Spirit launches new boarding process for some Las Vegas customers

Spirit Airlines on Tuesday launched a new boarding process that the company says will reduce boarding time and improve on-time performance.

The new boarding process features five boarding groups, including priority boarding for travelers who booked some of the airline’s new bundles of its most popular extras, Dania Beach, Florida-based Spirit said Tuesday.

In an announcement last month, CEO Ted Christie said the changes are “taking low-fare travel to new heights.”

The changes indicate trouble with Spirit’s longtime business model, as the airline hasn’t made a full-year profit since 2019 — it has lost nearly $2.4 billion since — leading industry analysts to mull whether a bankruptcy filing could be in Spirit’s future.

Travelers at Harry Reid International Airport and 21 other airports across the country will receive new priority check-in and boarding if they book the Go Big travel option, which includes a larger front seat, one checked and one carry-on bag, snacks and drinks and Wi-Fi. Free Spirit Gold members or Free Spirit World Elite Mastercard holders also receive priority check-in.

Other new travel options from Spirit include: Go Comfy, which allows travelers to choose an aisle or window seat with a guaranteed blocked middle seat, one checked and one carry-on bag, priority boarding, and a snack and non-alcoholic beverage during each service; and Go Savvy, which is a standard seat and a choice of one checked or one carry-on bag.

Spirit Airlines is the second largest carrier at Reid Airport. The airline had 733,343 passengers at Reid in June, up 5.9 percent from the year prior.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.