While a great deal of airline-related news is typically not great for consumers – especially recently – Spirit Airlines is revamping nearly every aspect of the traveler experience.
The budget airline announced that it will update its price structure, update the boarding process and offer some new guest policies.
“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,” said Ted Christie, president and CEO of Spirit. “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.”
Business class will soon be an option
With the new pricing structure, consumers will now be able to choose between four different travel options:
Go: This is the most affordable option for travelers, and they will be able to purchase checked bags, standard seat selection, WiFi, and snacks and drinks.
Go Savvy: With this tier, travelers will receive either one carry-on or one checked bag, as well as choose their own seat during booking.
Go Comfy: By purchasing a ticket in this tier, travelers will get extra space, as the middle seat in their row will automatically be blocked off. The ticket price also includes one carry-on bag, one checked bag, priority boarding, and a snack and a non-alcoholic beverage.
Go Big: This option includes Spirit’s new business class offering, the Big Front Seat. These bigger seats are at the front of the plane – they’re wider, offer up to 11” of additional leg room, have extra cushioning, and have no middle seat. Additionally, purchasing a Go Big ticket comes with snacks and drinks (including alcoholic beverages), one carry-on bag, one checked bag, priority check-in and boarding, and WiFi.
The Go and Go Savvy ticket options will be available for booking and experiencing starting on August 16. The Go Comfy and Go Big options will be available for booking on August 16, with the experience fully rolling out on August 27.
What else is new?
In addition to rolling in the cost of extras into one ticket price, Spirit also announced some other new changes.
Spirit is doing away with fees for flight changes and cancellations for all guests on all flights. The airline has also increased the checked bag weight allowance to 50 pounds, as well as extended the availability of travel vouchers to one year.
A push for profitability
The airline is joining the likes of Southwest and Frontier, which have both made similar consumer-facing changes recently. So, why all the changes from Spirit?
The budget airline is working to compete against bigger-name competitors who keep ticket prices low, while also offering travelers the opportunity to purchase extras. With Spirit facing financial troubles over the last several years, these updates are an effort to push the company towards profitability.