We know that ultra low cost carriers (ULCCs) in the United States are in a tough spot. While airlines overall have done reasonably well in the past couple of years, a lot of the demand has been for premium and long haul travel, and those are segments that ULCCs haven’t historically tapped into. Furthermore, the industry overall is dealing with an overcapacity issue.
So we’ve seen these carriers start to rework their business models. In early June 2024, Spirit Airlines announced it was completely eliminating change fees, and extending the expiration of vouchers, both of which are customer friendly moves.
Then in late July 2024, the airline announced additional changes, which completely redefine the Spirit Airlines experience. These changes include bundled fares, priority check-in, a new boarding experience, and more. I wanted to provide an update, as the new fare bundles are now on sale, so we have a sense of what pricing is like.
Spirit Airlines introduces four fare bundles
Historically, Spirit Airlines has had a la carte pricing, which it so that a ticket included almost nothing, and you had to add everything to your fare. Even if you purchased the Big Front Seat (Spirit’s equivalent of a first class seat), you still had to pay for carry-ons, snacks, drinks, etc.
The airline is now taking a new approach, by introducing bundles fares. The airline has four fare bundles — Go, Go Savvy, Go Comfy, and Go Big — offering different value propositions. Here are the details:
- Go is Spirit’s most basic fare, which just includes a personal item and free ticket changes, but doesn’t include anything else
- Go Savvy is Spirit’s second most basic fare, offering a standard seat selection, and a carry-on bag or a checked bag
- Go Comfy is Spirit’s next most premium fare option, offering a blocked middle seat, Group 2 boarding, a carry-on bag and a checked bag, and a drink and snack
- Go Big is Spirit’s most premium fare option, offering a Big Front Seat, Group 1 boarding, complimentary drinks (including alcohol) and premium snacks, and Wi-Fi
These new fare bundles are now available for booking (as of August 14, 2024), with these new “experiences” being implemented onboard by August 27, 2024. So, what is pricing like for these new bundles? I’ve gotta say, the fares I’m seeing seem entirely reasonable, and actually, like a great value.
For example, take a one-way flight from Miami to Houston for a weekday in October 2024, where the basic fare starts at $34, the fare with a blocked middle starts at $134, and the most premium fare starts at $214. That’s good value for consumers, if you ask me!
Suffice it to say that these are absolutely massive changes. The Big Front Seat is now a bundled product offering (rather than just a bigger seat), you can book an economy seat with a blocked middle, and some passengers even get drinks, snacks, and Wi-Fi, included.
Spirit isn’t the only ULCC to introduce bundled fares, as Frontier Airlines also recently overhauled its fares.
Spirit Airlines adds priority check-in
As mentioned above, as of August 27, 2024, Spirit Airlines is introducing priority check-in for Go Big passengers, as well as Free Spirit Gold members, and Free Spirit World Elite Mastercard holders.
Priority check-in will be available at more than 20 airports, including in Atlanta (ATL), Cancun (CUN), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), Orlando (MCO), and more. This will provide front-of-line access to the first available ticket counter agent.
Spirit Airlines modifies boarding process
As of August 27, 2024, Spirit Airlines is also introducing a new boarding process. The redesigned boarding process will include five groups, and aims to reduce boarding time and improve operational performance.
Priority boarding will be available for those who choose the Go Big or Go Comfy options, Free Spirit Gold and Silver members, Free Spirit World Elite Mastercard members, and active-duty US service members (and their spouses and children).
Bottom line
Spirit Airlines is updating its business model, as the airline is going from a la carte pricing to bundled fares. Effective immediately, Spirit has four fare bundles, including everything from blocked middle seats, to drinks and snacks, to priority check-in.
We’re certainly seeing ULCCs transform their business models, and in many cases, the value proposition is quite good. These new fares are now on sale, so it could be worth considering a flight on Spirit, even if you might not have considered it in the past.
What do you make of Spirit Airlines updating how it sells tickets?
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