U.S. Budget-Flight Model Faces Its Biggest Test Yet
Spirit’s collapse and rising jet-fuel costs are reshaping the U.S. airline landscape: major carriers are leaning into premium cabins and loyalty programs, while ultra‑low-cost carriers struggle to achieve scale and fill routes, prompting consolidation and pivots toward underserved markets; Europe remains a stronger ULCC environment, and millennials’ willingness to pay modest premiums suggests a future where value and service may trump the absolute cheapest fare.