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.