Spirit Airlines has had a few seatbacks this past year with a blocked merger and declining financial performance. It is not all doom and gloom though as the airline announces a completely reimagined onboard experience. Beginning late August 2024 passengers will be able to select premium bundles, priority boarding and more as part of these exciting changes.
A Shift In Ultra Low Cost Travel
Ultra Low Cost Carriers are shifting the way they do business. Frontier Airlines recently announced a revamp to their offerings including an UpFront Plus option blocking out the middle seat. Changes like this come in wake of Ultra Low Cost Carriers needing to modify their operating model following diminishing profits. In Spirit Airlines case, changing the onboard experience will place Spirit on a competitive level with Frontier and other operators. The biggest changes include new bundles including, Go Big, Go Comfy, Go Savvy and Go. Even the most basic bundle, go has no change or cancel fees. Below is a breakdown of the new bundles:
- Go Big: Includes a Big Front Seat®, snacks and drinks, including alcoholic beverages, one carry-on bag, one checked bag, priority check-in and boarding, and Wi-Fi streaming access
- Go Comfy: Offers a guaranteed blocked middle seat, one carry-on bag, one checked bag, priority boarding, and a snack and non-alcoholic beverage.
- Go Savvy: provides the choice of either one carry-on bag or one checked bag and standard seat selection during booking.
- Go: awards the option for those who want to keep it simple with the flexibility to purchase any of the following options: checked bags, standard seat selection, Wi-Fi, and snacks and beverages.
Similar to what the legacy airlines offer to elite members, Spirit Airlines will implement priority bag drop and boarding lanes. Priority check-in and bag drop will be available for passengers who selected a Go Big Bundle, are Free Spirt Gold members or are credit card holders. The priority lanes will initially debut in Atlanta (ATL), Cancun (CUN), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), New York-LaGuardia (LGA) and Orlando (MCO). “We’re unveiling a new era in Spirit’s history and taking low-fare travel to new heights with enhanced options that are unlike anything we’ve offered before,” said Ted Christie, Spirit’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We listened to our Guests and are excited to deliver what they want: choices for an elevated experience that are affordable and provide unparalleled value.”