We’ll take it: a TikToker rallies pledges to buy Spirit Airlines after its abrupt weekend collapse

In Brief

When Spirit Airlines unopen down overnight Saturday — canceling each flights, letting spell of 17,000 employees, and telling ticketholders to conscionable not travel to the airport — radical were flabbergasted but besides bereft. For each its indignities, Spirit was cheap. Then 1 of them had an idea.

Hunter Peterson, a dependable histrion with predominant flyer grievances, posted a TikTok asking: what if 20% of American adults chipped successful the terms of a Spirit fare and conscionable . . . bought it? He called it “Spirit 2.0: Owned by the People.” Within hours he’d thrown up a website — a janky, one-hour job, by his ain admittance — and by Sunday, 36,000 “founding patrons” had pledged astir $23 million, crashing his servers successful the process.

None of it is existent money. These are non-binding pledges. Also worthy noting: the existent outgo of acquiring and relaunching an hose runs into the billions. Peterson knows this. In a video posted earlier today, helium winkingly tried recruiting aviation lawyers, PR people, and lawyers with a one-word ask: “Help?”

“I cognize what I don’t know,” helium told his followers, but “you’re committing to this bit, truthful I’m committing to this bit.”

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