Spirit Airlines has hit back at United Airlines, calling United obsessive and warning that United’s ultimate goal is simply to raise fares on routes that Spirit currently serves.
Spirit Airlines Calls United Airlines Obsessive, Says Spirit Stands In The Way Of “Their Ultimate Goal Of Charging American Travelers The Highest Fares Possible”
Earlier today, I wrote about United’s announcement that it will add flights on 15 routes in a direct attack on Spirit Airlines. The route announcement was not particularly interesting, considering United Airlines adds routes to leisure destinations each winter, but what was interesting was how Patrick Quayle, United’s SVP of Global Network Planning and Alliances, framed the new routes:
“If Spirit suddenly goes out of business it will be incredibly disruptive, so we’re adding these flights to give their customers other options if they want or need them.”
Ouch…
Spirit Airlines Responds
Duncan Dee, Spirit’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, told Live And Let’s Fly:
“While we appreciate the obsession certain airline executives have with us, we’re focused on competing and running a great operation. Suggesting anything else is wishful thinking on the part of a high-cost airline looking to eliminate a low-cost competitor so they can fulfill their ultimate goal of charging American travelers the highest fares possible to visit the people and places they love. Spirit is responsible for making low fares available to consumers for more than 30 years, whether they fly with us or not. We have every expectation to continue doing so for many years to come.”
And I have to say, my response to Dee’s statement is “amen!”
It’s not because I think Quayle was necessarily wrong…he’s one of my favorite people in the entire industry and quite a sharp thinker. It’s not even because I thought his statement was crass, though it was certainly novel (dare I say Trumpian?).
Rather, it’s because I am rooting for Spirit Airlines. Spirit may not be a carrier I prefer to fly, but it serves as a vital check on network carriers, who would love nothing more than to see it liquidate so they can raise fares.
Spirit’s hemorrhaging of cash even as it emerged from its first round of bankruptcy protection does make me doubt the viability of its business model. But that does not mean I am not rooting for Spirit to rebound, because Dee is correct: United wants Spirit to fail so it can raise fares.
United CEO Scott Kirby has long argued that the ultra-low-cost model in the USA will fail. I’m not sure that is true…but Kirby is correct to the extent that it is not working in its current form. Could a merged Frontier-Spirit-Allegiant-Sun Country produce a national budget carrier that could compete with legacy carriers? I do think that is possible…but without a varied product of fares, longhaul partners, and a more engaging loyalty program, Spirit certainly faces a monumental uphill battle trying to go it alone.
CONCLUSION
I’m rooting for the underdog here and love that Spirit responded in the way it did to United’s shade. Only time will tell if Spirit can reboot its business model and eventually find profitability, but it is 100% correct that United wants to kill it as soon as possible and by whatever means necessary so that United can raise fares. I’m not rooting for that.
A “cute” reply won’t change a thing and Spirit should be worried about their business, or lack of it.
But I am kind of with you in that them existing keeps some “undesirables” off regular airlines. Though from your recent reports some already switched to AA.
There is no doubt that Scott approved the language that Patrick used. It would not be the language i would suggest senior airline executives use. i have had that issue with Scott all along. Smisek was another problem communicator.
Delta’s Anderson was often more blunt than i would have suggested, but for the most part he had the goods to deliver on what he said, even if i didn’t like the way he put it.
i think that Scott and Patrick have had this plan on the shelf for years waiting for the opportunity to unleash it. They didn’t dream this up over labor day.
Matt, Isn’t it somewhat paradoxical that you wish to see Spirit survive and acknowledge its role in tempering the big 4’s price gouging but literally don’t ‘put your money where your mouth is ‘ ? It sounds somewhat elitist to enjoy the perks of traveling on UA, et al while leaving the ‘unwashed ‘ to do the ‘heavy lifting ‘ & taking one for the team by flying Spirit !
…. lol
I’m not saying my position is principled…I just like the pressure that NK puts on others. Indeed, I’m happy to let other fly Spirit, but I will do it when the cost/benefit analysis makes sense:
https://liveandletsfly.com/spirit-airlines-a321-economy-class-review/
I came to say this exact same thing. Matthew isn’t alone in it either. People are choosing to fly other airlines, which is what’s bankrupting Spirit and choking frontier. You can’t actually care about Low fares on other airlines when you choose to fly the expensive airlines. However, those carriers suck, and Americans have no time for wasting on the budget model anymore it seems. I say good riddance.
