Spirit Airlines just launched a surprising change to its planes | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

When it comes to air travel, there’s one word you can say (well, besides “delayed”) that can make just about anyone that flies shudder.

That word is “Spirit,” short for Spirit (SAVE) Airlines.

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If you’ve ever had the experience of flying with the carrier, it’s likely you were lured in by super low fares and thought the cheaper cost would save you a ton of money.

Spirit counted on the fact that most people don’t read the fine print, which states that you pay extra for everything from a carry-on bag to having a drink delivered to your seat. In the end, the ticket is a lot more expensive than it looks.

While this strategy worked for Spirit for a while, customers eventually got wise to its tactics. The airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024, citing the pandemic, competition from major carriers, and a failed JetBlue sale as its reasons.

Spirit went through debt restructuring and emerged in March of 2025 with a very ambitious new goal: to cater to upscale travelers, basically a complete 180-degree turn from what it was known for previously.

It has just unveiled some of those changes, and it will be interesting to see if customers respond positively to them.

Spirit Airlines recently launched the Go Big Fare Class.

Image source&colon; Veronika Bondarenko

Spirit Airlines offers all-new seating options

Starting on July 9, Spirit customers who opt to book its Premium Economy option will have a surprising experience when they board the plane: the actual ability to stretch their limbs.

This is thanks to seats that offer four more inches of legroom, which will be available across the majority of Spirit’s fleet, located at the front of the aircraft. Now 42 such seats are available per flight; in the past, there were only 12.

This is the newest launch in Spirit’s transformation. Prior to this, the airline announced another seating option called Go Comfy, which includes a blocked middle seat, a carry-on and a checked bag, priority boarding, a snack, and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Go Comfy bookings open next month on August 16 and will be available to travelers starting August 27.

That’s not the only new seating option launching in August. As we’ve previously reported, Go Big is another new seating option that launches on August 16, which features all the same perks Go Comfy does, but also a plusher, nicer seat and no middle seat at all.

Spirit Airlines’ move toward luxury travel

While the idea of Spirit ditching its cheap travel model to appeal to a traveler willing to spend more might sound a bit hard to swallow, the airline is actually following a trend that a lot of other airlines are zoning in on: paying a bit more for comfort.

Frontier Airline, a fellow brand in the low-cost space, has also introduced first-class seats branded as UpFront Plus, and reported that within six months of launching the product, it sold 70% of the seats.

JetBlue also announced upgraded seating in early January with its EvenMore perk, which offers a premium cabin with reserved overhead bin space, free alcoholic drinks, and premium snacks.

Southwest joined in on May 1 with its own extra legroom seats, a change the carrier originally announced last year. After 50 years of offering open seating, the airline has chosen to transition away from that model, as well as end its longtime free bag policy.