It's no secret that Spirit Airlines has a less-than-favorable reputation among the major airlines. If you follow our coverage at The Root, you're probably dizzy trying to keep up with all of the stories about Spirit passengers brawling at the gate and having in-flight meltdowns. Well, the airline not-so-affectionately known as the Soul Plane just got a major endorsement from a posh new fan – Bethenny Frankel.
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The entrepreneur and television personality shared her first Spirit flight with her over 3 million followers on TikTok, posting a video of her flying to Atlantic City with her friend Teri. The former Real Housewife of New York was skeptical at first, taking her opportunity throw some Houswife-like shade at the airline during the boarding process.
"Somehow it's feeling like a G5 with a cashmere lining, said none ever," Frankel joked.
But once she made her way to her seat, she had to eat her words, happily surprised at the variety on the in-flight menu and her comfy seat.
"These seats are brand new, and they're as nice as American Airlines domestic first class," Frankel said. "And it's the only game in town going right to Atlantic City."
But while she loved the extra leg room and extra thick cushioning that came along with her premium seat, Frankel let her travel partner know that she wasn't a fan of the name, "Big Front Seat."
"Is Mr Magoo the head of marketing?” she asked.
Frankel's video, captioned "Teri for the WIN w/ the Big Front Seat," has received nearly 30,000 likes and plenty of comments from fans who were surprised that a former Real Housewife would be caught dead on the discount airline.
"THE Bethenny Frankel flying SPIRIT was not on my 2025 bingo card 😱💀," commented someone on her post.
Creator @travelwithharmony gave Frankel a shout-out on TikTok for keeping it real about navigating the friendly skies from the Big Front Seat. The former TSA agent said he hates that Spirit is perceived as being the airline for broke people, especially when celebs fly it on the low all the time.
"I absolutely love that Bethenny posted that video and showed that she flew Spirit and she sat in the big front seat," he said. "A lot of celebrities actually fly with Spirit and they will not post about it.
Some defended the carrier, calling it a safe and reliable way to reach your destination.
"Spirit Airlines has never had a fatality from a crash. Other than their charge for everything short of breathing, they’re not that bad," wrote someone in the comments of Frankel's TikTok.
But Bethenny's endorsement might not win over some who have already sworn off the airline.
"Never flying Spirit Airlines again my seat is literally falling apart," wrote someone on X.
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