Latest news with #RanaGhosh
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spirit Airlines introduces new seats and ‘comfy' perks in bid for premium passengers
Spirit Airlines will be offering new incentives, including improved seats, in an attempt to lure travelers. The airline's newly announced options offer customers access to seats with extra legroom and a slew of accompanying perks. Spirit previously offered more space to passengers through a 'Go Comfy' option, which blocked off a middle seat in a row of three seats. According to the press release, this option will soon be phased out and replaced with seats with extra legroom. The flight package also includes a carry-on bag, no change or cancel fees, priority boarding, reserved overhead bin space, a snack, and a non-alcoholic beverage in addition to the larger seat. Seven rows toward the front of the plane, totaling more than 40 seats, will have 32 inches of space rather than the customary 28. The new 'Go Comfy' plan will be available for booking Thursday, and travelers will able to start flying in those seats July 9. 'Spirit's new premium options offer travelers exceptional value, and we're creating even more opportunities for Guests to experience them with our new extra-legroom seating option,' Rana Ghosh, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Spirit Airlines, said in a press release. 'We're also adding more value and perks for our loyalty members at a time when others are taking away benefits, giving our most loyal Guests even more reasons to choose Spirit.' Later this year, Spirit will be introducing its two free checked bags policy in collaboration with Bank of America. This will only be available to Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard Cardholders. Other updates to the Spirit Loyalty program include free upgrades to Free Spirit status members and cobranded credit card holders, and points redemption for travel options such as Go Comfy. News of the airline's upgraded perks comes a few weeks after the company emerged from bankruptcy protection. The budget airline said in March that its parent, Spirit Aviation Holdings, exited Chapter 11 after finalizing debt restructuring. The reorganization plan, which received the court's green light in February, aimed to bring the carrier back to profitability and boost resources to compete with rivals. 'We're emerging as a stronger and more focused airline,' CEO Ted Christie, who will continue to lead Spirit post-bankruptcy, said in a statement at the time. The restructuring deal allowed Spirit to convert $795 million of its debt into equity. The company said it also received a $350 million equity investment from existing investors to aid future operations. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Spirit Airlines introduces new seats and ‘comfy' perks in bid for premium passengers
Spirit Airlines will be offering new incentives, including improved seats, in an attempt to lure travelers. The airline's newly announced options offer customers access to seats with extra legroom and a slew of accompanying perks. Spirit previously offered more space to passengers through a 'Go Comfy' option, which blocked off a middle seat in a row of three seats. According to the press release, this option will soon be phased out and replaced with seats with extra legroom. The flight package also includes a carry-on bag, no change or cancel fees, priority boarding, reserved overhead bin space, a snack, and a non-alcoholic beverage in addition to the larger seat. Seven rows toward the front of the plane, totaling more than 40 seats, will have 32 inches of space rather than the customary 28. The new 'Go Comfy' plan will be available for booking Thursday, and travelers will able to start flying in those seats July 9. 'Spirit's new premium options offer travelers exceptional value, and we're creating even more opportunities for Guests to experience them with our new extra-legroom seating option,' Rana Ghosh, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Spirit Airlines, said in a press release. 'We're also adding more value and perks for our loyalty members at a time when others are taking away benefits, giving our most loyal Guests even more reasons to choose Spirit.' Later this year, Spirit will be introducing its two free checked bags policy in collaboration with Bank of America. This will only be available to Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard Cardholders. Other updates to the Spirit Loyalty program include free upgrades to Free Spirit status members and cobranded credit card holders, and points redemption for travel options such as Go Comfy. News of the airline's upgraded perks comes a few weeks after the company emerged from bankruptcy protection. The budget airline said in March that its parent, Spirit Aviation Holdings, exited Chapter 11 after finalizing debt restructuring. The reorganization plan, which received the court's green light in February, aimed to bring the carrier back to profitability and boost resources to compete with rivals. 'We're emerging as a stronger and more focused airline,' CEO Ted Christie, who will continue to lead Spirit post-bankruptcy, said in a statement at the time. The restructuring deal allowed Spirit to convert $795 million of its debt into equity. The company said it also received a $350 million equity investment from existing investors to aid future operations.
