Skift Take
Spirit is facing substantial competitive pressures over the short term as legacy carriers try to take away its price advantages. A lot of the outcome depends on who blinks first.
Lots of the buzz in the airline industry over the past week has revolved around whether American Airlines can afford to get even more aggressive in matching the fares of Spirit Airlines and other so-called ultra low-cost carriers, as American Airlines officials pledged to do.
Whether or not further commoditizing flights for infrequent flyers, who make up 87 percent of American's unique customers, is a prudent strategy, one thing is abundantly clear: Spirit Airlines is feeling the heat from the competition and that's dampening some of its growth plans.
During Spirit's third quar
