When Spirit Airlines announced that it might not survive another year in business, one of the reasons it pointed to was low demand for domestic leisure travel.

New York

Spirit Airlines has highlighted low demand for domestic leisure travel as a key factor in its ongoing financial difficulties. After a failed merger with JetBlue and entering bankruptcy protection, the airline now says it may need to sell aircraft and real estate to remain operational. According to a recent Lending Tree study, a significant portion of Americans are reducing travel due to economic uncertainty, with nearly three out of four expressing concern about the economy's impact on their plans.

While budget travel demand has softened, premium and international travel remain strong, with many travelers now paying outright for upgraded seats. There is still considerable interest in travel experiences, but consumers are becoming more price-sensitive and seeking greater value, with some opting for road trips and domestic destinations over flights.

Spirit says low demand for domestic travel raises business concerns

Back when Spirit Airlines announced it might not survive another year in business. One of the reasons it pointed to was low demand for domestic leisure travel. The budget carrier went through bankruptcy protection after a failed merger with JetBlue last year, and now the airline says it needs more cash to stay afloat, adding. It may also have to sell certain aircraft and real estate, according to a recent Lending Tree study. More Americans, though, they're cutting back on travel this year due to economic concerns. It found that nearly three and four Americans worry the economy might impact their summer getaways. Joining us now is Jackie Gifford. She is the editor in chief of Travel and Leisure. We should also know Jackie is married to Rob Gifford, CBS News 24 seven, vice president and managing editor. But Jackie, we're talking to you about travel and all this. Thanks so much for being here with us. I mean, Spirit is attributing these financial lows to less demand for leisurely domestic travel. What does that really mean? What does that say to you? What we're really seeing is a compression in travel for more of those budget conscious travelers. So let me let me be clear. Interesting stat, six out of the 10 busiest airport days ever in the history of TSA recorded this year in 2025. So when it comes to, I would say, budget travel, people that are more cost sensitive, they have been cutting back a little bit. And that's what you're seeing, right, with Spirit. The premium side of travel, we've seen actually a huge amount of demand. Right. So actually, when you look back before the pandemic business class, oftentimes you'd see that loyalty, airline loyalty members would get upgraded, those free upgrades. Those days are frankly get it. They're over. Right. A lot of people now are paying outright for those seats. The demand for premium economy, business classes soaring, international travel. The demand is there. I should also note that actually international travelers to the U.S., we've seen a little bit of a dip there. So that's another factor that could be at play here. Lots of different things going on. Inflation, in all honesty, is a concern for some of those consumers that might just be more budget sensitive. And all of this, do you think that there could be possibly opportunities for people who are traveling? Absolutely. I think right now, first of all, coming out of the pandemic, there was this urgency in travelers. We called it revenge travel. Right. They wanted to get out there and see more and do more. And that really travel is still doing really well. It was booming, boom times for a long time. So this year, I'd say, is a good moment for reset. A lot of people are looking for value. And that value means different things for different people. Right. So for some people domestically, they're still going to resorts. They're still going to great hotels. Look at all the concert demand. Right. When you look at the Beyonce concert, Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico, those seats sold out. So the demand is still there. It's just that I would say people have just they're just more price sensitive and they really want value out of whatever travel experience that they're booking. I see a lot more people also doing road trips these days. Absolutely. And, you know, and that's an interesting thing because gas prices are lower. Right. So, again, if you might you might have thought about flying somewhere, you're more cost sensitive. Maybe you take a road trip instead. There's still a huge amount of demand for national parks, beaches, islands, all of those great things that make up for a summer vacation. And, you know, looking looking ahead, I am optimistic that things are still looking good. The experience economy is here to stay. A lot of people also they might be pulling back on actual things. Right. Whether they wanted to buy a pair of shoes, a handbag. But they'd rather invest that in an experience because they get more value out of it long term. Well, if nothing else, Spirit has to stick around for all the memes that come out of it anyway. Jackie Kifford, thank you so much. We really appreciate your time. Thanks.

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