Spirit Airlines mourned by budget travelers

For some budget travelers, Spirit Airlines was more than the punchline of a joke about ultra-low-fare airline options — it was the only option, travel pros tell Axios.The big picture: The grounding of the low-cost carrier comes amid an affordability crisis that's left Americans with a bleak outlook on personal finances.The company's demise is predicted to lead to an uptick in ticket prices when travelers are already grappling with the Iran war driving up car and jet fuel prices."What a sad end to a pioneering airline," Thrifty Traveler editor Kyle Potter wrote on X. "Combined with fuel prices, we're entering a new era of higher fares."What they're saying: Travel content creator Marissa Meizz has criss-crossed the country — and beyond — on Spirit's yellow fleet."That is somebody's way to get to a wedding, that is somebody's way to get to a funeral, that is a way to get ... someone to see their dad for the last time," she said in a video mourning Spirit and other "budget" options she says are incrementally being yanked out of reach."We all know Spirit was in debt," she tells Axios, "but the world is also in a crazy amount of debt."Catch up quick: Spirit announced early Saturday that it would immediately cease operations, canceling all of its flights, stranding travelers and putting about 17,000 employees and contractors out of jobs. Spirit kept its airfares low by cutting the frills usually found on mainstream carriers and by charging for regular-size carry-ons and other amenities.Case in point: Jaqueline Montero, a Miami-based budget travel influencer, tells Axios she flew Spirit countless times and would "backpack it out" to keep prices low. "In my earlier days and in my single mother days," she says, "Spirit provided that opportunity to be able to catch a quick flight, a weekend trip with my friends or with my son."In the years before Spirit's decline, its low fares kept it competitive with the major airlines, says David Slotnick, The Points Guy's contributing aviation editor. But the rise of basic economy offerings at major carriers — alongside the draw of loyalty programs and better flight options — was a Goliath Spirit ultimately couldn't take head-on. The spike in jet fuel prices was the last straw for Spirit, which had filed for bankruptcy twice since 2024.Threat level: Spirit was caught in its own perfect storm. But it could also be the "canary in the coal mine" for budget travel, says Slotnick.Reality check: Spirit's demise doesn't mean low-fare travel is dead, since other basic economy options and budget carriers remain.But airlines are shifting toward more premium offerings and searching for new ways to squeeze more revenue out of seats. Rising fuel prices have only increased that profit pressure. The bottom line: However, the beauty of Spirit, in Meizz's eyes, is what earned it the comparison to a bus with wings: It got you "from point A to point B." Go deeper: Airlines offer discounts to stranded Spirit Airlines travelers