Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. What does that mean for travelers in Atlanta? The Dania Beach, Florida-based discount carrier isn’t a huge player at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, but in recent years it had sought to expand in Atlanta with more flights. Spirit said Monday it plans to continue operating while restructuring under bankruptcy protection, and says customers “can continue to book and fly without interruption and can use all tickets, credits and loyalty points as normal.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/ebTGNmE6

Delta Air Lines has spent years building itself as a premium brand. At its investor day in New York, the Atlanta-based airline doubled down on that strategy, outlining its laser-like focus on premium travelers and courting customers who are willing to pay for extra services. The growing wealth of high-income travelers is driving demand for more premium services, according to Delta. The AJC’s Kelly Yamanouchi takes you inside Delta’s gameplan: https://lnkd.in/ea2ptASf

Those Thanksgiving turkeys won’t be the only things stuffed over the holiday. Expect freeways and airports to be filled to the brim as well. A record number of travelers are forecast for the Thanksgiving holiday period, both in Georgia and across the U.S., bringing the specter of crowded airport terminals and highways. AAA expects an all-time high of more than 2.3 million people in Georgia will travel at least 50 miles for the holiday, up nearly 40,000 people from last year. The auto club also expects national travel volumes to set a record, thanks to higher incomes boosting spending, declining inflation and economic growth.

Insulating your home and switching to clean, energy-efficient appliances are tried and true methods to save money on your power bills and stay comfortable. Now, a new federal rebate program available in the Peach State will make it cheaper for Georgians to make those upgrades. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority have announced the launch of two new pilot programs in the state to help reduce the cost of a range of home energy improvements. Georgia is receiving just under $220 million to distribute to homeowners and renters who make the upgrades. The money comes from an $8.8 billion pot of federal funds to boost energy efficiency in states and tribes across the country by the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s signature climate and health law. https://lnkd.in/ee5eJsCk

The AJC's Zachary Hansen spoke with Jim Irwin, president of New City Properties, LLC, about the future of Old Fourth Ward and Atlanta #Beltline's Eastside Trail in the latest edition of our #office #realestate newsletter, The Water Cooler.

Protected bike lanes in Midtown, pub crawls in Woodstock and a trail network connecting the Southside’s “Tri-Cities” to Clayton County — what do all of these have in common? They were supported by an urban planning grant program that has changed how metro Atlanta approaches its town centers and walkable districts. Over the past 25 years, the Livable Centers Initiative has provided more than $312 million to improve infrastructure and planning projects across Atlanta’s 11-county metro. Leaders across Atlanta and its suburbs recently celebrated the program’s anniversary, touting its transformative effects. Read more: https://lnkd.in/enbMwCVS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s main center for operations is once again within the limits of its namesake city. Reporters, editors and other staff moved Monday into the AJC’s relocated newsroom and studio at Promenade Central along Peachtree Street in Midtown. The roughly 21,000-square-foot office, which bears the AJC’s masthead on the outside, is a pivotal move for Georgia’s newspaper of record, which left its longtime downtown offices 14 years ago for the northern suburbs. “The AJC’s new home, in the heart of Midtown, is a manifestation of our commitment to the city of Atlanta and the community we serve,” Publisher and President Andrew Morse said. Read more about our new move! https://lnkd.in/e7bNBUrm

Bill Nigut, the veteran journalist whose career in Atlanta media goes back to the early 1980s, plans to retire from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the “Politically Georgia” podcast on Jan. 31 after Donald Trump is inaugurated as president. “This is my choice, and it feels like the exact right moment for me to put an end to my political journalism career,” said Nigut, 77, who helms the daily podcast, which is also heard at 10 a.m. weekdays live on 90.1/WABE-FM. Nigut, a Chicago native, has had a long career in Atlanta. He spent 20 years at WSB-TV covering politics from 1983 to 2003, then went into the nonprofit world, running the metro Atlanta Arts & Culture Coalition for three years and the Atlanta-area Anti-Defamation League for seven years. He joined Georgia Public Broadcasting in 2013 and oversaw the popular “Political Rewind” show for nearly a decade before joining the AJC. https://lnkd.in/ejc8i3yv

Taller than a triple-bacon cheeseburger or a large, frosted orange shake, a student housing high-rise could soon tower above the @Varsity’s landmark Midtown Atlanta location. The Gordy family, who owns the quintessential fast-food eatery, is under contract to sell roughly 2 acres of surface parking lots at 680 Spring St. NW to Athens-based Landmark Properties, Inc. to build a tower with 560 student housing units, according to a recent permit application with Atlanta. The restaurant at 61 North Ave. NW — an Atlanta icon since 1928 — is not part of the sale and will remain open along with its adjacent parking deck. More: https://lnkd.in/eW49qA8V

Georgia officials are warning people to be on the lookout for an insect called the spotted lanternfly: An invasive pest that can damage trees, crops and plants. And it’s been discovered in Fulton County. The pest native to Asia has spread to at least 17 other states. State officials want people to capture a clear picture of the bug, kill it and then report the sighting. Have you seen one? Read more: https://lnkd.in/evpp3BuT