SPIRIT gets bashed every chance by the media ' screwheads' in front of a computer just because they are innovative and nonconformist. SPIRIT Airlines has defined their position in the airline industry in the USA.....they are low cost, no frills and as a customer You either accept that when You book a reservation or be in for the surprise of your life. I just love that 'clueless, deer in the headlite look' from a consumer that knows how to shop on price but has no frickn' idea what they just bought. SPIRIT has every right to operate their Company the way they see fit.........take it or leave it.
Well said Astro! I could fill a server with the crap from the media. Like him or not, Rush Limbaugh is spot in with the moniker "Drive By Media" he uses to describe what now passes for journalism.
Think about it for a second. You're a 36-40 aircraft airline. How do you survive/thrive when there are uncertain times? Stick to you kniting like Midwest did and get sucked into the Republic vortex? That plan worked real well for Midwest as they are now part of the aviation version of the Borg Collective. Or do you try to be the FLL version of Air Tran? Already being done!
No!!! What you do is really quite simple if you want to make money. My old saying holds true, "If you can't be better at something, be different". Which is what they did. They got real smart IMO by not trying to serve two masters by completely ignoring the business traveler. They couldn't service them properly and their coverage/route structure was not conducive to a business persons requirement
So liesure travelers became the target audience. Additionaly they expanded into an area that has fewer discount carriers in the carribean and south America. Then they altered their entire business model and became the first unabashed Ultra Low Cost Carrier in the United States. They already by virtue of their size ran a pretty lean operation so they set about leaning it out even more, while adding a la carte pricing in a big way. They also became masters at generating free publicity with some relatively risque promotions.
Do I see Spirit growing to a 100 A/C airline? Possibly but not much bigger. There is a niche for their business model in the United States and Astrro is absolutely correct that they should be left alone regarding their policies on bag fees and fees in general. Spirit is different. They make no bones about their price structure and never even attempt to hide the fee mania. On fact they promote it. Have you ever seen their "$100 Can of Coke" advertisement pointing out that their fares on average $100 less per round trip and they ask point blank if a free Coke is really worth $100. There is no conflict with Spirit between their Marketing Message and what's delivered to the customer which isn't much unless you pay.
Contrast that to the network carriers who call themselves "Full Service" then lard on the fees. Spirit isn't for everyone, but unlike the network carriers who over promise and under deliver on a minute by minute basis, Spirt knows EXACTLY who they are and where they fit in the grand scheme of things.