MAJOR changes are coming to Spirit Airlines!

Spirit Airlines, one of America’s most popular discount airlines, has announced some huge changes to its fare structure that potential passengers need to be aware of. For years, Spirit has relied on “rock bottom” fares that are cheap and allow passengers to purchase additional services like snacks, checked bags, and Wi-Fi a la carte. However, that’s changing. 

According to the Orlando Sentinel, beginning next month, the airline will “roll out a four-part fare schedule” that will integrate previously a la carte options into various levels of ticket pieces. The new fare structure will be broken down into:

• Go Big, which will feature an “option focused on the airline’s so-called Big Front Seats, a series of roomier seats that have occupied the front of its Airbus jetliners for several years. Previously, the airline charged for solely booking the seat. Now the proposition will include free Wi-Fi, a checked bag, one piece of onboard luggage, and “unlimited” snacks and drinks including those with alcohol.”
• Go Comfy, which offers a “standard seat with a vacant middle seat next to it to provide passengers with extra space. The offer includes earlier boarding, a snack, a nonalcoholic beverage, and checked baggage and a carry-on.”
• Go Savvy tickets will allow customers either a checked bag or a carry-on.
• Go tickets are essentially Spirit’s original standard bare-bones ticket, where travelers “buy their seat but pay additional fees for checked bags, seat selection, Wi-Fi and snacks.”

Booking for the new ticket programs opens on August 16th for flights beginning August 27th.  Furthermore, when flights on the new system begin, Spirit will offer a “dedicated, priority check-in line for its Go Big fliers, as well as for the carrier’s Free Spirit Gold members or Free Spirit World Elite Mastercard holders at 20 airports.”

According to Spirit’s CEO and President Ted Christie, “We listened to our Guests and are excited to deliver what they want: choices for an elevated experience and provide unparalleled value.”

Henry Harteveldt, a San Francisco-based travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, said Spirit is making these changes in order to compete with larger airlines and bring back customers who’ve eschewed travel in a post-pandemic, inflation-filled economy.

In a recent regulatory filing, Spirit warned that it expects an adjusted operating loss of between $160 million–$173 million. Revenues are expected to come in at $1.28 billion, a decline from its previous forecast of $1.32 billion to $1.34 billion.

Harteveldt explained, “Spirit is saying, ‘We’ll give the big airlines a taste of their own medicine.’ It will be interesting to see how consumers respond. These changes will convince some travelers who are unhappy with what [bigger] airlines offer.” Could this result in Spirit attracting some new customers with its “Go Comfy” and “Go Big” products? We’ll have to wait and see!

Spirit Airlines is changing its entire ticket structure beginning later this month. Stay tuned to DFB for further travel industry news. 

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Do these changes make you more or less likely to fly Spirit? Let us know in the comments below. 

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