Spirit Airlines has just unveiled what it’s calling its next major guest experience enhancement. However, the whole thing just gives me very strong “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic” vibes.
In this post:
Spirit Airlines changes a bunch of stuff, again
Spirit has today announced changes to both its onboard product and Free Spirit loyalty program, as part of an effort to elevate the guest experience. So, what’s being updated?
To start, Spirit is “reimagining” its Go Comfy product. Currently, this consists of seats toward the front of the cabin, with a blocked middle seat. The plan is for Go Comfy to no longer include a blocked middle seat, but to instead include extra legroom. The extra legroom seating will offer 32″ of pitch, 4″ more than the airline otherwise offers (*whimpers*).
Go Comfy will include seven rows of seats toward the front of the plane, for a total of 42 seats. As far as the timeline goes, this will be installed across the “majority of the fleet” in June and July 2025, and then “remaining installations” will be completed at some point in 2026. This new product is available for bookings as of May 15, 2025, and for travel as of July 9, 2025.
Spirit is also improving its Free Spirit loyalty program, both for those with elite status, and for those with a co-branded credit card:
- Members can now redeem points for all travel options, including premium options like Go Big and Go Comfy seating
- Free Spirit elite members and Free Spirit credit card members can enjoy complimentary upgrades to a Big Front Seat and Comfy Seat at boarding, based on availability and status level, with benefits extending to one guest on the same reservation as of June 2025
- Later in 2025, Spirit and Bank of America will roll out two free checked bags for those with the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard
Here’s how Rana Ghosh, Spirit’s Chief Commercial Officer, describes these changes:
“Spirit’s new premium options offer travelers exceptional value, and we’re creating even more opportunities for Guests to experience them with our new extra-legroom seating option. We’re also adding more value and perks for our loyalty members at a time when others are taking away benefits, giving our most loyal Guests even more reasons to choose Spirit.”
My take on Spirit Airlines’ latest changes
These changes seem… whatever? Objectively, I’m not sure trading an empty middle seat for an extra 4″ of legroom is a good deal. But I guess when we’re talking about 28″ of pitch, maybe it is a good deal. I dunno. And the loyalty changes sound nice, for those who have status or want to pick up the carrier’s card.
But my bigger takeaway is how Spirit is just basically changing everything every several months, and I imagine the clock is continuing to tick.
In late 2024, we saw Spirit file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a process that was completed within months. This helped Spirit’s debt issue, but it did nothing to help Spirit with its problem of losing money by actually flying planes. The airline didn’t renegotiate any labor or fleet contracts.
The airline has been lighting money on fire faster than ever before, and that’s not even factoring in the current situation we’re seeing. In 2024, Spirit’s financial performance was downright horrendous. The airline had a negative operating margin of 22.5%, and had an operating loss of $1.1 billion. With Spirit emerging from bankruptcy, the airline got help with its debt issue, and bondholders injected $350 million into the airline. That’s not going to last long.
In the past, Spirit was an airline with a huge amount of cost discipline, and that’s important when you’re competing with full service airlines. But seriously, what’s Spirit’s strategy at this point?
In mid-2024, the airline eliminated change fees on all fares, only to quietly reimpose change fees several months later. Then the airline introduced Go Comfy with blocked middle seats, only to change it several months later.
Essentially Spirit is just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. The issue is that nothing is going to stick. Like, even the profitable US carriers don’t make much money flying passengers (especially if you take out premium and long haul revenue), so it’s not like any of this is going to work for Spirit.
Sure, it’s nice to invest in the loyalty program, and to try and get people to sign up for Spirit credit cards. But let’s be honest, Spirit doesn’t exactly have the most lucrative customer base, and the airline doesn’t have a scaled or concentrated enough network to make major inroads there.
I’m not trying to be a jerk, and I guess the thing is, I don’t actually have a better idea for the airline, other than either giving up or finding someone to acquire the company. But I feel like so many of these “guest improvements” have just worsened margins. Like, Spirit becoming more premium has caused the carrier’s average revenue per passenger to decrease materially.
If there’s any chance of Spirit succeeding, the airline needs a differentiated business model. Instead, the airline is trying to become like everyone else, without the upside.
