Spirit Airlines, recognized for influencing cost-effective travel and reworking the market, has filed for bankruptcy protection amid consecutive years of losses, a failed merger, growing competition and changing customer demands.

This week, the airline announced that an “orderly” petition has been filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York as a part of a “restructuring support agreement” as a part of the statement. Spirit says that while the corporate is working to restructure its debt, it should proceed operations through the holiday season and into 2025.

“Spirit expects to continue its operations in the normal course throughout the planned and streamlined Chapter 11 (bankruptcy) process,” the airline said in an announcement. “Guests can continue to book and fly without interruption and use all tickets, points and loyalty points as normal.”

Additionally, the brand new filing won’t impact worker salaries and advantages.

While this term may sound scary, Spirit isn’t the one US airline to declare bankruptcy. Major competitors corresponding to American Airlines, United and Delta Airlines have filed for bankruptcy over the past 25 years. Just as other carriers have emerged stronger since filing for bankruptcy, Spirit President and CEO Ted Christie hopes to do the identical. The airline’s CEO asserts that restocking the airline and negotiating with creditors will allow Spirit to enter the brand new yr with less debt and greater financial flexibility, which can position “Spirit for long-term success and accelerate investment, providing guests with a better travel experience and greater value.” .

In open letter to Spirit gueststhe corporate assured travelers of what was to come back.

“We’re still flying, so no need for FOMO! You can continue to rely on Spirit for great quality and excellent service,” the airline wrote on Xwith a link to the open letter that read: “The most important thing to know is that you (customers) can continue to book and fly now and in the future. We also want to assure you that you can use all tickets, credits and loyalty points as normal. You can continue to take advantage of our Free Spirit loyalty program, Saver$ Club bonuses and credit card terms and conditions. Our amazing team members are here to offer you excellent service and an exceptional experience. We expect to complete this process in the first quarter of 2025 and be even better positioned to deliver the best value in the sky.”

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Building on the success of the primary and only Black travel booking and review platform, Green Book Global is expanding its services with the brand new Road Trip Planner app feature.

WITH Global Green Paper already recognized as a contemporary interactive guide for black travelers, the corporate has now added a feature to help plan safer and more enjoyable trips across the US. Launched on a redesigned mobile app (available on iOS and Android) and accessible via an internet app, this recent Road Trip Planner tool is powered by community insights and data.

“Our mission has always been to provide Black travelers with information that fosters a safer and more inclusive travel environment,” Lawrence Phillips, founder and CEO of Green Book Global, he said . “With Road Trip Planner, we turn our community’s collective experience into a robust tool that maps the most effective routes and areas to avoid based on historical and up to date data.

“It’s greater than only a planning tool. This is a brand new level of safety for our community,” he added.

Named after , which provided travel suggestions for African Americans traveling in Jim Crow America from 1936 to 1966, Green Book Global is a contemporary app and interactive guide designed to help Black travelers within the twenty first century. Using hundreds of reviews generated by Black users, the app will help users plan safer trips by identifying optimal routes and avoiding areas known to be inhospitable or potentially dangerous.

“Our goal is to provide information so that Black travelers can make a very personal decision about where they want to go,” Phillips said.

According to Green Book Global, the friendliest U.S. destinations for black travelers include Atlanta, Houston, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte and Chicago. The platform also offers a world destination search tool, with recommendations for various destinations similar to Kenya, Slovenia and Argentina.

Phillips points out that the brand new Planner tool allows drivers to select the “Avoid City” option to avoid cities at sunset and robotically re-route them.

“Our community rates cities on a five-star scale for traveling as a black person, and cities receive an overall rating,” he explains. “Green means the safest and friendliest destination, yellow means average and red means needs improvement. The color red signifies a city where black travelers generally didn’t feel protected or welcome, and should even signify a former sunset city.

The study also revealed some unexpected findings about cities which may be predominantly white but have small but powerful black populations.

“Portland, Maine was a big surprise,” Phillips says. “Although Maine is one of the whitest states in America, with a Black population of almost 2%, the city of Portland is almost 10% Black. It was amazing. Delicious food, lots of attractions and a nice atmosphere.”

New York Mayor Eric Adams is was met with a pointy response from the hotel and catering industry after signing the controversial Safe Hotels Act, reports.

The laws requires hotels in the city’s five boroughs to acquire business licenses. Also often called “Introduction. 0991”, the law opens up space for more stringent safety, staffing, cleansing and licensing standards to make sure the protection of employees and visitors.

“Our top priority from day one has been keeping people safe, and that includes protecting employees and tourists at our city’s hotels,” Adams said. “That’s why we’re expanding protections for the working-class New Yorkers who run our hotels and the guests who use them. The Safe Hotels Act ensures our hotels are safe, healthy and clean so the tourism industry can thrive and create jobs. This is a victory for working people, the tourism and hospitality industry, and all New Yorkers.”

The bill, sponsored by City Council member Julie Menin, was amended twice before it was passed and drew criticism from industry groups including the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and the American Hotel and Lodging Association. AAHOA President Miraj Patel says the recent law sheds light on issues that actually concern hoteliers.

“While we acknowledge the passage of the Safe Hotels Act and its attempt to accommodate smaller properties, this change still fails to address our broader concerns,” Patel said. “Hoteliers of all sizes deserve flexibility in managing their operations. The unintended consequences of the bill will disproportionately impact minority-owned businesses, stifling entrepreneurship and innovation in the hospitality industry.”

With nearly 800 hotels in municipalities, all will now should be licensed by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), in accordance with . As crime increases in the city, hotels will likely be required to employ front desk and housekeeping staff over contract employees, in addition to have emergency buttons for workers in case of dangerous situations.

Under the DCWP, 45,000 businesses in New York are licensed, excluding hotels. Menin, a former DCWP commissioner, said it’s one among the few industries without regulation.

“There are many cases where hotel workers, mostly women, experience real sexual violence,” Menin said. “It also protects guests because ultimately we don’t want guests to come to our great city and have an experience in one of these crappy hotels… This is important because it’s a public safety issue. There have been 39 murders in hotels in recent years.”

Thirty-four of the council’s 51 members signed the bill, but the industry says the recent regulations will result in job losses and room rate increases, leading to an absence of tourists visiting the Big Apple.

“Hotels are now safe,” said New York Hotel Association President and CEO Vijay Dandapani. “New York has the best, cleanest and safest hotels in the country, if not the world. It’s an innovation center. We are the center of ideas. So to say that our hotels are not safe is a travesty.”

Over the past five years, the New York Police Department has filed greater than 14,000 complaints about crimes committed at hotels and motels.