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Discount carriers Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, once destined to be merger partners, both upped their games in terms of serving their customers, but remained on the bottom of an annual customer satisfaction survey for 2023-24, a national research firm has announced.

Although it registered more improvement points than any airline, South Florida-based Spirit finished last in the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Study conducted by CFI Group of Ann Arbor, Mich. The study, released Tuesday, assessed the performance of not only the nation’s bigger airlines, but also of hotels, car rental firms, rideshare operators and online travel services.

Overall, all of the industry segments serving travelers showed improvements in the eyes of customers, many of whom are still eager to hit the road despite rising prices and inflation.

For the survey, travelers graded the airlines on multiple service metrics, including baggage handling, boarding process, call centers, cleanliness of airplane cabins and lavatories, food quality (both paid and complimentary). loyalty programs, mobile apps, overhead storage, seat comfort and staff performances at airport gates and ticket counters. read more

By DAVID KOENIG (AP Airlines Writer)

The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation.

The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays.

Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.

Airlines still will be allowed to offer another flight or a travel credit instead, but consumers can reject the offer.

The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights. And it will apply to fees for things such as seat selection or an internet connection if the airline fails to provide the service. read more

By Sara Rathner | NerdWallet

A lot of work goes into making a household run smoothly, and the thread that runs through all the labor is money. It’s money that makes it possible to fix a broken appliance, enroll the kids in summer camp and save up to replace the aging car. The mental load of money can be heavy. It’s made up of those endless invisible tasks we engage in, and the future tasks we lie awake at night thinking about.

“I think it is important to mention the emotional weight that comes with worrying about money. Do we have enough for rent next month? Are we saving enough for college?” Kate Mangino, author of “Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home,” said in an email. “Those kinds of worries tend to chip away at our emotional health, especially if we think our partner doesn’t share this worry, and we’re alone in carrying that weight.”

When it comes to the mental load of managing financial responsibilities, couples can fall into unproductive patterns that can lead to conflict, resentment and even willful ignorance. If money management feels unbalanced in your relationship, here are some ways to rethink your routine. read more

A Central Florida restaurant and a hotel dining area were shut down the week of April 14-20, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange County

The Wine Room On Park Avenue at 270 S. Park Ave. in Winter Park shut down on April 15. Inspectors found seven violations, four of which were labeled as high priority. Those violations included an employee touching their headphones and touching the food without washing their hands, an expired business license, and mac and cheese kept in a cooler in the basement area overnight above the required temperature. A second visit took place on April 16. Inspectors found a single violation for an expired business license. The Wine Room received an extension, and the restaurant met inspection standards.

Brevard County

A dining area within the Econo Lodge at 260 E. Merritt Island Causeway on Merritt Island shut down on April 18. Inspectors found five violations, of which two were a high priority for roach activity and flying insects. On the April 19, the hotel dining area remained under the emergency shutdown order after the first of two followup inspections that day. That one found four violations, with roach activity and flying insects still and issue. The hotel complied with the emergency order and had no issues on a second inspection on April 19. read more

Susie Hupp, a longtime writer for the Orlando Sentinel, has died. She was 96.

Hupp’s prolific run at the newspaper began in the 1970s, chronicling social events, including weddings, home tours, Arts Guild developments and far-flung vacations of Orlando residents.

“She started her career at the Sentinel doing the Tea Table Chatter [column],” daughter Marianne Gertner said. “She would tear it out of the typewriter and hand it to me, and I’d run it into the office.”

When her husband, Bill Hupp, died, she became a single parent to three teenagers. She took a full-time job at the Sentinel.

“She had no choice. To provide for her kids, she had to go to work,” Gertner said.

“She did say that she was really happy that she did go back to work because it changed her life,” said Sherry Davich, another daughter. “Being an introvert … being widowed. … I mean, at first, it was hard. But then she made such great friends. And she was so smart.”

“I think once she felt secure – and she always knew she was a good writer – she felt empowered. So when she became empowered, I think she felt equal to the men there,” Gertner said. read more