What the End of Spirit Airlines Means for the Future of Flying
5/7/202632 min
When Spirit Airlines shut down over the weekend, it brought an end to a company that had revolutionized air travel in the United States with its ultra-low-cost approach.
Niraj Chokshi, who covers aviation for The New York Times, discussed why the company unraveled and whether those problems could spread to other airlines. And Lynsea Garrison, a producer for “The Daily,” spoke to a Spirit flight attendant about what the airline represented.
Guest:
- Niraj Chokshi, a reporter at The New York Times covering aviation, rail and other transportation industries.
- Colleen Burns, a flight attendant for Spirit Airlines.
Background reading:
- Spirit Airlines shuts down after years of struggle.
- Here’s how the demise of Spirit could help other airlines.
Photo: Tom Brenner for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
Brought to you by Apple Card. [Apple Card sound] Hey, you could be earning 2% daily cash back on that purchase. [Apple Card sound] And that one. [Apple Card sound] And even that one. That's because Apple Card users earn 2% daily cash back on every purchase, including everyday items they buy online or in store when using their Apple Card with Apple Pay. Not an Apple Card customer? You can apply in the Wallet app on iPhone. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Terms and more at apple.co/benefits.
Rachel Abrams· Host0:29
[music] From The New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is The Daily. When Spirit Airlines shut down over the weekend, it brought an end to a company that had revolutionized air travel in the United States with an ultra-low-cost approach. So today, I talk to my colleague, Neeraj Chokshi, about the so-called Spirit effect on air travel, why it unraveled, and whether the problems that doomed Spirit could spread to other airlines. And my colleague Lindsay Garrison talks to a Spirit flight attendant about what Spirit represented. It's Thursday, May seventh.
Unknown speaker1:20
[phone ringing] [notification sound]