Raphael Stevens

Southwest’s “Wanna Get Away Plus” fare goes on sale in the second quarter.
The new class will allow travelers to make same-day changes without paying a fare difference.
Passengers in all classes of service will still get two free checked bags with their tickets

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet takes off from San Antonio International Airport in Texas.
Robert Alexander | Archive Photos | Getty Images

Southwest Airlines on Thursday unveiled its new fare class: a second-cheapest option it hopes will reel in customers willing to pay up for more flexibility.
The “Wanna Get Away Plus” fare sits just above the “Wanna Get Away” fare and just below its “Anytime” fare. It will allow travelers to make same-day changes to their tickets without paying the difference in fare that the lowest tier requires.

Customers who opt for the new fare, or classes above the new fare will also earn more frequent flyer miles than the lowest tier, and be able to transfer flight credits to another RapidRewards member, a new feature. Southwest passengers will continue to get to check two bags for free.
The new fare type is the latest effort by an airline to increase revenue after two bruising years of the Covid pandemic.
Carriers like Delta, American, United and JetBlue in recent years have rolled out no-frills basic economy tickets, which don’t include perks that used to come for free, such as advanced seat selection.
Airline executives haven’t been shy that they hope passengers will pay more to avoid those cheap fares, while many business travelers’ employers avoid them altogether because they are so inflexible.
Southwest’s new fare goes on sale in the second quarter. The Dallas-based airline announced last year that it would launch a new type of fare but didn’t provide details.

Air travel demand, particularly for domestic leisure trips, and higher fuel prices are already pushing up fares. Airlines make the bulk of their revenue during the second and third quarters, when vacation season drives up sales.
Air fares in the Department of Labor’s inflation index rose 12.7% last month from a year ago while the overall consumer price index rose 7.9%.
In February, bookings by both number and value on U.S. airline websites surpassed pre-Covid levels for the first time in the pandemic, according to Adobe data.

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A prosecutor who resigned over the Manhattan district attorney’s decision to pause heading toward indicting ex-President Donald Trump said in a resignation letter that Trump was “guilty of numerous felony violations.”
“The team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes — he did,” the prosecutor, Mark Pomerantz, wrote DA Alvin Bragg on Feb. 23 as he quit.
“I fear that your decision means that Mr. Trump will not be held fully accountable for his crimes,” Pomerantz wrote.
Trump’s lawyer, Ronald Fischetti, said it is his understanding that the criminal probe of Trump is a live investigation and that there remains a risk of indictment against him.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 26, 2022.
Octavio Jones | Reuters

One of two top prosecutors who resigned over the Manhattan district attorney’s alleged decision to stop heading toward indicting former President Donald Trump for crimes said in a bombshell resignation letter that Trump was “guilty of numerous felony violations.”
“The team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes — he did,” former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz wrote in his Feb. 23 resignation letter to DA Alvin Bragg, Pomerantz confirmed to CNBC on Thursday.

In that letter, Pomerantz said those felonies related to the “preparation and use of his annual Statements of Financial Condition,” which “were false,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by The New York Times, which first reported its details.
Pomerantz also told Bragg that the DA’s decision not to seek charges against Trump, and to “indefinitely” suspend the 3-year-old probe was “contrary to the public interest.”
“I fear that your decision means that Mr. Trump will not be held fully accountable for his crimes,” Pomerantz wrote.
“I have worked too hard as a lawyer, and for too long, now to become a passive participant in what I believe to be a grave failure of justice. I therefore resign from my position as a Special Assistant District Attorney, effective immediately,” Pomerantz wrote to Bragg.
Pomerantz confirmed the details of the letter in a call with CNBC on Thursday morning but declined further comment, saying “I think the letter speaks for itself.”

