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Sasquatch-d@reddit

Exiting CH11 isn’t always a sure thing

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tomsawyerisme@reddit

with the amount of assets spirit has and current demand for planes I think theyll ve okay.

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Yeah I’m not sure why no one else sees this. With Airbus on a backlog the past few years, Spirit will get acquired just so one of the big Airlines can get their hands on those sweet A320neo’s. GTF Engine on the neo’s is crazy fuel efficient and highly coveted.

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fly_awayyy@reddit

Spirit has 70 grounded planes on the ground with no hope in sight due to the manufacturer (PW) having supply chain constraints. No one is gonna want to buy them and make payments on them while they sit. It’s the same reason JetBlue deferred 30+ A321 NEOs they knew they were gonna be grounded into the future even being new. They didn’t see the justification to make payments on grounded airplanes.

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LolWhereAreWe@reddit

Which is why it is an attractive buy for legacy airlines such as DAL, which already have maintenance shops on the P&W GTF engines w/ tooling already stocked. And are a 2 hour trip from P&W’s fab facility in Columbus, GA

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fly_awayyy@reddit

Delta has plenty of their own airplanes grounded as well. Having your own engine shop doesn’t really mean much when you need supplies from PW. That tooling you speak of is already not enough for their existing fleet. You think piling 70+ airplanes in there is gonna make that better. Not to mention the time and money to integrate them into the fleet (interiors, paint, paperwork). P&W already publicly announced from a parts standpoint they’re prioritizing their supply chain for new build engines.

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LolWhereAreWe@reddit

I haven’t heard of any of the Pratt and Whitney 1100G-JM’s sitting in maintenance waiting on tooling, not sure where you’re getting that info.

There was a powdered metal recall that affected turbine disc availability last year, but I have not heard of any engines sitting in MRO waiting on tooling.

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fly_awayyy@reddit

So guess this linked thread had really no merit early this year? Delta has several A220s grounded at SBD. JetBlue has also several A220s grounded.

https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/s/2Yj6iIOUBD

https://qz.com/airbus-engine-trouble-delta-air-canada-1851644656

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LolWhereAreWe@reddit

Well considering the a220 has a completely different engine than the 1100G I’m referring to, yes you’re correct that the linked thread has no merit. The fact that there were 5 a220’s grounded a year ago at a small regional airport doesn’t indicate a widespread parts shortage that would ground the entire Airbus fleet.

Are there supply chain issues for tooling with P&W currently? Yes. Are they to a degree that would prevent a legacy airline from acquiring a320’s on the cheap from a Spirit bankruptcy? I doubt it.

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fly_awayyy@reddit

Yes we know it’s different engine but it too has its own problems or similar problems but different part numbers if you want to be precise. How does it have no merit at any given time there are more than 5 grounded. JetBlue as well has over 10 grounded. Look at what you said no one ever said “ground the entire Airbus fleet” the entire 320 GTF fleet isn’t grounded but a huge portion of them are.

Why would a legacy airline want to take on 70+ A320s start making payments immediately when they have no hope of flying them anytime soon. Thank god you’re not in fleet strategy of an airline you’d cause them to tank too. Like I told you before JetBlue deferred 30+ NEW BUILD A321NEOs because they do not want 30+ (up from their 20+ present day) planes grounded to which they have to make payments on. The CEO pretty much said that verbatim and that’s their own planes…

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LolWhereAreWe@reddit

Man I have no clue why you’re getting personal, I am just giving my opinion on the issue from the understanding I have on the subject.

Current estimates are that about 1/6 of the GTF fleet will need be grounded yearly thru 2026 to get “full-life” turbine fans. That’s not an insignificant number, but not something I see pushing legacy airlines off of the fuel efficiency of the GTF engine. Again not sure if I’ve been clear but Spirit and JetBlue are NOT legacy airlines, and therefore don’t have sophisticated MRO infrastructure at their superhubs. Spirit could barely afford to pay their light bill so it’s no surprise they couldn’t maintain their fleet. Every product and material nowadays has supply chain issues, it is highly likely P&W catches backup on production/recall work.

