Let's Buy Spirit Air

Credibility and Possible Scam Concerns

• Many see the site as AI‑generated “slop” with generic urgency aesthetics (pulsing indicators, bombastic counters) and hard‑coded “live” stats in JS.
• Major concern: no clear identification of who is behind it, no entity details, no team, despite heavy legal verbiage.
• Several commenters suspect a securities or crowdfunding grift; others push back that no money is collected yet and pledges are explicitly non‑binding.
• Average pledge (~$666) and fast‑rising totals are viewed as suspicious; some think much of it could be bots or fake numbers.

Legal and Structural Issues

• Site repeatedly states: pledges only, not an investment, not a securities offering; all ownership and profit‑sharing talk is “proposed only.”
• Critics argue this doesn’t cure the underlying problem that it markets an investment‑like scheme without clear structure, governance, or guarantees.
• Questions raised: how a one‑member‑one‑vote model would work, what exactly pledgers would own, and how executive pay caps would affect talent.

Economic Reality of Buying Spirit

• Users note Spirit is heavily indebted; assets likely belong to creditors and are being liquidated. Suggestion: the real value is slots and aircraft leases.
• Some say it’s usually cheaper to start a new airline, but backlog for new planes complicates that; others counter that buying used/failing airlines is the standard path.
• Widespread skepticism that a loose online collective could outbid airlines or PE, secure regulatory approvals, and then actually operate a safe, compliant carrier.

Co‑ops and “People‑Owned” Models

• Thread discusses consumer and worker co‑ops (REI, AMUL, Desjardins, refinery and fuel co‑ops), noting they can work but are rare in high‑capex sectors like aviation.
• Mixed views: some enthusiastic about a customer‑owned airline; others say airlines’ razor‑thin margins and complexity make co‑ops a poor fit.

Spirit’s Reputation and Market Role

• Experiences are polarized: some loved Spirit as a predictable, ultra‑cheap “flying bus”; others describe it as bottom‑tier with relentless fees, delays, and antagonistic culture.
• Debate on whether its failure is mainly due to predatory pricing and blocked mergers, versus internal mismanagement and business‑model limits.

Broader Industry Context

• Many comments reiterate that airlines often earn real profits from loyalty programs and credit‑card deals, not from flights alone.
• Some argue airlines function like de facto utilities and should perhaps be treated or regulated as such; others see current low profitability as healthy competition.