Spirit Now Sure As It Emerges From Bankruptcy
08-29-2025 | 07:17 AM
#1541
Line Holder
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,863
Likes: 177
my guess is less expensive. I missed the Voluntary Furlough by like a week. Would have been a nice chunk of change (I was 11.5years of service so I want to say $75+k?). I’m guessing they aren’t offering CA V-Fur because of cost
08-29-2025 | 07:30 AM
#1542
Line Holder
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 643
Likes: 73
08-29-2025 | 07:59 AM
#1543
On Reserve
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 103
Likes: 8
08-29-2025 | 08:13 AM
#1544
On Reserve
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 157
Likes: 73
100% a cost savings play. I’m on year three pay as an FO that is within the furlough range and I’d get around a $30,000 payout. Captains could easily get double that. Feels like most of our attrition typically is from the left seat so the odds of someone taking a voluntary furlough that is a captain is higher than a FO. Just a hunch
08-29-2025 | 08:20 AM
#1545
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 1,564
Likes: 344
Spirit has a singular market niche (low budget travelers) and is too slow in pivoting to capture other sources of revenue. Its business model is not flexible enough to pivot back and forth from leisure to business to premium to frequent flyers. Spirit went after one demographic, leisure travelers, and did a great job for a while. But more and more passengers are seeking value when they fly. Not just a cheap ticket. Add in the other things like bad reputation, competition, poor management, bad financial decisions (not paying for Pratt engine warranties, etc) have gotten Spirit in the mess that its in.
If Spirit's business model is so fragile that just offering the same fare can put it out of business, it never really had a defensible market strategy. Just an income opportunity that was over-scaled and has run its course. Fortunately the pilots are are skilled and valuable and will end up at other carriers eventually.
08-29-2025 | 08:29 AM
#1546
On Reserve
Joined: Jun 2025
Posts: 100
Likes: 51
From: 757 FO
Just posting the latest and greatest group chat rumors. Might as well post the Southwest one while we’re here.
“Sunday morning industry buzz that WN IS kicking the tires for a possible NK asset buyout.
Speculation that WN would buy 60% of Spirit fleet and keeping most of NK international markets but they relocating the Hub and spoke feed to MCO from FLL.
In addition they would keep several Domestic destinations to apese congressional support by offering more connecting opportunities to WN vast network.
WN would give back and sale lucrative gate space and Slots at Major airports like
ORD,LAX, IAH, DFW, ATL, EWR,LGA, SAN, BOS and several other airports across the United States. This would open up and allow for new competition to have access to these congested markets bringing the United States consumers more choices.
WN would keep 54 A321 and 45 A320 aircraft.
The 45 A320 aircraft will eventually be replaced with the 737 MAX8/MAX7 over 5 years.
They remaining 29 A321 NEO on order would be switched the A321XLR to further facilitate WN further long Haul international abilities.
The remaining NK aircraft would be returned to the leasing companies or sold on the open market.
WN would retain NK international tickets sales team and IT infrastructure to support WN foreign sales platforms.
WN would retain NK pilots, FA and MX staffing and work to transitions excess employees into the WN workforce until everything is fully integrated at or before 2030.“
“Sunday morning industry buzz that WN IS kicking the tires for a possible NK asset buyout.
Speculation that WN would buy 60% of Spirit fleet and keeping most of NK international markets but they relocating the Hub and spoke feed to MCO from FLL.
In addition they would keep several Domestic destinations to apese congressional support by offering more connecting opportunities to WN vast network.
WN would give back and sale lucrative gate space and Slots at Major airports like
ORD,LAX, IAH, DFW, ATL, EWR,LGA, SAN, BOS and several other airports across the United States. This would open up and allow for new competition to have access to these congested markets bringing the United States consumers more choices.
WN would keep 54 A321 and 45 A320 aircraft.
The 45 A320 aircraft will eventually be replaced with the 737 MAX8/MAX7 over 5 years.
They remaining 29 A321 NEO on order would be switched the A321XLR to further facilitate WN further long Haul international abilities.
The remaining NK aircraft would be returned to the leasing companies or sold on the open market.
WN would retain NK international tickets sales team and IT infrastructure to support WN foreign sales platforms.
WN would retain NK pilots, FA and MX staffing and work to transitions excess employees into the WN workforce until everything is fully integrated at or before 2030.“
08-29-2025 | 09:32 AM
#1549
Line Holder
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 892
Likes: 151
The ULCC unbundling of luggage and such luxuries like airport-printed boarding passes was not a Southwest model.
08-29-2025 | 09:38 AM
#1550
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 44,847
Likes: 653
From: Engines Turn or People Swim
ULCC and LCC are different things. Southwest's model is hard to see now because the majors so effectively copied it. Southwest used to get mocked for only serving peanuts when all (7) mainline carriers were serving hot meals in coach. There's the famous delta cost-saving story where an FA suggested they remove the decorative lettuce leaf from under their coach entrees and it saved a million dollars a year! That was the regular cost model against which "low cost" was compared.
The ULCC unbundling of luggage and such luxuries like airport-printed boarding passes was not a Southwest model.
The ULCC unbundling of luggage and such luxuries like airport-printed boarding passes was not a Southwest model.
But the legacies have figured out that can offer 1C, premium, LCC, and ULCC fares and amenities all in the same cabin (plus you get loyalty points, at least a few). And flex availability based on demand.
Not saying they do it perfectly, but obviously well enough to pressure SWA and ULCCs.
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