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fly_awayyy@reddit

Because you have to reap the benefits of the fleet flying actually to take in the cost savings. When they work they’re great when they don’t they’re a liability. A colossal portion of Spirits and JetBlues problems are because of grounded aircraft. 70+ planes at Spirit is over 1/3 of their fleet. I keep doubling down and restating this is why JetBlue deferred their own factory planes for the next few years. Breeze also has delayed their 190 retirements just like JetBlue because they too are having issues with GTFs no surprise?

American for starters doesn’t even have an engine shop for the GTF nor are they effected because they fly CFMs. United just started to get theirs delivered this year or so and they’ve had groundings too on brand new planes. Delta even though they have their engine shop doesn’t make much of a difference if you can’t get the parts. Hence why delta wouldn’t have over 10+ A220s grounded. Buying 70+ planes with the same issues isn’t gonna accomplish anything if you can’t get the parts required not to mention they need new interiors, paint, etc.

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SentientFotoGeek@reddit

As opposed to grounding them in the air???

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Metsican@reddit

The geared turbofans almost definitely contributed to the bankruptcy. They're not nearly as reliable as they should be and it takes way too long to get the parts to fix them.

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tomsawyerisme@reddit

i think most people see the fact they are leases and think that means spirit has no control over them when they do. They can sell the rights to the leases to other airlines for the remainder of the leases term.

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FormulaJAZ@reddit

They can sell the rights to the leases to other airlines for the remainder of the leases term.

Only if the lease terms allow it.

The leases also almost certainly have terms in them that if the airline files for bankruptcy, the lessor can cancel the leases and take the airplanes back.

At this point, the leasor is control, not Spirit. Filing for Bankruptcy is a big risk because the airline loses control over its fate, and it is up to the creditors and a judge to decide what happens next.

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tomsawyerisme@reddit

welp that would be bad. thanks for the insight

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Agreeable_Taint2845@reddit

Elaborating on this, tons of lessors have been buying spirit aircraft and leasing them back to spirit because of the supply issues, knowing that there is demand out there, airlines usually pay less than lessors for aircraft. They've bee hoping for a bankruptcy so that they can take the aircraft out and deploy elsewhere.

Amusingly, the engine issues are so bad right now that lessors are getting more for two engines that an airline can use as needed across its fleet than they are for an aircraft with two engines attached.

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ProudlyWearingThe8@reddit

I wonder what the federal judge that blocked the "merger" with JetBlue thinks about the effects on competition now...

I wonder whether the Justice Department will sue JetBlue again, now that Spirit's bankruptcy will (money quote from the suit) “allow JetBlue to eliminate its largest ultra-low-cost rival, further concentrate the airline industry, and harm American travelers"...

https://www.afar.com/magazine/why-the-jetblue-spirit-merger-was-blocked

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mexicoke@reddit

If Spirit stops flying and their aircraft are acquired by the highest bidder (JetBlue), how is that any different than the proposed acquisition?

It's actually better as then JetBlue won't overpay.

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D2Foley@reddit

Jetblue can't afford to be the highest bidder. All the planes are going to the big companies.

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mexicoke@reddit

If JetBlue can't be the highest bidder at a liquidation sale they absolutely couldn't afford the $33.50/share they offered.

Spirit's stock price closed at $3 on Friday. 30/share was absolutely insane.

It's a loss for the consumer if Spirit folds. Hopefully other airlines like Breeze, Frontier, and Allegiant can step up.

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D2Foley@reddit

They could afford the merger because they weren't competing with American, Delta and United, which they will be at a liquidation sale.

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mexicoke@reddit

You're missing the point. Jetblue could literally buy the entire Spirit fleet, twice over, brand new from airbus for the price they were paying in the "merger." Spirit's planes are half leases anyway, what was Jetblue buying?

