Spirit Airlines to offer seats with more legroom in luxury glow-up push

Spirit Airlines—like that one friend who came back with a new look after summer break—wants to shed its old image in favor of a new one.

The OG budget airline announced yesterday it will start offering a pricier seat option with more legroom, as it works to swap out a cacophony of crying babies, loud arguments, and groaning knees for the sound of quiet luxury.

• The airline will also allow holders of its Bank of America cobranded credit card to check two bags free—and they’ll be eligible for free upgrades.
• These changes are expected to be rolled out in June/July.

From budget → premium

Spirit Airlines, which transformed the industry by offering cheap fares and charging extra for everything else, exited bankruptcy in March following years of losses and unsuccessful merger attempts.

But change is in the air. This announcement marks the latest development in the airline’s let’s-become-a-premium-travel-option strategy, which involves leaning into pricier products to entice wealthier travelers to part with their cash. Co-branded credit cards are important, too—airlines generated $15+ billion in 2023 from this higher-margin line of business.

It’s a trend: United Airlines yesterday unveiled a new ultra-premium seating option with noise-canceling headphones, caviar service, and “luxe jammies,” while American Airlines said earlier this month that it’s installing suites with sliding doors on some of its planes.