I suppose other major airlines couldn’t make the same claim about a functional website. There simply aren’t that many functions at spiritairlines.com, so perhaps it’s actually credible.
So they claim to have passed the “Affordable Fare Act” — “If you like your low fares, you can keep your low fares!”
And though Spirit does often have low fares, there are definitely no subsidies (or cross-subsidies), only ancillary fees.
When the Anthony Weiner sexting story first broke two years ago, Spirit ran an Anthony Weiner sale. And a More Bang for Your Buck sale on flights to Cartagena when secret service agents were revealed to have frequented prostitutes there.
Back in 2010 they invited customers to check out the (suntan) oil on the beaches that they fly to… during the BP oil spill. (At the time I was just thankful they hadn’t advertised ‘a flood of low fares to New Orleans’ after Hurricane Katrina.)
And their most famous ad has to be their “MILF Sale” (Many Islands, Low Fares)… and in keeping with the ‘theme’ they ran a TV commercial, “Think that’s low? Spirit Airlines fares are even lower!”
I don’t want to fly Spirit, and with 90 day expiration I don’t even collect their miles, but the 13 year old boy in me sure loves their ads.
However, I think health care policy is a bit too grown up for them.
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A week or two ago, Spirit did a “We’re not smoking crack” one with a fare sale to Toronto*.
* IAG – Niagara Falls Airport.
The ad could have been more accurate: “On Spirit, if you like your low fare, you can keep it. But prepare for a sucker punch later, when you try to use it!”
I have to be honest, if I was in marketing, I would love to work for Spirit.
Spirit’s Frequent Flyer Program, if you have their credit card and have flexibility, is the best in the business.
Me and a buddy are flying to a concert in Tampa from DFW in January for 1 day. 10,000 miles for both of us plus $40 in fees plus $120 to sit in their “first class”. You only have to spend 5k to get 10k miles – so that’s $39.50 on the reload circuit. $59.50 + $120 (our option) to fly two people to Tampa for a day to go to a concert is insane.
If you learn to exploit, you can get value left and right.