Spirit

### Spirit Airlines (ICAO: NKS)

Spirit Airlines is an American ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) headquartered in Miramar, Florida. The airline began its journey in 1983 as Charter One Airlines, a Michigan-based charter tour operator offering vacation packages. It transitioned to scheduled passenger service in 1990 and officially rebranded as Spirit Airlines in 1992. In 2007, Spirit transformed into an ultra-low-cost model, focusing on providing affordable air travel by unbundling services and charging for amenities typically included in traditional airline fares.

Spirit's main operational base and largest hub is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The airline also maintains several other operating bases and focus cities across the United States, including Orlando (MCO), Las Vegas (LAS), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Houston (IAH), and Atlanta (ATL), among others. Spirit operates an extensive route network throughout the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, flying to approximately 83 cities, with a focus on leisure and city-to-city travel.

The airline operates an all-Airbus fleet, primarily consisting of Airbus A320 family aircraft, including the A319, A320, and A321 models. This fleet includes both older A320ceo family aircraft and newer, more fuel-efficient A320neo family jets, such as the A320neo and A321neo. Spirit is not a member of any major global airline alliance like Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld. However, it does hold interline agreements with partners like French Bee and Norse Atlantic Airways and has codeshare agreements that expand its reach, such as with Copa Airlines. Its business model, known as "À La Smarte," allows passengers to customize their travel by paying only for services they choose, such as baggage, seat selection, and refreshments. Spirit offers a basic standard economy seat and an upgraded option called the "Big Front Seat", which provides a wider seat and significantly more legroom, akin to a domestic first-class product on other carriers. Additionally, Spirit has introduced bundled fares like "Premium Economy" and "Spirit First" which include various perks like extra space, priority boarding, bags, and in-flight amenities. The airline also features a loyalty program called Free Spirit and a paid membership, the Spirit Saver$ Club, offering discounts on fares and ancillary services.