New York Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Spirit Airlines to introduce new seats, other ‘comfy' benefits for travelers
Spirit Airlines is going from budget to bougie. The cut-price carrier announced Tuesday that it will offer new premium perks for travelers, including an extra-legroom option and a policy allowing two free checked bags for cardholders. The announcement comes after the budget airline filed for bankruptcy protection in March after undergoing a financial restructuring plan. Advertisement 'Spirit's new premium options offer travelers exceptional value, and we're creating even more opportunities for Guests to experience them with our new extra-legroom seating option,' 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, giving our most loyal Guests even more reasons to choose Spirit.' Extra legroom 4 Spirit Airlines new extra-legroom option will be available in most plans by July. Spirit Airlines Advertisement Spirit said that the new seating will be installed starting in June and roll out across the majority of the airline's planes by July. The extra-legroom seating will feature seven rows toward the front of the plane, totaling more than 40 seats, which will have 32 inches of space rather than the regular 28. The remaining seat installations are expected to be completed in 2026. Spirit's 'Go Comfy' offer, which blocked off a middle seat in an endeavor to offer more space to travelers, will be phased out and replaced with the extra-legroom booking option. Extra-legroom seats will be available for booking beginning May 15, 2025, and flyers will be able to travel in these seats starting July 9, 2025. Advertisement Also included in this premium option is a carry-on bag, no change or cancel fees, priority boarding, reserved overhead bin space, a snack and a non-alcoholic beverage. Two free checked bags 4 Spirit will now allow cardholders to have two free checked bags. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo The two-free-checked-bags policy will roll out later this year and will be offered in collaboration with Bank of America, only for Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard Cardholders. Spirit said that more details on this new perk are to be announced at a later date. Advertisement Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines received harsh backlash from loyal travelers after nixing their 'two bags fly free' policy. Free upgrades 4 Free Spirit status members will have the option to upgrade at boarding. Spirit Airlines Spirit will also start offering free upgrades in June to Free Spirit status members and cobranded credit card holders. These guests can snag complimentary upgrades to a Big Front Seat and Comfy Seat at boarding, based on availability and status level. The airline will prioritize Free Spirit Gold members, Free Spirit Silver members, and Free Spirit credit card holders. Benefits of the upgrade will be extended to one traveler on the reservation beginning in June. Upgrades will only be available at boarding for now, but Ghosh told The Points Guy that the airline is 'in active discussion around what upgrades should look like as we go forward.' More Free Spirit Loyalty Program changes 4 Spirit Airlines will offer new premium options for travelers. Spirit Airlines Spirit will now offer points redemptions for all four travel options, including premium options such as Go Big and Go Comfy. Advertisement The airline said it 'plans to add even more exciting redemptions' in the coming months, such as personalized experiences and elevated perks. Spirit is also launching a points-earning debit card this fall. The new Free Spirit Debit Card will allow travelers to earn points on everyday spending and redeem them for travel. The card will allow passengers to receive Group 2 Priority Boarding, plus a 25% rebate on in-flight purchases.
