Business
Spirit Airlines cancels 261 flights leaving Travelers Totally Outraged
…Canceled 261 flights Monday, on top of 165 canceled flights Sunday. Flight delays are also an issue, with 100 so far Monday and 342 on Sunday.
The summer of major flight woes continues, leaving Spirit Airlines passengers the latest to be stranded.
The Florida-based budget carrier canceled 261 flights Monday, or 34% of its scheduled flights, on top of 165 canceled flights Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Flight delays are also an issue, with 100 so far Monday and 342 on Sunday.
Passengers reported waiting hours in line for refunds and other customer service help at airports in cities including Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Some stranded travelers camped out.
“It looked like a hurricane shelter,” passenger Rebecca Osborn said of Spirit’s counters at Orlando International Airport.
Spirit Airlines spokesman Erik Hofmeyer blamed the flight cancellations on weather and unspecified operational challenges, a common refrain from airlines including Southwest and American this summer.
“We’re working around the clock to get back on track in the wake of some travel disruptions over the weekend due to a series of weather and operational challenges,” he said via email. “We needed to make proactive cancellations to some flights across the network, but the majority of flights are still scheduled as planned.”
Travelers with Spirit flights are urged to check their email and flight status before heading to the airport. McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, where Spirit has been growing, issued an alert via Twitter Monday.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents Spirit’s flight attendants, said in a statement that the operational issues were due to weather and technology outages, among other issues.
What is was not about, the union said: a worker strike, as some have speculated.
“A few news outlets have incorrectly reported that this may be due to a strike. This is not true. There is no flight attendant strike. Crews are not the issue,” the union said.
Delay, delay, delay and then a Spirit flight cancellation
Osborn and her boyfriend, Eddie Gordon, were trying to get home to Philadelphia after a vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They arrived at the airport around 2 p.m. Sunday for their 5:30 p.m. flight and were greeted with a long flight delay. Then another delay. And another.
“First, they said it was weather, then they said we don’t have enough staff,” Gordon said.
At midnight, the flight was canceled, and passengers from that flight and others were sent to a chaotic baggage claim area to retrieve their bags.
Gordon wanted a refund for the flight rather than to be rebooked on another Spirit flight and was told the only way to do that was to get in line. He got in the already-snaking line just after midnight.
“There were people everywhere: little kids, old people,” Gordon said. “They never came out and gave any type of explanation or offered anything.”
Gordon said he didn’t emerge from the line until 9:30 a.m. EDT Monday.
Story continues below.
@SpiritAirlines Chaos at Orlando Airport, Hundreds of passengers stranded and no help from Spirit Staff pic.twitter.com/O5qc3a3p5H
— Rosemary R (@Rosemary1727) July 31, 2021
Their refund amount was written on a yellow sticky note attached to one of their boarding passes, but they did not receive email confirmation. They bought tickets on Southwest to fly to Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Hofmeyer said he doesn’t know the specifics of Gordon and Osborn’s overnight experience but said it seemed “out of the ordinary.” Spirit has a variety of ways for travelers to reach the airline, including its reservations center, WhatsApp and text, he said.
Osborn and Gordon said they tried text and phone and were greeted with long waits or, in the case of the text option, no option to select a refund.
Hofmeyer said Spirit is adding a chat function on its website to handle flight changes, credits and refunds and said it would be in operation Monday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spirit Airlines flights: More than 400 canceled Sunday, Monday
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Just weeks after Amazon dialed back on DEI policies, the company quietly removed protections for both Black and LGBTQ+ employees, Advocate reports.
Policies, including “solidarity” pledges for Black employees and healthcare benefits for transgender workers, were removed from the company’s public website. As the company once stood in “solidarity” with its African American workers, the retail giant removed a section titled “Equity for Black people” that detailed support of “legislation to combat misconduct and racial bias in policing, efforts to protect and expand voting rights, and initiatives that provide better health and educational outcomes for Black people.”
Amazon also removed an outline of the gender-affirming care benefits provided to employees under its healthcare plan. The policy once said it was “based on the Standards of Care published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH),” along with a pledge stating the company was “working at the U.S. federal and state level on legislation” to assist with building anti-discrimination protections for transgender people.
Another page, once titled “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” now reads “Inclusive Experiences and Technology.” Once promising to “advance DEI through technology,” Amazon replaced the verbiage with a vow to “advance the employee experience.”
The removal dismayed many employees who were concerned about what their healthcare would look like. While the company claims the benefits are still in place, employees are still worried. “I’m a bit worried … if that will impact insurance coverage in the future,” one employee said via text message. Another employee highlighted how Amazon’s changes were “a bit of a backward step” from previously stated supportive actions, according to the Washington Post. Spokesperson Kelly Nantel defended the company’s moves, claiming, “We update this page from time to time to ensure that it reflects updates we’ve made to various programs and positions.”
