A Spirit Airlines passenger delivered a racist rant that ironically started off, “We Don’t Teach Hate In Our House…” Video is going viral in social media but from the passengers wearing masks onboard it doesn’t appear to be recent – this presumably happened during the pandemic when masks rules (that were lifted in April 2022) were still in place.

The woman spends more than a minute spewing an ideological rant aimed at a white woman seated nearby.

You don’t run America no more. All y’all people is all the same. That’s what y’all teach in your house. But Black people don’t teach that hate in our house. You need to understand that… I’m not a slave. I never came from Africa. I’m an indigenous person to this country… I’m the queen in this $%@!#@#.

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From there she leaned into pseudoscience and Bible references, claiming that Black people are the origin of all colors, that white people “can’t procreate,” and invoking Esau and Jacob. She tied this to eugenics, Darwin, and what she described as a promise coming to “her people.” She finished her sermon with: “Shut up, bitch.”

As best I can tell this took place on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Sacramento. According to a passenger who says they were on the flight, the dispute began after landing. The woman stood up to head to the lavatory, but another passenger told her to sit down as everyone was supposed to remain seated until the aircraft reached the gate.

That comment sparked what seemed like a rehearsed rant — she even said she’d been “waiting all [her] life” to say it. Flight attendants largely let her go until law enforcement met the aircraft. Passengers were held onboard until she was escorted off.

Spirit Airlines is struggling, and they’ve attempted a premium rebrand with first class and fewer fees (bundled fares). I wonder if they should lean into their reputation and sell tickets based on the inflight entertainment – no streaming required?

Put another way, Spirit Airlines seems to have forgotten who they are and that may be part of their troubles – not just shifting consumer sentiment, higher costs, and grounded planes with engine issues. might lean into their roots as they look to a new strategy.