American wouldn't want any of Spirit's planes, they use different engines on both their CEOs and NEOs. Delta wouldn't want their CEOs for the same issue, United maybe, but they're not usually a fan of used aircraft.

Frontier could make sense and likely who should have purchased Spirit in the first place. But Spirit got greedy when everyone could see the DOJ wasn't going to look fondly on the B6/NK merger where a F9/NK would likely pass.

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Olhapravocever@reddit

it's not only about planes, I think you're missing the point of mergers.

It's about routes, slots, removing competition and market share. Of course planes, pilots and facilities are important, but it's not only that

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mexicoke@reddit

removing competition

The real reason for the merger. Everyone knows it. That's kinda my point.

If JetBlue can't be the highest bidder at a liquidation sale they absolutely couldn't afford the $33.50/share they offered.

If Spirit does collapse, how is this not a better deal for Jetblue? Their competition is gone and the slots(at 2-3 airports) and aircraft will be sold. Jetblue will be able to pay less for them now than the insane value they had earlier.

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Olhapravocever@reddit

I still fail to get what you mean. For the market and customers, it's better anyway.

They will buy it for less = less prices hikes to pay for it = better for customers

Any company can bid and buy however they want = better for the market who will "regulate" itself

Maybe I'm not getting what you mean

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mexicoke@reddit

My point is that at $33/share, JetBlue was drastically overpaying. If Spirit does liquidate, JetBlue can buy the valuable parts of the operation for less money.

Friday, the whole world decided Spirit was worth $3/share. JetBlue was a fool for thinking it was $33 just 12 months ago.

I don't think less competition is better, I also don't think Spirit will liquidate, but I do think they'll be acquired. Just not by JetBlue.

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Olhapravocever@reddit

I think it will stay like this for a few years and then another pandemic comes by lol let's see

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bantha121@reddit

United maybe, but they're not usually a fan of used aircraft

Their ex-China Southern and ex-EasyJet Airbuses would beg to differ

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mexicoke@reddit

United will occasionally take some on, but I wouldn't call ~20 planes out of 1000 a large portion of their fleet. At least not in the same way other airlines like Delta or Allegiant who are often on the hunt for used aircraft.

I thought the Easyjet deal fell apart? Did they actually take them?

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bantha121@reddit

I'd have to go through and check when I get to work but I believe we took at least a few frames; know we have several of the Ex-China Southern still flying

Given Boeing's continued delivery issues, I'd be willing to bet that the fleet planners are salivating not only at the chance to get their hands on some more A321neos (with engine commonality no less) and as many delivery slots as they can get

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mexicoke@reddit

I don't think Spirit owns most of the A321neos they have. I'm pretty sure a good chunk of them are leased. Obviously they'd be re-leased/sold but unfortunately a lot of them don't have engines.

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Traditional-Yam9826@reddit

The reason is because a Spirit Frontier merger wouldn’t be more competition for the legacies. It would allow Spirit and Frontier to be more stable as size means everything in the airline industry.

Spirit being with JetBlue would make for a strong JetBlue with a strong presence in the north east and transatlantic travel.

Directly pissing off monopoly legacies.

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mexicoke@reddit

NK/B6 wouldn't be more competition for the legacies. Jetblue's 5 TATL destinations are nothing, they don't even serve most of those routes year round.

The legacies are juggernauts because they connect every state in the US to the world. Often in a single stop. They do so with multiple flights per day, even from tiny cities.

If Jetblue just needs 100 more planes to compete with DL/AA/UA, why not just buy them? Would be cheaper than buying NK for $3+B.

We need more competition in the airline market. ULCCs are a big part of that. Look at Europe with EasyJet and Ryan, they are hugely popular because they are cheap. They are not friendly or comfortable, just cheap.

