Spirit failed because, given current fuel prices, they could not afford to fly with their low ticket prices. Every time they took off, they were losing money.
This leaves 2 options:
-
Raise ticket prices.
-
Find cheaper fuel.
#1 is possible, #2 is not.
If that means that the "lower class" can't afford to fly, I'm honestly OK with that. Not everyone should be flying. Airlines have incredibly high carbon footprints. If the "lower class" (aka most people) can't fly, that's a net positive for the environment.
A simple round trip flight from NYC to Miami produces half a metric ton of CO2. You shouldn't be able to get on that plane for $77.
Folks want to fight climate change, until fighting climate change impacts their own comfort.
Personally, I only fly if there is no land route to my destination. If I want to go from my home state of Pennsylvania to see my brother in California, I'm taking a train. Sure, the trip takes 3 days, but I can afford a nice comfy sleeper car (can we please do high speed rail?!? Pretty please?). But if I'm going to Scotland to see my grandma, I need to get on a plane.