If Spirit Airlines’ abrupt collapse sent a warning across the travel industry, it’s that resistance to change can carry real consequences.
That reality is now shaping decisions at companies where long-standing business models are being reworked in response to shifting consumer expectations and tighter margins. Few shifts have been more visible than at Southwest Airlines, where recent changes—ending its long-held policy of two free checked bags and moving away from open seating—cut to the core of what the airline has long been known for.