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ProudlyWearingThe8@reddit

If Jetblue just needs 100 more planes to compete with DL/AA/UA, why not just buy them? Would be cheaper than buying NK for $3+B.

Because those planes simply were not on the market.

Airbus is as productive as they can be and they have a huge backlog in all types, which is the dark side of market leadership. JBU only gets 12 A220s and one A321neo this year, followed by 20 A220s and four A321s next year. Their first big shipment of A321s doesn't come as soon as 2029, due to the P&W engine issues. They can't just buy 100 planes like at Walmart.

That's why the merger, while costly, would have been the easiest way to get the volume they needed, plus slots and staff.

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mexicoke@reddit

That would be true if B6 hadn't deferred delivery of their new planes to 2030. Airbus has a backlog, but Jetblue is intentionally not taking more aircraft. Yes, some of that decision is because the P&W issues, but buying NK's parked(and engineless for the same reason) A321s wouldn't have helped.

If JetBlue wants to grow, they can. Just take delivery of the planes they already ordered and had production slots for.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

Maybe ask the Spirit shareholders why they rejected the Frontier deal, that faced significantly less of a DOJ challenge, in favor of the JetBlue deal that was already receiving warning shots.

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ProudlyWearingThe8@reddit

Maybe because they thought the ULCC concept is coming to it's end of life, as Frontier reported net losses in 2022 and a reported net loss in 2023? I can imagine that JetBlue looked like the better company to absorb Spirit, retiring part of their current debt and trying to find new markets with flights to Europe. Plus, there was Carl Icahn buying 10 percent of shares. All while legacy airlines were in a much better position. Unsurprisingly, given the many complaints on this subreddit alone about non-reclining seats and uncomfortable flying as a passenger on ULCCs and LCCs, people seem to be willing to pay more for comfort, and Frontier may have been too similar to Spirit to be able to adapt to that in their eyes.

I mean, we're talking about the guys with the big bucks who do nothing else but thinking about getting more money 24/7/365. If they think JetBlue is the better option to get more money, it probably is. Because the rate of failing stock brokers vs successful ones is about the same as the rate of crashing pilots vs those who regularly land a plane on a runway without killing everyone behind them.

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

B6 hasn’t made a profit since 2019, why would they be a better bet? The entire reason they even had interest in Spirit to begin with was to try and quickly absorb their fleet and pilots because they’re circling the drain too.

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ProudlyWearingThe8@reddit

Because at today's financial markets it's completely irrelevant whether you make a profit or not, as long as you don't make profit in the right way. Think of Amazon. They've not had a single profitable quarter for more than a decade, so why are they still around, right? JetBlue pays for it's debt with expansion, while Frontier is in a sideways movement in their corner of a shrinking market.

Of course, this is nothing that you can touch, nothing rational. It's the financial market equivalence of ratio. And of course that's monetary esotericism, but that's how it works, and they're more often successful than not with that.

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greentoiletpaper@reddit

Think of Amazon. They've not had a single profitable quarter for more than a decade

Do you have a source on that? I guess I'm misunderstanding this graph then https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/AMZN/amazon/net-income

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Mist_Rising@reddit

It's bad information, Amazon didn't post a profit for decades on end.. because they'd take that profit and ram it into new expansions. They still made money hand over fist, theyre profits looked like a rocket ship. It just so happened they spent like it was the moon race too. (It's more complex since Amazon was also taking out loans, but that's the jist)

Accounting 101: profit = revenue-expense. If you spend it all you don't have a profit

If spirit and JetBlue were also spending their revenue into expenses, but then they were spending more! The costs were greater than the revenue, and it wasn't from expansion to new hubs or because spirit was now becoming a luxury carrier, nope. It was because they weren't making enough.

Unfortunately people don't understand how this all works in reality, at least not on reddit, leading to misinformation and bad rakes.

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greentoiletpaper@reddit

Right, I get your point. Could say what metric/figure in their releases you are talking about regarding them not turning profit the past 10 years? Free cash flow? operating (net) income? I'm trying to learn this stuff and just want to know what technical term you are referencing.

