Spirit Airlines is going viral on TikTok for a surprising reason

When you think of Spirit Airlines going viral, you normally assume that it is for a terrible reason, like cockroaches crawling up the walls in the discount airline's new luxury seating area, or planes delayed for hours, or a problem with passengers struggling to share space in seats that are objectively too small.

Surprisingly, however, there have been some actual positive Spirit Airlines stories circulating lately. Specifically, the airline — along with EasyJet — is getting a lot of attention on TikTok for a really fun reason, as passengers share a unique experience that happened aboard their flights.

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With Spirit named as the second-worst airline in America (only Frontier got more complaints), and with the airline coming in at 98th out of 100 in brand rankings on the 2024 Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings, the airline most likely appreciates the chance to get some online attention for something that could help its reputation.

So, what exactly is Spirit going viral for? Here's why flyers are talking about the carrier on TikTok in a positive light.

Spirit Airline passengers got to have some fun on the plane.

Image source: Shutterstock

Spirit's fun with flyers gets a lot of attention

Spirit and EasyJet, a low-cost British airline group, have both gone viral on TikTok recently for similar reasons. Both appeared in videos in which passengers aboard their planes were doing a unique type of exercise on board. Specifically, they were taking part in an activity that is now being dubbed “plane yoga.”

Numerous creators on TikTok have posted videos of airline flight attendants leading the passengers aboard the aircraft in yoga flows, including a viral video posted last month that included passengers performing yoga on a full-booked EasyJet flight. The video was set to the song “Maniac,” and ultimately, over 1.5 million viewers logged in to watch.

Another TikToker posted a similar activity on a Spirit Airlines flight as well. In that particular video, which the TikToker posted with the caption, “Y’all ever done plane yoga?” the passengers follow along with the flight attendant's instructions, which included an entertaining little joke.

“Touch your toes, stretch your back out,” the flight attendant said on the video, leading the passengers through their yoga poses. “And while you’re down there, pick up all the trash you threw on the ground.”

This video wasn't the first showing Spirit Airlines having fun with passengers while promoting this little exercise. Another was posted by a TikTok creator in 2024 doing the same yoga moves and even with the same joke in the end. That video was posted with a comment, “Spirit Airlines: Free Snacks, absolutely not. Mid-Flight Yoga Sesh – yes of course.”

Spirit should look for more ways to please customers

Spirit's plane yoga is a free, fun way for the airline to get some positive coverage, and the airline definitely needs it.

The airline recently went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring, which reduced its outstanding debt balance by converting an estimated $795 million in debt into equity. The struggling airline was also helped out by a $350 million equity investment to help it rebuild.

The bankruptcy followed years of financial losses and several failed mergers, and it has prompted the airline to shift focus and try some new tactics to generate more revenue per passenger.

“Today, we’re moving forward with our strategy to redefine low-fare travel with our new, high-value travel options,” CEO Ted Christie stated in a customer note announcing the airline's completion of the restructuring process.

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This has included new seat upgrades, new fare classes, an overhaul of its loyalty program, and a revamped in-flight menu. It remains to be seen if these efforts to rebrand will work, but more positive feel-good videos like this can only help the cause.