Bottom line
Spirit has announced some significant changes. The carrier’s Go Comfy product will go from having an empty middle seat, to instead having 4″ extra of legroom. On top of that, we’ll see the airline introduce seat upgrades for elite members and credit card holders. Later this year, we’ll see Spirit add two free checked bags for select card members.
What do you make of these latest Spirit changes?
I don't think it's so much of a "whatever" situation, but I do feel like it's a case of drastic measures being required. However....I was pleasantly surprised when I read the announcement. Will it save the airline? I don't know. But will it make people like me, who aren't in need of extreme luxury on a domestic flight of under 4 hours but have no desire to be crammed like a sardine, take the time...
I don't think it's so much of a "whatever" situation, but I do feel like it's a case of drastic measures being required. However....I was pleasantly surprised when I read the announcement. Will it save the airline? I don't know. But will it make people like me, who aren't in need of extreme luxury on a domestic flight of under 4 hours but have no desire to be crammed like a sardine, take the time to look at them as an option for the flight? Absolutely. I took the BFS from ATL to LAS and had zero complaints whatsoever. Just booked the BFS a week ago to FLL, and now that I get the additional wifi and snacks, it seems like a better deal! You're right that they're trying to throw stuff against the wall to see what sticks, but at least trying is better than doing nothing and guaranteeing going out of business.
As a Spirit Gold Member who flies every week, I appreciate the upgrades to BFS. In my home airport of MCO, most gate agents know me and upgrade me to BFS if seats are available. Now it can be official. Spirit is a great airline and keeps getting better and better. I look forward to the changes.
You hit the nail on the head with the sentence: “But let’s be honest, Spirit doesn’t exactly the most lucrative customer base, and the airline doesn’t have a scaled or concentrated enough network to make major inroads there.”
Lack of frequency, abhorrent recovery plan due to a cancellation or long delay, God awful customer support, etc. Right now, Spirit is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic via seating charts and revolving baggage policies.
I’ll...
You hit the nail on the head with the sentence: “But let’s be honest, Spirit doesn’t exactly the most lucrative customer base, and the airline doesn’t have a scaled or concentrated enough network to make major inroads there.”
Lack of frequency, abhorrent recovery plan due to a cancellation or long delay, God awful customer support, etc. Right now, Spirit is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic via seating charts and revolving baggage policies.
I’ll pay my extra $2 for a greater chance of frequency via the big Four, or regional Alaska & JetBlue.
Jeeze dude calm down on spirit. People that make a whole lot more money than you and probably know more than a man on a computer are doing a lot more than what you see as “throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks”. Instead of adding to the negative rep that this misunderstood airline has, maybe focus on some positive things. It’s ignorance like this that goes against the truth. Spirit got #1...
Jeeze dude calm down on spirit. People that make a whole lot more money than you and probably know more than a man on a computer are doing a lot more than what you see as “throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks”. Instead of adding to the negative rep that this misunderstood airline has, maybe focus on some positive things. It’s ignorance like this that goes against the truth. Spirit got #1 airline by wallethub for 2025. Maybe talk about that? Picking on spirit is low hanging fruit, and for you, it’s getting repetitive and redundant.
@ Joshy -- The people making a whole lot more money than me at Spirit are the ones who are responsible for the airline having the worst margin in the industry. How is that my fault?
And instead of focusing on facts -- Spirit's financial performance -- you want me to focus on how WalletHub awarded Spirit the best airline? Lol...
The airline isn’t able to compete because of the oligopoly that this industry has become. As far as the people making more money than you, there is a new CEO with a very strong track record as well as a new BOD with substantial records. Spirit ranked #1 in A14 for the month of April. There’s a lot of good things you’re failing to recognize because you’re more concerned with click bait headlines.
One...
The airline isn’t able to compete because of the oligopoly that this industry has become. As far as the people making more money than you, there is a new CEO with a very strong track record as well as a new BOD with substantial records. Spirit ranked #1 in A14 for the month of April. There’s a lot of good things you’re failing to recognize because you’re more concerned with click bait headlines.