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Mist_Rising@reddit

Then I'm not the person to tell you. I am definitely not an accountant, I hate math.

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greentoiletpaper@reddit

No problem, understandable. So where'd you get the 'no single quarter in 10 years' claim

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Mist_Rising@reddit

Technically, I didn't say quarter because that wouldn't be true.

Anyway, Wall Street journal, New York times, etc. They all reported the story of what Amazon never paid taxes on profit (which happens when you don't post it) and why a few years ago when Amazon was looking at a new HQ and what tax breaks would be offered and what would be useless.

Most of those reports weren't helpful to this topic because they don't relate to profit but it led to several reporters/news articles explaining why Amazon didn't have a profit, thus no tax, because they essentially would spend it as they get it to grow and how only recently (as of the report) did they lack the ability to expand beyond their earnings.

I'm not an accountant, but I can follow the basics when someone else hands me the facts.

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Traditional-Yam9826@reddit

I’m sure he’s kicking his feet back in first class on a legacy carrier while he sips his Mai Tai to some exotic location.

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formation@reddit

Just another day in the airline industry, even AA has had been in bankruptcy protection.

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DirtyMykeNtheBoys@reddit

This is the dumbest comment on here. Just another day? This is the first major bankruptcy filing for a major US Carrier since 2011. And of all major carriers...AA is objectively the poorest managed legacy carrier...but "even AA has been in bankruptcy protection"?

Jesus christ, reddit is a cesspool of ignorance. Unleash the downvote bots and don't forget to kiss my ass.

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formation@reddit

*gently kisses your ass*

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scamp9121@reddit

Legacy airlines have a far greater chance of exiting chapter 11 successfully due to the amount of assets available including reward programs. My understanding is Spirit doesn’t own much of anything. It’s all leased. Anyone have info on that?

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RadosAvocados@reddit

They do own some of their planes. But correct, most are leased. They actually sold a few dozen planes this year and then leased them back to make some quick cash, but deals like that hurt in the long term. They have a frequent flyer program but it's not nearly as lucrative as the big guys.

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MrCuzz@reddit

Well, yeah, who would want to frequently fly on Spirit?

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printerdsw1968@reddit

For a regular route, it's fine. I fly Spirit regularly because I flew between ORD<>LAX five times this year, same last year. Cheap, non-stop, convenient schedule.

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EngineerAndDesigner@reddit

Short haul flights. I frequently fly from SFO to Vegas for under $50 with Spirit.

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DirtyMykeNtheBoys@reddit

...while nobody else has filed for bankruptcy protection. Yeah...just "another day". Dumbest fucking post in this thread...

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No1PaulKeatingfan@reddit

You know employee wages and benefits are usually slashed and burnt in a ch11 bankruptcy right?

Not to mention the shares being cancelled, lenders forced to accept lower repayments, the company ends up shrinking, etc etc.

This is not a good thing.

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TexasBrett@reddit

Where did they say it’s a good thing?

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No1PaulKeatingfan@reddit

They didn't.

May used to be normal, but the industry has changed. Bankruptcies aren't as needed like they used to be.

But to see it happen again, painful. I hope everyone comes out the better side in decent shape.

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Ky1arStern@reddit

Lol, you sound like Doug Parker. How has the industry really changed?

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Mr_Lumbergh@reddit

Well that’s a shocker. With customer service like that, you’d think everyone would want to fly them.

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wrong_axiom@reddit

They filed for bankruptcy protection, is not the same, this is a debt restructuring and existing contracts renegotiation.

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rayfound@reddit

That's what bankruptcy is yes.

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wrong_axiom@reddit

No, it's legally different.

Chapter 11 (Bankruptcy protection) is a legal instrument to restructure but they are still operative, everyone still gets their salary and those who paid for a service (transportation) still receive it. Many airlines are going through this as a strategy to renegotiate many contracts of providers like ground handlers that during pandemic have increased the costs, and now that the industry is lifting again, they are searching for lower prices.

