers at FLL. While that marked a 12% decline from March 2024, it was by far the top airline with a 28% market share. JetBlue was second with 19%. The moves are the most significant since the airline named a new president and CEO, Dave Davies, who took over on April 21. He replaced longtime President and CEO Ted Christie, who resigned April 7 after successfully leading the company through restructuring. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved the carrier's plan to continue operating as a business, and cleared bankruptcy shortly after. Davis came from Sun Country Airlines, where he was president and chief financial officer and a member of its board of directors since December 2019. He was credited with helping make it one of the most profitable airlines in the U.S., outperforming Spirit and Frontier. His team at Spirit is wasting no time making changes. 'Spirit's new premium options offer travelers' exceptional value, and we're creating even more opportunities for guests to experience them,' Rana Ghosh, senior vice president and chief commercial officer at Spirit Airlines, said in a statement. 'We're also adding more value and perks for our loyalty members at a time when others are taking away benefits.' Here's a breakdown of the new amenities and benefits: New comforts in Spirit's Go Comfy ▪ Preferred seating includes seven rows near the front of the aircraft and more than 40 seats ▪ In those seats, an extra 4 inches of legroom giving a total of 32 inches ▪ Free carry-on-bag ▪ No change or cancel fees ▪ Priority boarding ▪ Reserved overhead bin space ▪ Snack and non-alcoholic beverage New benefits to Free Spirit loyalty program members and Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard holders ▪ Increased options for redemption including using Free Spirit point for Go Big and Go Comfy ▪ Complimentary upgrades for Free Spirit status members and Free Spirit credit card holders to a Big Front seat and Comfy Seat at boarding, based on availability, extending to one guest on the member's reservation; starting in June ▪ New two free checked bags benefit for Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard holders; to start later in 2025, unspecified month ▪ New Free Spirit debit card will launch this fall; 'will allow anyone to earn Free Spirit points on their everyday spending and redeem those points for travel ... while receiving Group 2 Priority Boarding and a 25% rebate on in-flight purchases' Spirit also said that travelers who earn Free Spirit Gold and Silver Status will continue to enjoy all existing benefits including Shortcut Security and seat selection with no increase in the requirements to earn status for the 2025 program year. Guests with Gold Status will also continue to enjoy free bags, Wi-Fi (subject to availability), complimentary snacks and drinks, including alcohol on eligible flights. More information For more details on the new benefits or information on how to join the loyalty program, go to Spirit's website at
Axios
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
New Kinks musical lights up Chicago Shakespeare stage
Chicago Shakespeare Theater's new show strays a bit from what theatergoers may expect. The big picture: "Sunny Afternoon" tells the story of The Kinks, from brothers Ray and Dave Davies working class roots in England to the toll fame took on them and their band. At two hours and 40 minutes, the ensemble, donning English mod costumes and treating the entire theater as a dance hall as they move throughout the audience, belt out more than 25 songs from The Kinks' deep catalog. Zoom in: Ray Davies was very involved in the U.K. premiere of "Sunny Afternoon" in 2014. "He would speak about the character of Ray in the third person, I think, to help him deal with the emotional experience of dramatizing some of the harder moments in his life," director Edward Hall tells Axios. "He also worked to help us ensure that all the instruments and equipment used in the production are authentic and exactly what they used at the time." Fun fact: The Kinks' music stands out from some of their fellow British Invasion peers for a harder, louder sound, but also their musical influence on a range of artists. "I was stunned by the musicians who came to see the show in London because of their love and admiration for The Kinks — Brian May from Queen, the Gallagher brothers from Oasis, Brian Johnson from AC/DC, and all the members of Fleetwood Mac. They all spoke about the influence of The Kinks on their own work," Hall says.
