EPISODE · May 8, 2026 · 33 MIN
Spirit Airlines Collapsed. What Happens to Budget Travel Now?
from The Skift Travel Podcast · host Skift
Spirit Airlines is shutting down after years of financial struggles, failed merger attempts, and rising costs.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down what killed Spirit, what it means for budget travel in the U.S., and why Skift Research found that travelers don’t necessarily return to destinations simply because they loved them. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 00:00 Spirit Goes Dark02:09 Bag Fees and Cheap Fares02:41 A Rare US Airline Collapse03:39 LaGuardia Marine Terminal Fallout04:50 What Killed Spirit05:37 DOJ Merger Block and Bailout Debate10:48 Low Cost Model Under Pressure14:26 Who Wins Next JetBlue15:39 New Report Destination Loyalty17:12 Why Loyalty Is Hard17:40 Survey Chart Surprise19:04 What Drives Returns19:32 Family Comfort Factor20:37 Jumpstart Vacation Mode22:42 Strategy For Destinations25:15 Repeat Travel Examples29:02 Winners And Losers30:22 Pop Culture Pivot33:22 Wrap Up And Goodbye
What this episode covers
Spirit Airlines is shutting down after years of financial struggles, failed merger attempts, and rising costs.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down what killed Spirit, what it means for budget travel in the U.S., and why Skift Research found that travelers don’t necessarily return to destinations simply because they loved them. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 00:00 Spirit Goes Dark02:09 Bag Fees and Cheap Fares02:41 A Rare US Airline Collapse03:39 LaGuardia Marine Terminal Fallout04:50 What Killed Spirit05:37 DOJ Merger Block and Bailout Debate10:48 Low Cost Model Under Pressure14:26 Who Wins Next JetBlue15:39 New Report Destination Loyalty17:12 Why Loyalty Is Hard17:40 Survey Chart Surprise19:04 What Drives Returns19:32 Family Comfort Factor20:37 Jumpstart Vacation Mode22:42 Strategy For Destinations25:15 Repeat Travel Examples29:02 Winners And Losers30:22 Pop Culture Pivot33:22 Wrap Up And Goodbye
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Spirit Airlines Collapsed. What Happens to Budget Travel Now?
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