Bankruptcy is the complete cease of operations because the insolvency has reach a level that no longer continues the business to operate as usual (like when airlines have completely vanished from one day to the other leaving all passengers grounded).

It's not the same. What they did is try to not reach that last step.

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mp0295@reddit

It's not a legal difference, it's a jargon difference. In my space "filing for bk" is an acceptable phrase to refer to filing for chapter 11 protection (as well as any other chapter).

What is your specific space where that is not the case?

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wrong_axiom@reddit

Chapter 11 and 15 are very different. If the judge grants to the creditors in 15 to liquidate assets to recover money the company cease to exist. In chapter 11 the company can negotiate and still operate. I’ve been part of a chapter 11 in a company and I’ve experienced how the restructuring is proposed while everyone still is working and customers are still receiving their goods.

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mp0295@reddit

? I am well aware 7 and 11 are very different. not disputing. I am specifically saying, in the sector of wall street in which I work, a company filing for either chapter 7 or 11 is both equally called "filing for bankruptcy" as a matter of jargon

what sector are you that this is not the case?

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wrong_axiom@reddit

I'm in aviation, not in spirit, other airline. And why I insists in the difference, is that after filing chapter 7 it always (haven't seen otherwise, although the case could happen) ends up in immediate grounding. While 11 you are in a process to avoid going to the cease of operations. Yes, I know both are bankruptcy, but is not for nothing that Chapter 11 is named as "bankruptcy protection", the airline will still operate, passengers will still be transported while the negotiation goes on, so people with tickets for the holidays will most probably fly, even passengers with tickets for next summer will most probably fly.

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C47man@reddit

Yes. And what federal code is Chapter 11 a part of? Yes, correct, The Bankruptcy Code. It's one of the common forms of bankruptcy. Why are you dying on this hill

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toga_virilis@reddit

lol, this is what I was about to say. Chapter 11 of what? The Bankruptcy Code.

It’s like that scene about write-offs in Schitt’s Creek. “They should call it a tax write-off.” “They do!”

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Ludicrous_speed77@reddit

Ch 11 is still bankruptcy

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rayfound@reddit

It's all bankruptcy. Just chap 7 vs chap 11... Both are bankruptcy.

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MyWholeTeamsDead@reddit

Correct

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wrong_axiom@reddit

It’s under the bankruptcy instrument yes. But it’s not the same. With 7 they would lose their operator certificate and all aircrafts would be grounded leaving passengers stranded. With 11 they can still fly and sell tickets.

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MyWholeTeamsDead@reddit

So we're in agreement then. They're filing for bankruptcy. It's 11, but it's still a form of bankruptcy as defined in financial terms.

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JamesEdward34@reddit

i think what hes trying to say is that theyll be bankrupt but wont cease to operate. a lot of laypeople think bankrupt = business goes under and stops existing.

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caucafinousvehicle@reddit

User name checks out

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FormulaJAZ@reddit

Almost all Ch7 bankruptcies start out as a Ch11 first.

Ch11 is a huge gamble because it puts the creditors and a judge in charge of the airline's fate. If they decide the airline is worth more dead than alive, that's what will happen.

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wrong_axiom@reddit

I agree but it is still not there and is important that people understands the difference. Otherwise those with tickets in the next few days will panic and is still not time for it.

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FormulaJAZ@reddit

If a friend asked if they should buy tickets on Spirit for the holidays, I would tell them to take their money somewhere else.

The Spirit's schedule and paychecks are good for a couple of weeks, but beyond that is a total gamble.

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barrylunch@reddit

Their bank accounts _rupt_ured, they’re bleeding out and lack cash to keep the body alive: bankruptcy.

