When Spirit Airlines Left Minneapolis, Fares Doubled: Now It’s Everywhere

For years, travelers mocked Spirit Airlines while quietly benefiting from everything the carrier represented. The bright yellow planes became internet punchlines, the cramped cabins inspired endless jokes, and the extra fees turned the airline into a meme, yet behind all of that irritation was one uncomfortable reality for the rest of the industry – Spirit forced larger airlines to keep fares lower than they otherwise would have been. Now that pressure is suddenly gone, and the consequences are already becoming visible across the US.