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Bragg’s spokesperson, Danielle Filson, told CNBC in an email, “the investigation continues. A team of experienced prosecutors is working every day to follow the facts and the law.”
“There is nothing we can or should say at this juncture about an ongoing investigation,” Filson said.
Trump’s lawyer, Ronald Fischetti, told CNBC that he was “surprised” and “disappointed in the letter” from Pomerantz, who is former law partner of his.
Fischetti said it is his understanding that the criminal probe of Trump is a live investigation within the Manhattan DA’s office. The lawyers said that means there remains a risk of indictment against Trump, despite what Pomerantz’s letter suggests.
“I know from several sources that [Pomerantz] had several meetings with Alvin Bragg and his senior staff, and he laid out exactly what evidence he had against my client, and he was unsuccessful in getting them to go forward with this, and that happens,” Fischetti said.
Fischetti noted that when Pomerantz served as chief of the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, he routinely conducted similar reviews of evidence obtained by lower-ranking federal prosecutors to determine if criminal charges were warranted.
“But he’s not the chief anymore. Alvin Bragg’s the chief … and he’s one of the Indians,” Fischetti said.
“I think it’s a fit of pique, a fit of anger” for Pomenrantz to resign in the manner he did, Fischetti said.
Fischetti also said that despite the continued risk that the DA’s office will charge Trump, “I have said, and am continuing to say, that my client is innocent of wrongdoing, and I don’t think he should be charged, and we have told that to the district attorney.
The DA’s office was known to be investigating Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, over whether the company reported different values for the same real estate properties to lower their tax burden and insurance costs and to maximize the value of loans against them, among other things.
New York state Attorney General Letitia James is conducting a civil investigation into the same issues, a probe that was sparked by the congressional testimony of Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, about the use of different valuations for the same properties.
Last summer, the DA’s office obtained a 15-count indictment against the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, on charges related to an alleged scheme that since 2005 had illegally avoided taxes on compensation to the CFO and other executives of the company. The defendants have pleaded not guilty in that case.
The resignations of Pomerantz and the other prosecutor, Carey Dunne, last month came less than two months after Bragg took over from Vance, whose investigation among other things had managed to pry years of Trump’s tax returns from his accounts via a grand jury subpoena.
The Times, in first reporting their departures, said they quit after Bragg told them he had doubts about indicting Trump, and after the DA paused the grand jury investigation that would be needed to indict the former president.
Pomerantz’s letter confirms that narrative.
The prosecutor wrote that Bragg had “devoted significant time and energy to understanding the evidence we have accumulated,” but had decided “not to go forward with the grand jury presentation and not to seek criminal charges at the present time.”
While that decision was Bragg’s to make, “a decision made in good faith may nevertheless be wrong,” Pomerantz wrote.
“I believe that your decision not to prosecute Donald Trump now, and on the existing record, is misguided and completely contrary to the public interest.”
Pomerantz also wrote that he did not believe that suspending the probe to await possible future evidence “will lead to a stronger case.”
“On the contrary, I and others believe that your decision not to authorize prosecution now will doom any future prospects that Mr. Trump will be prosecuted for the criminal conduct we have been investigating.”

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Arya Akmal. left, with his father Khosrow and son Dmitry in December 2018 at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Arya Akmal

Settling an estate is not just for the rich.
When a loved one dies, someone will have to take care of debts and distribute assets. If the deceased had property — a house or a car, for example — or financial accounts without named beneficiaries, someone will have to do the paperwork to pass it all on.

The word “estate” may be misleading for some, said Meredith Hill, an estate planning attorney and owner of The Hill Law Group in Bethesda, Maryland.
“When you hear the word ‘estate,’ you think of someone that lives in a big mansion that has a yacht and vacations in the south of France all the time,” she said. “But that’s not the case; literally every single person has an estate.” 
Physics professor Arya Akmal experienced settling an estate after his father died in 2019.
“Being naïve, I figured okay, I’ll try and do this,” Akmal said. “It turned out to be a much bigger job than I expected.”
His father had a will, with a cousin named executor and a friend as a backup. Yet, the will was written about 30 years before his death — and never updated. When the time came, neither executor was capable of carrying out the task. So, it fell to Akmal. 

Being recognized as executor

His first step was getting recognized as executor by the court and taking inventory of his father’s possessions.
“It was not a simple process; it’s a detailed process,” said Akmal, and it was made even slower by court shutdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.
More from Invest in You:Most Black Americans have no will. Why drawing one up is keyRetiring with $1 million may leave you less than $2,800 a month to spendYour income tax bill may be cheaper if you live in one of these 5 states
Experts say a simple estate with only a few assets that are easy to find may be settled in six months. However, a more complicated financial situation may take several years to resolve. 
Executors, often family members, should understand that fulfilling their loved one’s wishes can be like taking on a second-job, some experts say. In addition to dealing with grief, “a lot of clients jump in without talking with someone and understanding the roles, the responsibilities,” said Julie Swerbinsky, an attorney with the Geller Law Group in Fairfax, Virginia. “Just take a deep breath, call someone when you have been able to digest it a little bit.” 

Finding financial helpers 

Take the time to understand and contact advisors the family member may have worked with who could offer additional information or insight into the deceased’s assets.
“Typically, a financial advisor or an attorney or an accountant, or even an insurance specialist will have some of that information,” said Valerie Galinskaya, who heads Merrill’s Center for Family Wealth. “If a family member has been proactive, hopefully the family member who is carrying out the responsibility will know that but, if they don’t, those individuals can provide a lot of helpful insight.”

Learning an executor’s responsibilities

Each state has its own rules and timelines for settling an estate. While the process can be relatively straightforward with a plan in place, it’s still not easy. To settle an estate, experts advise getting multiple copies of the death certificate, which typically is obtained through a funeral home.
Next, locate the will and gather account documents. Note that life insurance and financial accounts with named beneficiaries supersede a will.
The executor’s job is to notify and stay in touch with beneficiaries and interested parties. They also are responsible for paying bills, closing accounts and taking inventory of assets. The task is time-consuming. Having a checklist and keeping detailed records can be helpful.
“I think the biggest mistake that they make is thinking that’s going to take a short amount of time and not understanding the full lengthy process of it,” Hill said. More

Moderna wanted to provide U.S. regulators “flexibility” in determining eligibility for a fourth Covid vaccine dose, CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC.
The drugmaker asked the FDA to clear the additional shot for all Americans ages 18 and up.
“You have people that are younger adults that have comorbidity factors, and they might need sooner fourth dose to protect them,” Bancel said.