One thing I will grant you is that I do agree that M&A is probably the only way forward for this carrier, and I think it will happen because other ULCCs need scale as well. What I don’t agree with you on is saying it’s entirely spirits fault and making cheap fun of them on their way down. You try being successful as a mid-sized carrier in an industry that’s as heavily consolidated as this one. Spirit has turned into a good airline, try propping them up instead of dragging them down.
@ Joshy -- Fundamentally, the reason that Spirit is unable to compete isn't because the industry is an oligopoly. It's not, and the US has robust competition. It's because of that competition that operating margins even for profitable airlines are next to nothing.
The reason Spirit can't compete is because our airline industry has essentially become subsidized by lucrative credit card contracts, largely because labor costs have been driven up so much.
When even Delta...
@ Joshy -- Fundamentally, the reason that Spirit is unable to compete isn't because the industry is an oligopoly. It's not, and the US has robust competition. It's because of that competition that operating margins even for profitable airlines are next to nothing.
The reason Spirit can't compete is because our airline industry has essentially become subsidized by lucrative credit card contracts, largely because labor costs have been driven up so much.
When even Delta and United, which are making billions, are barely making money transporting passengers, how is Spirit supposed to turn a profit? It's impossible.
As far as my headline being clickbait goes, what makes you say that? Because I said "so what?" The reason I said that is because it's how I feel. Seriously, "so what," because these changes will have no impact on Spirit's bottom line.
You're absolutely right that Spirit has a very well respected new CEO. But honestly, there's only so much you can do to save a sinking ship. It's not exactly a great time to be an airline without a robust credit card business and without long haul capacity.
Surely we can agree on these points, no?
I have to first say thank you for replying to my comments. And we absolutely can agree on these points; however, many of them kind of line up with my point of the oligopoly being the reason spirit can't compete. You say that credit cards and loyalty programs are the reason that larger airlines can make a profit, and why do you think people are more inclined to go with those credit cards? Could it...
I have to first say thank you for replying to my comments. And we absolutely can agree on these points; however, many of them kind of line up with my point of the oligopoly being the reason spirit can't compete. You say that credit cards and loyalty programs are the reason that larger airlines can make a profit, and why do you think people are more inclined to go with those credit cards? Could it be the fact that 80% of the market share belongs to 4 carriers. Legacies can operate certain routes on a negative margin just to put companies like spirit out of business. Almost every single carrier outside of the 5 biggest airlines and somehow suncountry has been struggling. Jetblue, Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant, Avelo, etc NEED to consolidate. You can't have a lucrative loyalty program without scale. M&A is the only way forward for these carriers but the system is in fact rigged. Personally, I think we should break up the larger airlines instead of making smaller ones like Spirit large enough to be relevant, but the corruption in DC will never allow that.
@ Joshy -- Honestly, I think we're on the same page in the end. I agree with you that more consolidation is needed, and it's an argument I've made over and over, and I think it's ultimately good for consumers:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/us-airline-industry-consolidation/
I think blocking JetBlue's takeover of Spirit was an awful mistake. And maybe you can also understand the point in my headline. It wasn't intended to be clickbait, but instead, I said "so...
@ Joshy -- Honestly, I think we're on the same page in the end. I agree with you that more consolidation is needed, and it's an argument I've made over and over, and I think it's ultimately good for consumers:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/us-airline-industry-consolidation/
I think blocking JetBlue's takeover of Spirit was an awful mistake. And maybe you can also understand the point in my headline. It wasn't intended to be clickbait, but instead, I said "so what" because I'm trying to make the point that it doesn't really matter what Spirit does, the airline is screwed no matter what, as an independent player.
I apologize if my initial comment was an overreaction. That's sometimes the problem with the internet. We may think we know someones' entire stance from one article, when in fact we don't. And yes, I do fundamentally agree with the sentiment of your opinion here. It is also my belief that the creditors and C-suite know that they cannot survive as an independent entity. I think its interesting they declined Frontier's offer in bankruptcy, but...
I apologize if my initial comment was an overreaction. That's sometimes the problem with the internet. We may think we know someones' entire stance from one article, when in fact we don't. And yes, I do fundamentally agree with the sentiment of your opinion here. It is also my belief that the creditors and C-suite know that they cannot survive as an independent entity. I think its interesting they declined Frontier's offer in bankruptcy, but it makes me question what else they have up their sleeve, because it can't just be extra legroom. They invested in reorganizing the company most likely to clean up the balance sheet and transfer ownership to those who would profit in the event of a sale.
