Spirit Airlines Airbus A321s

doulasc · Sun Apr 26, 2015 1:19 am

Has Spirit Airlines retired their fleet of Airbus A321s.I see none of their 321s wore the newer paint schemes.

Thomas_Jaeger · Sun Apr 26, 2015 1:35 am

No, they are still flying. In May for example, one flies DTW-MCO-SJU-FLL-LGA and the other one does the opposite every day.

MesaFlyGuy · Sun Apr 26, 2015 1:37 am

Quoting doulasc (Thread starter):

Has Spirit Airlines retired their fleet of Airbus A321s.I see none of their 321s wore the newer paint schemes.

Nope, they're still in the fleet. All 2 of them.

Registered N587NK and N588NK, they are used on DTW-MCO, FLL-SJU, FLL-LGA, and MCO-SJU. Spirit also has an outstanding order for 38 frames, however I'm not sure of the delivery time frame.

It's a shame that their a321s didn't come sooner, as the white Spirit color scheme is one of the prettiest in the skies, and those a321s would've worn the hell out of it! Now, the terms "flying school-bus" and "flying pencil" will have a new meaning.

lpdal · Sun Apr 26, 2015 1:50 am

Quoting MesaFlyGuy (Reply 2):
Nope, they're still in the fleet. All 2 of them.

I didn't know they only had two frames! That's why I never see them at the 48-destination hub. That said, I do love the pixel-gray livery, and NK does serve a great niche in the industry; their 20% margin speaks to that.

Spirit is my hometown airline, along with 3M.

EDIT: Here are the frame numbers and details:

N587NK Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-231 - cn 2476
Airframe Details
Construction Number (MSN) 2476
Aircraft Type Airbus A321-231
First Flight 23. May 2005
Age 9.9 Years
Test registration D-AVXB
Airframe Status Active
N587NK Airbus A321-231 Spirit Airlines 2x IAE V2533-A5 C4Y214 06. Jun 2005 Spirit of Jamaica leased from ILFC
leased from AerCap May 2014

N588NK Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-231 - cn 2590
Airframe Details
Construction Number (MSN) 2590
Aircraft Type Airbus A321-231
First Flight 19. Oct 2005
Age 9.5 Years
Test registration D-AVZK
Airframe Status Active
N588NK Airbus A321-231 Spirit Airlines 2x IAE V2533-A5 C4Y214 28. Oct 2005 leased from ILFC
leased from AerCap May 2014

-LPDAL

[Edited 2015-04-25 18:52:47]

santi319 · Sun Apr 26, 2015 2:16 am

The newest 321 will come in the summer, with a surprise interior....

william · Sun Apr 26, 2015 2:26 am

I thought Spirit had some a321s on order?

doulasc · Sun Apr 26, 2015 2:28 am

what ever happened to N583NK,N586NK,N585NK and N584NK?

Woodreau · Sun Apr 26, 2015 3:17 am

Quoting doulasc (Reply 6):
what ever happened to N583NK,N586NK,N585NK and N584NK?

Returned to lessor 587 and 588 are scheduled to be returned in 2017

Quoting william (Reply 5):

I thought Spirit had some a321s on order?

40 on order - 8 to be delivered this year.

[Edited 2015-04-25 20:20:22]

MesaFlyGuy · Sun Apr 26, 2015 3:31 am

Quoting santi319 (Reply 4):

The newest 321 will come in the summer, with a surprise interior....

I'm guessing new colors with yellow accents to match the exterior? Or (the worst-case scenario), full-blown yellow interior a la Ryanair.

SXDFC · Sun Apr 26, 2015 3:41 am

Quoting MesaFlyGuy (Reply 2):
It's a shame that their a321s didn't come sooner, as the white Spirit color scheme is one of the prettiest in the skies,

View Large View Medium
Click here for bigger photo!

Photo © R.Hesse

MesaFlyGuy · Sun Apr 26, 2015 3:42 am

Quoting SXDFC (Reply 9):

Quoting MesaFlyGuy (Reply 2):
It's a shame that their a321s didn't come sooner, as the white Spirit color scheme is one of the prettiest in the skies,

View Large View Medium

Photo © R.Hesse

Okay, the most recent white one

Forgot about that older one!