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benair5@reddit

No more flying bananas

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prototypist@reddit

Uh blueoriginair.com was registered yesterday and redirects to the Spirit Airlines website, seems odd

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saml01@reddit

Bezos bought spirit?

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prototypist@reddit

Maybe? Maybe someone thought he would and squatted the domain? No idea

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saml01@reddit

Do people squat domains with trademarks these days? Seems like an easy way to get sued.

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Robots_Never_Die@reddit

If you use the domain and don't just squat on it then it's legal.

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matsutaketea@reddit

ehhh you'd think they'd register the domain via Amazon if so

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Xylobol@reddit

Trying to dig into this. How'd you even find it?

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prototypist@reddit

Threads app post linking to https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/spirit/147462-spirit-airlines-ch-11-a-86.html#post3853160 , both originals seem to be deleted now

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Physical_Tap_4796@reddit

Not a shocker. The worst airline ever.

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kiwi_love777@reddit

That’s a shame

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UNDR08@reddit

Rough seas ahead for those pilots over there.

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castafobe@reddit

And hundreds of flight attendants too. I watch a guy on YouTube who has worked for them for 8 years and I feel terrible for him. He loves his company and if he has to start over with a new one he's going to lose significant money for a few years, as will pilots. Unions can be great but the rigid time based raises also make situations like this very difficult.

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shemp33@reddit

I wonder what it’s like to work for them. Essentially the Walmart of sky travel… and if you ever see an airport fight on YouTube or tiktok, it’s usually at the Spirit gate… (Not always - but usually). I have family in other airlines and a cargo carrier but not Spirit and they all love their companies. But it’s gotta be a different dynamic.

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castafobe@reddit

It's really not much different. 99% of the flights the FA I watch has are completely uneventful. He says that what he loves about his job and his company specifically is that the passengers are just normal everyday people. They aren't Karens who demand first class service with a condescending attitude, they're just people going from point A to point B. He flies out of Vegas so he sees it all from bachelor parties to funerals to weddings, and everything in between. Normal people doing normal everyday things, just like they shopping at Walmart. I've flown Spirit many times and never once had a bad experience.

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shemp33@reddit

Awesome. I’m not sure why my comment was so heavily downvoted. It’s a genuine question. Thank you for the insight.

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Reddisuspendmeagain@reddit

My daughter works for them as a FA, she loves it. They have a lot of bases so she’s 15 minutes from the airport and doesn’t have to commute. They actually treat their employees well, which was surprising to me. I hope they are able to come out of their bankruptcy intact, just leaner. I’m rooting for them, they really do provide a service, they get you from point A to point B with no frills.

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shemp33@reddit

That’s good to hear!

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disfannj@reddit

pilot contract was one of the best from what friends over there say.

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TimeSpacePilot@reddit

It’s not going to be easy for anyone to start over with a new airline right now.

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Gr8BrownBuffalo@reddit

Unless someone had been at Spirit for 20 years, why did any of them stick around in the last two or three years?

I get it that their quality of life could be great sometimes, but no one who “just got there” was reaping those benefits. And the legacies were taking pilots hand over fist.

Now those younger guys that hung on too long have missed the prime hiring windows at bigger companies and I’d imagine the Spirit captains will become a hot commodity before anyone else.

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TimeSpacePilot@reddit

Some people love the challenge of the startup/little company fighting against The Man. Some probably believed one of the mergers would go through or that the bean counters could pull a rabbit out of a hat. Some may have not wanted to change bases. I thought a never would happen, the DOJ screwed them. But here we are. Sad for a lot of folks.

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Awkward_Strategy67@reddit

This is why JETBlue merger should have been approved

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futurerichkigga@reddit

As equity investor, i don’t get any of my shares back? I’m just curious what happens to equity investor? What are the chances of getting my equity back🥲

I know debt holders will get paid first before I get anything, but curious to know if anyone knows

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RoooDog@reddit

You loose your investment. I went through this with MCIW years ago. It sucks.

