Spirit continues legacy fortress invasion in Dallas and Houston

US ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is continuing its drive into domestic legacy airline hubs, pursuing a strategy to capture the low-hanging traffic fruit the larger carriers have chosen to abandon as they attempt to pursue sustained profitability. During late 2012 and continuing into 2013 Spirit is making incremental moves in United's Houston Intercontinental hub and American's Dallas/Fort Worth hub, which has quickly risen to become one of the carrier's key markets during a short two-year period.

At the same time Spirit appears to be quietly testing out the waters against Alaska Airlines. During 4Q2012 Spirit is challenging Alaska's dominance in the San Diego-Portland market, and is attempting to inch its way into another Alaska monopoly route - San Diego-Los Cabos. During the last couple of years Spirit has been forging a new strategy of entering legacy markets with low frequency service and its bare-bones low fares to essentially stimulate just enough traffic to support its service levels.