US ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines will introduce four new travel package options in a marked departure from its well-known, no-frills flying approach, allowing passengers to pay for premium seats and enjoy extra perks across the fleet from 27 August 2024.
In addition, Spirit Airlines will debut a priority check-in lane at more than 20 airports plus a priority boarding system available for select premium seats and Free Spirit members.
The new Spirit selection features four options, bookable and rolling out from 16 August:
- ‘Go Big‘ with the existing, extra-wide ‘Big Front Seat’; unlimited snacks and drinks (including alcoholic beverages), 1x carry-on bag, 1x checked bag, priority check-in, priority Group 1 boarding and free Wi-Fi.
- ‘Go Comfy‘ – a brand-new seating option with a guaranteed blocked middle seat, 1x carry-on bag, 1x checked bag, priority Group 2 boarding and a snack and non-alcoholic beverage.
- ‘Go Savvy‘, which includes a choice of 1x checked or cabin baggage and standard seat allocation.
- And just ‘Go‘ – a base fare with the option to purchase checked baggage, standard seat allocation, Wi-Fi and snacks and beverages.
Spirit Airlines has also upped its checked baggage limit to 50 pounds (23kg) and extended the flexibility of no change or cancellation fees for all passengers.
A new route for LCCs?
Spirit has previously sought to merge with other LCCs such as Frontier and JetBlue Airways as budget airlines struggled to post a profit compared to the bounceback enjoyed by US legacy carriers post-COVID, thanks to premium offerings.
The changes also come as competitor Southwest Airlines announced dropping its longtime open-seating policy to make way for extra-legroom seats, signalling a change in the US low-fare landscape.
Spirit Airlines President & CEO Ted Christie said the LCC listened to customers to deliver the flexibility of choice.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
For more info, head to spirit.com