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC on Thursday the drugmaker wanted to provide U.S. regulators “flexibility” in determining eligibility for a fourth Covid vaccine dose.
Moderna submitted its application last week for a so-called second booster, asking the Food and Drug Administration to clear the additional shot for all Americans ages 18 and up.

The biotech firm’s request was considerably more broad than competing mRNA vaccine maker Pfizer, whose fourth-dose application covered only people 65 and older.
“I think we wanted to give the regulators, the FDA and regulators in other countries, the flexibility,” Bancel said an interview on “Squawk Box.” “You have people that are younger adults that have comorbidity factors, and they might need [a] sooner fourth dose to protect them.”
Underlying medical conditions such as asthma, chronic lung disease and diabetes can make people at higher risk of getting severely ill from Covid.
People who are immunocompromised already are eligible for four Covid vaccine doses. Their recommended regimen consists of three primary doses, with a booster given at least three months afterward.
Some doctors have questioned the necessity of four Covid shots for the general public in the near term. Moreover, less than half of fully vaccinated people have received their initial booster shot, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows, and some experts suggest the focus should be increasing that uptake percentage.
“We submitted all the data that we have to give [the FDA] the best possible information to make the best possible decision,” Bancel said.

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CEO Peter Hebblethwaite admitted to U.K. lawmakers Thursday that P&O Ferries broke the law by laying off 800 staff without consulting workers unions.
P&O Ferries attracted public and parliamentary outrage last week after firing 800 workers via video message and replacing them with low-wage agency staff.
Workers union RMT called for the government to issue an immediate injunction to prevent P&O ships from sailing and ensure the reinstatement of laid-off workers.

Three P&O Ferries, Spirit of Britain, Pride of Canterbury and Pride of Kent moor up in the cruise terminal at the Port of Dover in Kent as the company has suspended sailings ahead of a “major announcement” but insisted it is “not going into liquidation.”
Gareth Fuller | PA Images | Getty Images

The boss of British ferry operator P&O Ferries has admitted the company broke the law by laying off 800 staff without consulting workers’ unions.
CEO Peter Hebblethwaite told lawmakers on Thursday that there was “absolutely no doubt” that, under U.K. employment law, the company was required to speak to unions before making mass redundancies.

“I completely throw our hands up, my hands up, that we did choose not to consult,” Hebblethwaite said, before adding that laid-off employees would be compensated “in full.”
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) called for the government to issue an immediate injunction to prevent P&O ships from sailing and ensure the reinstatement of laid-off workers.
P&O Ferries attracted public and parliamentary outrage last week after firing 800 workers via video message and replacing them with low-wage agency staff reportedly earning under £2 ($2.63) an hour — less than a quarter of the national minimum wage.
Footage quickly emerged of crew being marched off of boats by balaclava-clad security while replacement staff waited in vans at ports, in what lawmakers dubbed a “national scandal.”
Speaking to U.K. members of Parliament at a joint transport and business committee, Hebblethwaite acknowledged that no union would have accepted the company’s job-cutting plans.

“We’ve moved from one operating model to another. It was our assessment that the change was of such a magnitude that no union could possibly accept our proposal,” he said.
Indeed, workers unions and the government’s opposition Labour Party have accused companies of attempting to “fire and rehire” staff, a move which effectively enables them to switch permanent workers with those on weaker contracts with lower pay.

Peter Hebblethwaite, chief executive of P&O Ferries, answering questions in front of the Transport Committee and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee in the House of Commons.
House Of Commons – Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty Images

RMT said the evidence provided by Hebblethwaite showed “multiple breaches of the law.”
“The company not only broke the law but would do it again, [and] we are calling for the government to issue [an] immediate injunction to prevent the ships sailing and reinstate the sacked workers,” RMT Secretary-General Mick Lynch said.
“This should include the government seizing control of the ships if necessary,” Lynch said.
RMT also called for the immediate disqualification of Hebblethwaite as a director.
Under U.K. employment law, a company is obliged to inform and consult with unions ahead of collective redundancies.
It is also duty-bound to notify governments in the country where its ferries are registered that it is planning such redundancies. The firm only informed authorities in Barbados, Bermuda and Cyprus on March 17, the day of the layoffs.
Hebblethwaite said reports from unions that new staff would earn under £2 were unfounded, noting that the average hourly rate of pay for new crewmembers would be £5.50 — a figure still well under the minimum wage of £8.91 for those aged 23 and up.
U.K. minimum wage for those aged 23 and above is set to rise to £9.50 as of April 1.
The company said earlier that the 800 layoffs will receive combined compensation of £36.5 million, with around 40 receiving £100,000 each. No staff member would receive less than £15,000 it added.
Legal experts called on the government to do more to ensure other companies are not able to mistreat workers in the same way in the future.
“The government including the prime minister have made all the right noises about what has happened, expressing outrage and sympathy, but the ball is in their court to do something about it,” said Neil Todd, a trade union law expert at Thompson Solicitors.
“The government now has the opportunity to put off any employer thinking that this type of behaviour is acceptable.”
British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he will announce next week a “package of measures” aimed at removing the loopholes “exploited” by P&O.

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