Spirit Airlines New “Ultra Low Cost Carrier” Brand?

What happens when a low cost carrier hatches a new “ultra low cost carrier?” Nothing, they just repainted their planes and they’re looking for some publicity. Spirit Airlines just announced its new Ultra Low Cost Carrier brand that “celebrates the colors of the Caribbean and Latin America regions.” What, they don’t have yellow in the U.S.? The first plane painted with the new colors debuted at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport this week.

The company’s energetic new colors reinforce Spirit’s four brand principles:

• Caliente Red – Low Fares (que fuerte)
• Palm Tree Green – On-time and Reliable
• Sunshine Yellow – Clean New Planes (pine sol?)
• Ocean Blue – Friendly Staff

Allrighty. So they aren’t really starting up a new carrier, they just slapped a new paint job on their old planes.

Repainting Spirit Airlines’ fleet also is a strong statement of the carrier’s commitment to low costs because repainting the planes saves the company money. The new paint itself costs less than the current colors, and it weighs significantly less, which means the plane burns less fuel. As fuel prices continue to soar, the savings go up even more.

Spirit Airlines will update its uniforms, signage, website, and other branded areas to embody the new look and feel, and most of them should be completed by Fall 2008. So you aren’t lost if you get to the gate and someone is wearing a sombrero.