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Spirit Airlines announces extra legroom seats will be available starting this summer
Spirit Airlines announces extra legroom seats will be available starting this summer Show Caption Hide Caption Spirit Airlines comes out of bankruptcy protection Spirit Airlines announced plans to rebrand as a premium airline after emerging from bankruptcy protection. Cheddar Spirit Airlines is introducing extra legroom seats with 32-inch pitch, available for purchase this month and rolling out on most flights by July 2025. The updated Go Comfy fare will include extra legroom instead of a blocked middle seat, along with other perks like carry-on bag, priority boarding, and snacks. Spirit's loyalty program is also getting revamped, with perks like complimentary upgrades to Go Comfy and Big Front Seats for elite members, based on availability. Spirit Airlines unveiled plans for new extra legroom seats, which it expects to have available across most of its fleet by the middle of this summer. "Spirit's new premium options offer travelers exceptional value, and we're creating even more opportunities for guests to experience them with our new extra-legroom seating option," 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, giving our most loyal guests even more reasons to choose Spirit." The new seats are on sale this month and will begin flying on some routes in June. Here's what travelers need to know. Spirit Airlines' extra legroom seats Spirit updated the way its Go Comfy fare bundle worked. Previously, that premium fare guaranteed a blocked middle seat in standard legroom rows, but now Go Comfy will come with extra legroom instead. Spirit Airlines typically has seats at 28-inch pitch, but Go Comfy rows will be arranged with 32-inch pitch instead. "The new preferred seating will include seven rows near the front of the aircraft and more than 40 seats. The extra-legroom seating will be installed beginning June 2025 and roll out across the majority of the fleet by July 2025," the airline said in a statement. As the extra legroom rows are introduced, Spirit will stop blocking middle seats for Go Comfy ticketholders. Go Comfy fares will still include a carry-on bag, no change or cancellation fees, priority boarding, reserved overhead bin space, a snack, and a non-alcoholic beverage. The first flights with extra legroom rows will begin on July 9. Spirit Airlines loyalty program updates Spirit also announced updates to its loyalty program on Tuesday, including complimentary upgrades to Go Comfy and Big Front seats for elite status holders, based on availability. The airline also expanded options for redeeming its loyalty points and announced a free checked bag perk with its co-branded MasterCard. Full details of the loyalty program and seating updates are available on the airline's website. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Best places for Spring break 2025: 3 of top 5 airlines' searched destinations in Florida
What are the top spring break destinations in the U.S. this year? It's too early to tell yet, but Spirit Airlines took a look at which spring destinations their customers were searching for and Florida is still a top destination, with three of the top five in the Sunshine State. "We know many travelers are locking in their first vacation of the year, and it's clear they're after warmer weather and major entertainment options with Florida, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico topping the list for our Guests' most searched spring break destinations," said Rana Ghosh, Senior vice president and chief transformation officer at Spirit Airlines. Orlando (MCO) Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS) Miami (MIA) San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) Pensacola might rise to the list soon. Spirit Airlines announced in January that the company would be expanding its nonstop flight offerings for spring break. The new flights are: Nashville International Airport BNA-PNS: March 6 - 18, 4x weekly (new service) Dallas Fort Worth International Airport DFW-PNS: March 5 – 17, 4x weekly (resuming service) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport DTW-PNS: March 20 – April 8, 4x weekly (new service) Chicago O'Hare International Airport ORD-PNS: March 20 – April 8, 3x weekly (new service) Also in March, there will be a new nonstop flight between Fort Myers and Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte Douglas International Airport CLT-PNS: Starting March 5, 2025, daily service Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2024 after a lengthy period of losses, failed merger attempts and debt maturities. Spirit previously announced pilot furloughs and capacity cuts, and the company was heavily impacted by engine problems that grounded many Airbus A320s across multiple airlines. However, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved all of the airliner's "first day" relief requests to allow the company to keep paying employees, vendors and partners and to continue its flights as the airline restructures its debts. A recent run of disastrous plane incidents — a midair collision in Washington, D.C. between a passenger plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that left 67 dead; a medical Learjet crashing in Philadelphia that killed all six people on board and one person on the ground; a U.S. military service member and three contractors were killed in a plane crash in the Philippines; more than 100 passengers evacuated when the wing of a United Airlines plane still on the runway caught fire; a plane owned by Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil crashed into a business jet, killing one and injuring four others — have many travelers concerned about the safety of their flights. But flying remains the safest form of transportation, statistically, especially on U.S. commercial airlines. 'Transportation incidents for all modes claimed 44,546 lives in 2022, of which all but 2,032 involved highway motor vehicles. Preliminary estimates for 2023 suggest a further decline in fatalities,' the 2024 Transportation Statistics Report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics said. 'There were no deaths from crashes on large commercial airlines in 2023, but several hundred deaths occurred in crashes in general aviation, commuter air, and air taxi services.' This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Spring break 2025 Spirit Airlines searches have Florida cities at top