The company feels employees shouldn’t be too taken aback by the changes, highlighting a memo from December 2024 where Vice President Candi Castleberry announced some DEI initiatives would be pushed back under the leadership of Founder Jeff Bezos.
Following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling to overturn affirmative action in college admissions, major corporations pushed back or eliminated their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Ford Motor Co., Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, and Tractor Supply Co. succumbed to the conservative outcry, calling on them to pull back on support for misrepresented demographics, including Black and LGBTQ+ employees.
In early January 2025, McDonald’s, known for avidly supporting Black initiatives and HBCUs, scaled back on its diversity goals. This was followed by Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, which confirmed that its employee DEI programs were being dismantled.
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Business
Global Cyber Security Expert, Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola bags Most Outstanding Personality of the Year Award
Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola has been recognized as the Outstanding Personality of the Year in Technology at the prestigious 4th Edition of the South West Advancement Award and Investment Summit. Professor Ademola is a Nigerian Cyber Security and Information Technology Management Professor and a Chartered Fellow of the Royal Chartered Management Institute.
This incredible achievement was celebrated at an exquisite event held on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 5 pm at the esteemed Oriental Hotel in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. The event brought together esteemed technocrat political leaders and prominent personalities from diverse sectors, creating an exceptional gathering of influential figures.
The annual award ceremony is dedicated to acknowledging individuals for their remarkable contributions, with a special focus on those making significant impacts within the South West region of Nigeria. The esteemed recognition is a testament to Professor Ademola’s dedication and expertise in advancing technology, especially in Africa and Europe, particularly notable for his influential work in the United Kingdom.
Dr Smith Raymond, the Director General of The Institute for Enterprise Management and Analytics, commended Professor Ademola for this well-deserved award, acknowledging the professor’s unwavering commitment to technological progress. He emphasized the importance of Professor Ademola’s work. He encouraged him to continue his outstanding efforts, highlighting that this honor is a motivating call to action in further driving innovation.
In Professor Ademola’s absence at the event, his representation by S.A. on Media, Babatunde Adekanmbi, conveyed the professor’s heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the nomination and award. It was seen as an inspiration for Professor Ademola to continue his impactful work in technology.
The event was graced by an array of distinguished personalities, including Dr. Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Dele Momodu, the Chairman of Ovation Media Group, and His Imperial Majesty Oba Ogunwusi, the revered Ooni of Ife, alongside various other notable dignitaries. The gathering highlighted the significance of Professor Ademola’s contributions and celebrated the collective achievements in advancing technology and innovation within the region
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Africa
Could South Africa be the first-ever country to provide a no-strings-attached universal basic income?
South Africa suffers from severe income inequality — one of the worst anywhere in the world. Its unemployment rate, meanwhile, is over 30%.
But its government thinks it has a solution: a universal basic income .
The idea has broad political support and the country’s largest political party, the African National Congress, said recently it is committed to implementing a universal basic income within two years.
Once the figment of ideological dreamers, a universal basic income — regular direct cash payments to a population with no strings attached — has grown in legitimacy, especially after the success of COVID-era stimulus checks. Tech visionaries racing to develop ever-more advanced artificial intelligence have also suggested implementing a universal basic income. They say it would help mitigate the job losses from AI .
Several other countries have experimented with versions of a universal basic income. Kenya, for instance, offers unconditional payments to about 20,000 people in 200 different towns.
In the United States, numerous cities and some states are experimenting on a small scale with guaranteed basic incomes , which offer no-strings-attached payments but only to select groups of people in need. While studies have shown these American programs to be successful, they have also run up against significant political opposition .
But in South Africa, most political parties are all for it. They just need to work out the details.
“The ANC is committed to finalizing a comprehensive policy on the basic income support grant within two years of the new ANC administration, ensuring broad consultation and expedited action,” South Africa’s ruling party said in a statement .
That statement came a week before hotly contested general elections on May 29, which saw the ANC lose its majority in parliament. The ANC is now working to form a unity government and a commitment to implementing a universal basic income will almost certainly come up in negotiations.
According to the party, a study at the University of Johannesburg showed that a majority of South African citizens “fully support the introduction of a basic income support grant.”
While South Africa provides payments to certain groups living below the poverty line through its Social Relief Distress grant program, the ANC plan would open eligibility to all South African adults, the Guardian reported .
The ANC said it is “exploring” options, like new tax measures and a new social-security tax, to fund the program. The party also says its goal for the program is not to replace existing social-security programs, but to complement them.
If it follows through, the ANC plan would make South Africa the first country to provide a universal basic income.
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