u/TeaforTwo12

Spirit stopped flying on May 2, 2026. Every flight canceled overnight, 17,000 jobs gone. It's being sold off in pieces right now.

Here's the strange part: Spirit's big idea worked.

They were the ones who decided a plane ticket should only buy you a seat. Want a bag, a seat assignment, a snack? Pay separately. That let them advertise fares nobody could beat, and eventually more than half their money came from fees instead of tickets. 

But that was also part of their problem. With raising costs all around them, they couldn’t raise their prices because their whole business model was based on serving budget prices. If they raise their prices, it defeats their purpose.

Three things worth learning from this:

1. Losing money on every sale doesn't get better with more sales. It gets worse, faster.
2. If a bigger company can copy your advantage, it isn't protection. Once the big airlines offered a cheap fare and a real network, Spirit had nothing left to sell.
3. Waiting to get bought isn't a plan. Spirit's rescue was a merger with JetBlue. Regulators blocked it. Two bankruptcies followed.

Anyone have any ideas on what Spirit could have done differently? Have you come across a similar problem in your own business?

Having a good elevator pitch ready and on stand-by is always a good idea. I’m curious how other founders actually distilled their company down when they had 30 seconds with an investor.

Was it a clean one-liner? A problem-first hook? Did you lead with traction, the market, or the team? And looking back, would you pitch it the same way now, or completely rewrite it?

Drop yours below if you're up for sharing or any tips you have for others who are in the process of perfecting theirs!

As much as we want to be, we can’t be good at everything. We all have something we can improve on whether it be sales calls, marketing, or simply just saying no. What’s something you wish you were better at?