F9Animal · Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:01 am

Quoting santi319 (Reply 4):
The newest 321 will come in the summer, with a surprise interior....

Any rumors as to what it might be?

Quoting MesaFlyGuy (Reply 8):
I'm guessing new colors with yellow accents to match the exterior? Or (the worst-case scenario), full-blown yellow interior a la Ryanair.

Was I the only one who liked their checkerboard looking paint scheme? The new paint scheme hurts my eyes a little!

flyboynk · Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:02 am

Quoting santi319 (Reply 4):

Adding to the 3 A319's in Yellow and the 2 A320's we will see the first "Yellow" A321 in the late summer, early fall...

The new "flex cabin" option that NK has opted for will give the A321 a different look by removing the two aft lavatories from their current position to being placed in the current space between galley and pressure bulkhead aircraft left hand side

SXDFC · Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:14 am

Quoting F9Animal (Reply 11):
The new paint scheme hurts my eyes a little!

F9Animal · Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:18 am

Quoting SXDFC (Reply 13):
The new paint scheme hurts my eyes a little!

LOL!!! OMG!!! I seriously couldn't figure out what their new paint scheme reminded me of!!! But!!! You just blew my brain across three rooms! Not to mention, I spit me tea out laughing!!! Thanks!!! I needed that! I will never be able to use a yellow highlighter again, without thinking about Spirits paint job!

[Edited 2015-04-25 21:19:59]

PlanesNTrains · Sun Apr 26, 2015 5:28 am

Quoting santi319 (Reply 4):
The newest 321 will come in the summer, with a surprise interior....

Standing room only?

26" pitch?

3-3-3?

Ok - just kidding of course. But "surprise" sounds intriguing. I guess it's only the restroom configuration though?

-Dave

AWACSooner · Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:42 am

Quoting santi319 (Reply 4):
The newest 321 will come in the summer, with a surprise interior....

24" seat pitch, and a coin slot for toilet access?

NIZMO · Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:46 am

I flew on N586NK back in May 2008 when it went to Monarch BHX-MJV, still in basic Spirit C/S with ZB Logos applied...

larshjort · Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:58 am

Quoting MesaFlyGuy (Reply 8):

I'm guessing new colors with yellow accents to match the exterior? Or (the worst-case scenario), full-blown yellow interior a la Ryanair.

With Ryanair moving to a more subtle color choice in the cabin they have to do something about all those yellow seats. I'll bet that Spirit got a good deal

bmibaby737 · Sun Apr 26, 2015 11:37 am

Quoting LPDAL (Reply 3):
N587NK Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-231 - cn 2476
Airframe Details
Construction Number (MSN) 2476
Aircraft Type Airbus A321-231
First Flight 23. May 2005
Age 9.9 Years
Test registration D-AVXB
Airframe Status Active
N587NK Airbus A321-231 Spirit Airlines 2x IAE V2533-A5 C4Y214 06. Jun 2005 Spirit of Jamaica leased from ILFC
leased from AerCap May 2014

N588NK Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-231 - cn 2590
Airframe Details
Construction Number (MSN) 2590
Aircraft Type Airbus A321-231
First Flight 19. Oct 2005
Age 9.5 Years
Test registration D-AVZK
Airframe Status Active
N588NK Airbus A321-231 Spirit Airlines 2x IAE V2533-A5 C4Y214 28. Oct 2005 leased from ILFC
leased from AerCap May 2014

Source: http://www.planespotters.net

yenne09 · Sun Apr 26, 2015 11:51 am

Do they have specific routes in mind for the A321?

Chisky16 · Sun Apr 26, 2015 5:10 pm

Any ideas what routes might be served with these new A321s?

jeffh747 · Sun Apr 26, 2015 5:39 pm

Quoting SXDFC (Reply 9):

Photo © R.Hesse

I really don't like Spirit, but that blue pixel livery was easily the second best paint scheme (only behind AA's chrome of course). I really miss that pixel blue.

shadez · Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:46 pm

Winter flying for the A321 has already been loaded on NK's site. FLL-LGA will go all A321. ACY, DTW, BWI, CUN, and SJO will also see the A321 from FLL.

tb727 · Sun Apr 26, 2015 8:29 pm

Quoting shadez (Reply 23):

Winter flying for the A321 has already been loaded on NK's site.

