Special Charges

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Special Credits [Abstract]

Special Charges

Special Charges

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded $9.6 million and $30.0 million, respectively, within special charges on the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations, in legal, advisory and other fees related to the Merger Agreement with JetBlue entered into on July 28, 2022. In addition, as part of the Merger Agreement with JetBlue, the Company implemented an employee retention award program (the "JetBlue Retention Award Program") during the third quarter of 2022. The target retention award will be paid to the Company's employees upon the successful close of the Merger. In the event the Merger fails or is abandoned, 50% of the target retention award will be paid to the Company's employees. This amount will be paid to the Company's employees in two installments. The first installment was paid in July 2023 and the second installment is payable in July 2024 or upon termination or abandonment of the Merger, whichever comes first. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded $2.7 million and $16.3 million, respectively, within special charges on the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations, related to the Company's retention award program.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded $17.7 million and $39.2 million, respectively, within special charges on the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations, in legal, advisory and other fees related to the former merger agreement with Frontier (the "Former Frontier Merger Agreement") executed during the first quarter of 2022 and JetBlue's unsolicited proposal, received in March 2022, to acquire all of the Company's outstanding shares in an all-cash transaction.

In addition, as part of the Former Frontier Merger Agreement, the Company implemented an employee retention award program (the "Frontier Retention Award Program"). On July 27, 2022, the Former Frontier Merger Agreement was mutually terminated; therefore, 50% of the target retention award was awarded to the Company's employees during the third quarter of 2022. In addition, as mentioned above, the Company implemented the JetBlue Retention Award Program during the third quarter of 2022. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded $20.6 million and $32.7 million, respectively, within special charges on the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations, related to the Company's retention award programs.