Flying the unfriendly skies: A business ethicist says goodbye to Spirit Airlines

"Spirit pioneered à la carte pricing in American air travel with the introduction of what it called the “bare fare.” When you bought a ticket to fly on Spirit, you didn't get snacks, seat choice, or (God forbid) a carry-on. These were privileges. You had to pay for them. You got a seat. Period."

"By then, Baldanza had been the head of Spirit Airlines for nearly a decade, and he was the driving force behind its transformation from merely a low-cost carrier, like Southwest or Jet Blue, to an ultra-low-cost carrier. The distinction between them turns on relative deprivation. No one will ever confuse the cabin of Jet Blue for a Learjet, but at least in 2015, air travel on both involved choosing your seats, bringing your bags aboard, and chowing down on snacks."

"There were the improbably tiny bags, people packed tightly in seats, and an everpresent sense that the simmering confusion could at any moment break out into full blown calamity. Like most people, I've always had a love/hate relationship with Spirit. Unlike most people, I once expressed it to the face of Ben Baldanza, the former CEO of Spirit."

Spirit Airlines operated with ultra-low-cost, à la carte “bare fare” pricing that separated basic transportation from add-ons. Passengers received a seat but not snacks, seat choice, or carry-on allowances without additional payment. The experience was characterized by tiny bags, tightly packed seating, and a persistent sense that confusion could escalate into serious trouble. The airline’s transformation under Ben Baldanza shifted it from a low-cost model toward an ultra-low-cost model. The contrast with airlines like JetBlue and Southwest centered on relative deprivation, where those carriers still offered more included amenities such as seat selection, onboard bags, and snacks. Spirit’s approach made amenities feel like paid privileges rather than standard services.

Read at Fast Company