Cheers! Thanks for the insight, Ben.
@ Joshy -- There's little I enjoy more than having a conversation with someone and coming to (at least somewhat of a consensus). It's rare on the internet nowadays. Cheers, and please engage anytime, I appreciate you checking in.
joshy are you ok bruh?
We get it you’re not a fan of Spirit and your title is offensive. If you had to do other than hobby flying you might understand that Spirit provides a great option. I fly them every week and love my big seat nonstop options from MCO.
@ Cbchicago -- I am a fan of Spirit, and I enjoy flying with the airline. Seriously. I flew with Spirit with several weeks ago. The problem is that all of us flying Spirit are essentially being subsidized by shareholders and creditors, because the airline is so far from breaking even.
I like Spirit and I think their product is great considering the price you pay. Aircrafts are cleaner/newer and Flights attendants are usually in better mood than legacy carriers. Gate agents call me by name as they scan my boarding pass.
Only concern is probably errors, as they have limited means to respond but other than that I think their operational reliability is pretty good too - less delays than legacy carriers.
Understand...
I like Spirit and I think their product is great considering the price you pay. Aircrafts are cleaner/newer and Flights attendants are usually in better mood than legacy carriers. Gate agents call me by name as they scan my boarding pass.
Only concern is probably errors, as they have limited means to respond but other than that I think their operational reliability is pretty good too - less delays than legacy carriers.
Understand that it is a difficult time for the company but hope they will survive and retain at least some qualities of what make them great.
Agreed. Not sure if this bothers you, Kair, but a big pet peeve of mine is when people act like Spirit, Allegiant, and Frontier are all equivalent. They're not. Spirit is clearly leading the pack and has been for years.
For me, back when I was doing frequent Vegas runs, the big appeal of Spirit was the reasonably-priced big front seat (versus sprinting down the aisle on WN and hoping row 15 was free). Good times.
@ Kair @ Redacted -- I just want to express my agreement with both of you. I actually find flying with Spirit to be very pleasant, and in particular, I find their staff to mostly be great. I also like the Big Front Seat and Wi-Fi. I find Spirit to be infinitely more pleasant than Frontier.
But yeah, a negative operating margin of over 20% is... a problem.
The middle seat idea is good, but the problem is 28" pitch is just too tight to feel at all comfortable, get work done, etc. The blocked middle seat makes it less miserable, bearable, but this doesn't change the underlying flaw of a premium option that has 28" pitch. You basically have to contort your body into the blocked middle. So I don't think it's selling well.
But Spirit is stuck here. I think...
The middle seat idea is good, but the problem is 28" pitch is just too tight to feel at all comfortable, get work done, etc. The blocked middle seat makes it less miserable, bearable, but this doesn't change the underlying flaw of a premium option that has 28" pitch. You basically have to contort your body into the blocked middle. So I don't think it's selling well.
But Spirit is stuck here. I think 30" + blocked middle would sell, but the math doesn't work out with the Spirit seat config. The have to take a row of seats out at 28" pitch so the best they now came up with was the 28" (current pitch) / 4" bonus = 7 rows with 32". They obviously aren't going to sell for example 14 rows at 30" with blocked middles. 7 rows of 32" pitch AND a blocked middle is also too much.
The other problem is I think Spirit doesn't have all these premium customers to warrant so many differentiated options. Go big, go comfy, exit row are ALL different options. I really think they should just do 3-4 rows of BFS, no go comfy, and sell the exit rows at a premium. But then they probably don't want a capital expense to buy/install more BFS seats?
They still won't attract or retain premium customers, so long as their brand so colorfully toxic. It's like if Florida launched an airline.
"Now featuring extra legroom. It's still a flying casino, and you still might get stabbed at baggage claim by your fellow passengers, and there's still no interlining, but you've got more legroom now!"
Spirit is seen as an ULCC and everything going with that image, deserved in many cases but not deserved in some others. The person willing to spend additional money on a better flight experience hasn't been Spirit's core customer.
But anything that will put a stake in the heart of the ULCC mindset is a good thing.