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FormulaJAZ@reddit

You get to keep your shares, but like a used tissue, they won't be worth anything.

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flat6purrrr@reddit

Yes they will. Tax harvest

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AFoxGuy@reddit

sigh

waits for BrightSunFilm’s Bankrupt: Spirit video

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bonnies_ranch@reddit

The repair bill for those bullet holes were the last nail in the coffin

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Armamore@reddit

Either that or they were more reliant on those flights from Haiti than we realized. Wonder what they had in the cargo hold...

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SimpletonSwan@reddit

Cargo

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MassiveBoner911_3@reddit

hail Mary’s….

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TheBadgersWake@reddit

Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

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n00chness@reddit

Bullet Hole Potential Fee Add-On: $7.50

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Isak922@reddit

Per hole, per passenger. Obviously.

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DelyanKovachev@reddit

Composite is tough to repair

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notimeleft4you@reddit

Tariffs already hitting the speed tape industry?

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Olhapravocever@reddit

people here don't take jokes that well, that's a good one lol

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BakerofHumanPies@reddit

It's almost like delivering awful service and nickel-and-diming customers for every single thing is a poor business model.

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PsychologicalBath580@reddit

They just couldn't make that charging you for the air you breathe work.

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WillfulKind@reddit

BAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told you! I told you so many times STACY!!!! You can't run customer service like this or we'll never fly you again and look what happened!!!!!!!!

BUT THANK GOD YOU SAVED ALL THAT MONEY ON YOUR GARBAGE LUGGAGE BIDDING SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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careys67@reddit

I thought they where going to be allowed to merge with another low cost carrier? Guess not

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adjust_your_set@reddit

They were taking with Frontier again, but that fell through.

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FormulaJAZ@reddit

I wouldn't say negotiations "fell through," but more likely, Frontier decided they could get a better deal if they waited until Spirit went bankrupt and ditched a lot of their debt and unwanted contracts.

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saml01@reddit

They claimed it was going to hurt competition. Instead they let the company get to this point and hurt competition.

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Traditional-Yam9826@reddit

Frontier pulled out of merger negotiations. Nothing there was blocked

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TimeSpacePilot@reddit

No, now the government that denied that sale will probably force them to sell their assets to the other low cost carrier.

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PhysicalConsistency@reddit

My only time flying Spirit, the attendant announced during pre-flight "And for those of you who swore they'd never fly with us again welcome back!", in a tone that was a mix of sarcasm and disdain. The worst part is that with the front seat upgrade it was more expensive than other options, and the hour and a half delay meant I only got to my destination about 45 minutes sooner.

I look forward to more experiences like Spirit in the upcoming years as the regulatory framework around airlines gets stripped away.

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start3ch@reddit

Is that why I was able to get dirt cheap flights around Christmas?

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Sure_lll_Eat_That@reddit

Spirit Halloween has a chance to do the funniest thing ever.

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PercySnowsHandgun@reddit

Reopen as a 737 dealership during the offseason?

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Velocoraptor369@reddit

Spirt just gave up the ghost! How they have survived this long is well amazing.

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redditistheway@reddit

Dang. Not a fan of ULCC’s overall, but they do sometimes serve a niche which may lack for service/options now.

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focusonevidence@reddit

They definitely pressured the big guys to try and keep up with their pricings. Less competition is bad for everyone.

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CrasVox@reddit

They sure lead the race to the bottom

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seeasea@reddit

That's like complaining that the subway doesn't have captain chairs or a trunk.

We need to shift the paradigm.

Aviation is not a new technology and way of the future - it's a regular everyday mode of transportation.

Think of United as taking an Uber and spirit as the bus. They are not supposed to be compared, even if they generally do the same things.

And for what it's worth, all memes aside, Spirit has by far the youngest fleet, and their pilots are as qualified as any other airline. They don't land harder or worse than any other faa regulated airline (it's bad for budget anyways).

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Goddamn.