Spirit Airlines abandons low-cost strategy with new bundles
Also: A proposed rule requires airlines to allow fee-free family seating.
August 9, 2024 at 12:50PM
Spirit Airlines is moving away from its history as a fee-happy budget airline and will start selling tickets that include some of its most popular extras in bundles. The top ticket will be a “Go Big” package with priority check-in, a roomier seat, snacks and drinks, a checked bag, a carry-on bag and Wi-Fi. CEO Ted Christie said the changes are “taking low-fare travel to new heights.” They also indicate the deep trouble with Spirit’s business model. The airline hasn’t made a full-year profit since 2019. Delta and United now sell bare-bones “basic economy” fares that compete with Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant for travelers on tight budgets. When Frontier Airlines dropped flight-change and cancellation fees this spring, Spirit quickly copied the move.
Associated Press
Family seating rule
A handful of domestic airlines, such as JetBlue, American and Alaska, guarantee that parents can sit next to their children. But on the others, parents are left to pay for more expensive assigned seats or to bank on the goodwill of strangers. The Transportation Department is directly taking aim with a rule proposed Aug. 1. It would be free for children age 13 and younger to sit next to at least one parent or accompanying adult. And airlines would need to disclose this policy upfront on online platforms and when travelers call customer service to research or book a fare. The rule will now go through a public comment period, which generally lasts three months, before becoming final.
New York Times
New heritage sites
UNESCO has brought the total of new World Heritage Sites up to 24 this year, with new additions like Rome’s beloved Via Appia and the fairytale-esque Schwerin Residence Ensemble in Germany. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage Site list comprises over 1,220 natural, historic and cultural sites across the globe, ranging from critically important ecosystems to architectural wonders that are found nowhere else. The 24 new World Heritage Sites also include the Beijing Central Axis in China, the Cultural Landscape of Kenozero Lake in Russia, the Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites of South Africa and the Sado Island Gold Mines in Japan.
TravelPulse
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