I think Matthew apprecites the competion and thus lower fares that LCCs provide the industry as a whole, which benefits him when he uses regular airlines. So yes, he may not care for most LCCs and only use them on rare occasions when it makes financial sense, but he would miss them if more and more of them disappear.
Re: “keep some “undesirables” off ”, great idea. Of course Douchebag Dave Edwards and Sch*tt Hsuan, as the poster beings for “undesirable”, should be the first “undesirables” on every airline’s no-fly list, and every restaurant’s no-service list, and every hotel’s no stay list etc., etc., etc.
Of course United wants to charge people more by having Spirit go out of business. Kirby’s been smooching the royal feet in D.C. for over half a year now in an particularly crass and tasteless manner in hopes of gaining some advantage for his airline. Why would he not try to destroy an airline that competes with United? Kirby has once again proven that moral considerations are no considerations for him at all. I understand that when you run a business (as I do and have done for over 20 years now) the business has to come first. Unfortunately Kirby has yet to discover that that doesn’t mean forfeiting your soul in the name of making a buck.
@Christian … +1 . Good comment .
I would add that the Ten Commandments ought to be followed in all endeavors .
Sould have tried to follow the commandments yourself. The paid propaganda you have spread here will remain in the archives. Some of the most disgusting ever. Stop trying to pretend you are anything else.
It’s a shame that fair and unbiased criticism of UA tends to be scarce around these parts.
“competing and running a great operation…”
Well….they’re doing a hell of job so far
United wants to gouge, er, “continuously price” in the hopes Spirit goes into chapter 7. They just have slicker wording around it than Delta had.
United loves low fares. That’s why they’re trying to get rid of regulations protecting their consumers. If they don’t have to pay refunds, fares will be really low. So low that they won’t even need to publish them with the mandatory taxes and fees included.
@Jerry … good one .
I say “amen” too
UA loves to act like the bully that is called to take out every airline not named Delta.
Thankfully, Delta sees its role as knocking United up the side of the head as evidenced by DL’s growth in NYC and LAX including the addition of LAX-ORD and LAX-HKG.
The airline industry has long exhibited high degrees of testosterone. United is just proof that exhibits of testosterone in the marketplace generate far more heat than light.
DL is just as greedy as the rest of them. What about the kerfuffle of its recent AI enhanced pricing model ?
Not very consumer friendly in the least ….
DL gets the best revenue premium in the industry but AI hasn’t done a thing to get them there.
and DL doesn’t incessantly talk about taking out lower cost and weaker competitors even though DL fiercely competes with everyone = including adding new flights at BOS some of which are in markets which B6 serves and some of which are competitive with UA – such as LAX-ORD and LAX-HKG.
let’s keep in mind that UA also whines about not being able to get back into JFK and also talks about taking down AA and low cost carriers. Why would the DOJ let UA anywhere near two weak airlines?
UA execs run their mouths way too much for their own good.
Yea delta doesn’t talk about it, but they are just as fierce as anyone when it comes to undercutting and stifling low cost competitors. What difference does it really make if united puts out a snarky press release if the end result is the same? Delta wants spirit to disappear just as much as united, they arent saints in this scenario either
DL doesn’t pick just on the weak kids on the playground and doesn’t have the balls to say it is taking out low fare carriers. DL built BOS during covid and continues to take pieces out of B6′ hide but DL can justifiably say it is building a secondary international hub in the NE, something DL has been more successful at doing than AA or UA.
DL also took on AA at LAX and is taking on UA there.
It isn’t afraid to take on AA and UA – and its results over 48 years of deregulation prove that DL can win against anyone. and it doesn’t pick on just the weak kids.
Yeah, DL really is no better than UA in that that regard.
To those who like to throw around the term “gouge.” Last year US carriers earned $6.7 billion flying an average of 2.7 million pax a day. Permit me to do the math for you. The net profit per pax is about $6.80. True price gougers earn more than $6.80 per pax, or about 2% of airfare. (UAL does better than that.)
Considering that DL and UA are the only two carriers that are generating margins higher than 2%, more than half of the capacity in the US airline industry is being flown by financial zombies.
and remember that UA is paying all of its non-pilot union employees about $1 billion less than DL. On an equal cost basis and adjusted for the fact that UA flies 10% more ASMs than DL, UA would be making much less than they are now.
I mean, they’re not wrong.
What/ why does Spirit even care if UAL competes with them and at higher prices ? Just keep your (Spirit) fares as is and you’ll keep that base of customers who want to by choice pay YOUR lowest fares. Seriously, Spirit is on the verge of oblivion and they’re griping about higher fares on another airline ?