Looks like some DFW-LAS too, haven't looked much further than that but they haven't gone West of the Eastern time zone in a while!

ROSWELL41 · Mon Apr 27, 2015 3:05 am

Looks like ORD-LGA will go A321 this winter.

zululima · Mon Apr 27, 2015 4:53 pm

Quoting tb727 (Reply 24):
Looks like some DFW-LAS too, haven't looked much further than that but they haven't gone West of the Eastern time zone in a while!

That is quite a surprise. I checked on both frames a while back, and neither had ever visitied DFW.

tb727 · Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:03 pm

Quoting zululima (Reply 26):
That is quite a surprise. I checked on both frames a while back, and neither had ever visitied DFW.

Nope, never West of DTW.

nkops · Mon Apr 27, 2015 8:59 pm

Looks like both ACY-MCO flights go to 321s also...

BravoEchoNov · Mon Apr 27, 2015 9:39 pm

Does anyone have the tail #'s on all Spirit aircraft in the new livery?

usxguy · Mon Apr 27, 2015 9:48 pm

apparently this is the new layout offered by Airbus, Virgin America will be doing it

N1120A · Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:21 am

Quoting F9Animal (Reply 11):
Was I the only one who liked their checkerboard looking paint scheme? The new paint scheme hurts my eyes a little!

Most people I know like the digital livery. The current one and the "tropical" one suck.

Beechtobus · Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:23 am

Quoting tb727 (Reply 27):
Nope, never West of DTW.

Never say never. I have personally seen FLL-DEN and DTW-LAS on the 321 in the past, though they may have been one-time, peak-time, or special event substitutions.

Speaking of DEN, one of the ORD-DEN frequencies will be an A321 starting late in this year. I believe it's a continuation of the LGA-ORD flight.

[Edited 2015-04-27 22:25:43]

tb727 · Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:29 pm

Quoting Beechtobus (Reply 32):
Never say never. I have personally seen FLL-DEN and DTW-LAS on the 321 in the past, though they may have been one-time, peak-time, or special event substitutions.

Yeah never say never in aviation! Not normally, that's better.

[email protected] · Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:01 pm

Quoting N1120A (Reply 31):

Who cares? And the present and last one fit more with its money-making machine nature.

phllax · Tue Apr 28, 2015 8:43 pm

Quoting usxguy (Reply 30):
apparently this is the new layout offered by Airbus, Virgin America will be doing it

Virgin already has a similar setup on the early 320's. There is a half galley in front of and behind 2R, then the water bar in the middle and then the lav behind 2L. Even on their 320's with the full galley and lavs in front of 2L and 2R, they only use half the galley.

compensateme · Tue Apr 28, 2015 11:42 pm

Quoting tb727 (Reply 33):
Yeah never say never in aviation! Not normally, that's better.

When the 321 joined the fleet a little more than 10 years ago, and it was six frames strong, they regularly operated routes like DTW-LAS and seasonally performed routes like DTW-LAX. In recent years, the two aircraft have operated exclusively on just a few routes (DTW-MCO/FLL, LGA-FLL, ACY-MCO, MCO/FLL-SJU -> depending on the schedule).

flyboynk · Wed Apr 29, 2015 5:22 pm

Quoting tb727 (Reply 27):

Quoting zululima (Reply 26):

That is not correct... The A321's have flown west into LAS years ago from DTW on scheduled service

lightsaber · Thu Apr 30, 2015 4:27 am

Quoting SXDFC (Reply 13):
The new paint scheme hurts my eyes a little!

Well played.

Quoting F9Animal (Reply 14):
I will never be able to use a yellow highlighter again, without thinking about Spirits paint job!

Ditto. Now I'm going to be coloring triangles and taping them onto highlighters as part of my aviation obsession.

Note: I'm more the B6 market than NK, but there is a market for both.

Lightsaber

jetpixx · Thu Apr 30, 2015 9:17 am

I am flying FLL-SJU-FLL in the next couple of weeks, and it is an A321. I flew NK a while back on a 321 from FLL-DTW, and it was far nicer than their 319/320s, but that was also many years ago. I'll report back in a few weeks.

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