John Ostrower

Spirit Airlines had many detractors.

They're the hidden fees airline.

They're the number one in complaints.

Like, they literally just left people stranded.

Suck it on your extra fees.

Spirit also had many defenders.

Spirit always got me to where I needed to be.

I'd give them their gas money, and they'd drop me off in Cabo.

And then, over the weekend, it shut down, stranding passengers.

I just woke up to the text message that Spirit has literally shut down, so now I have to figure out a way to get home.

Breaking pilots' hearts mid-flight.

I don't remember any of the bad times, just the good ones.

Coming up on Today Explained from Fox, lessons from the life and death of America's most beloved, most hated, most bootleg budget airline.

John Ostrower, editor-in-chief of Air Current.

Spirit Airlines, RIP, what happened?

Well, Spirit reached the end of this long road on the early hours of May 2nd.

So this is an airline that used to be a regular-style carrier, and it transitioned itself into an ultra-low-cost carrier.

Look, it kind of adjusts the seat pricing, bare bones, very austere.

We've been able to be profitable, and we've been able to make money because we keep our costs very low, because we do things in ways that help that happen.

And that's what makes Spirit soar.