Special Charges	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Special Charges	Special Charges (Credits) Slot Transaction In June 2012, the Company transferred four permanent air carrier slots at Ronald Reagan National Airport (“DCA”) to another airline ("buyer") for $9.1 million in cash, which the Company received in June. Due to FAA regulations, the buyer could not operate the slots until written confirmation of the slot transfer had been received from the FAA. In accordance with FAA's 80% “use or lose” requirements, the Company continued to operate all four slots through September 6, 2012. Due to the restriction preventing operating use of the slots by buyer, the gain of $9.1 million was fully deferred at the time of the sale. The Company recognized the $9.1 million gain within Special charges (credits) in the third quarter of 2012, the period in which the FAA operating restriction lapsed and written confirmation of the slot transfer was received by the buyer from the FAA. Secondary Offering Costs On July 31, 2012, certain existing stockholders affiliated with Oaktree Capital Management sold an aggregate of 9,394,927 shares of common stock in an underwritten public offering (the July 2012 offering). The Company incurred a total of $0.8 million in costs during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 related to this offering. Upon completion of this offering, investment funds affiliated with Oaktree Capital Management owned no shares of common stock of Spirit Airlines. The Company did not receive any proceeds from this offering. On January 25, 2012, certain stockholders of the Company, including affiliates of Oaktree Capital Management and Indigo Partners and certain members of the Company's executive team, sold an aggregate of 12,650,000 shares of common stock in an underwritten public offering (the January 2012 offering). The Company incurred a total of $1.3 million in costs between 2011 and 2012 related to this offering, of which $0.5 million were incurred during the nine months ended September 30, 2012, offset by reimbursements from certain selling shareholders of $0.6 million in accordance with the Fourth Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement. The Company did not receive any proceeds from this offering. Initial Public Offering Costs In June 2011, the Company issued and sold 15,600,000 shares of common stock in its initial public offering (IPO). The Company incurred contract termination costs and fees of $2.25 million in connection with the IPO during the nine months ended September 30, 2011, which included $1.8 million paid to Indigo Partners, LLC to terminate its professional services agreement with the Company, and $0.5 million paid to three individual, unaffiliated holders of the Company’s subordinated notes.

Special Charges (Credits)

Slot Transaction

In June 2012, the Company transferred four permanent air carrier slots at Ronald Reagan National Airport (“DCA”) to another airline ("buyer") for $9.1 million in cash, which the Company received in June. Due to FAA regulations, the buyer could not operate the slots until written confirmation of the slot transfer had been received from the FAA. In accordance with FAA's 80% “use or lose” requirements, the Company continued to operate all four slots through September 6, 2012. Due to the restriction preventing operating use of the slots by buyer, the gain of $9.1 million was fully deferred at the time of the sale. The Company recognized the $9.1 million gain within Special charges (credits) in the third quarter of 2012, the period in which the FAA operating restriction lapsed and written confirmation of the slot transfer was received by the buyer from the FAA.

Secondary Offering Costs

On July 31, 2012, certain existing stockholders affiliated with Oaktree Capital Management sold an aggregate of 9,394,927 shares of common stock in an underwritten public offering (the July 2012 offering). The Company incurred a total of $0.8 million in costs during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 related to this offering. Upon completion of this offering, investment funds affiliated with Oaktree Capital Management owned no shares of common stock of Spirit Airlines. The Company did not receive any proceeds from this offering.

On January 25, 2012, certain stockholders of the Company, including affiliates of Oaktree Capital Management and Indigo Partners and certain members of the Company's executive team, sold an aggregate of 12,650,000 shares of common stock in an underwritten public offering (the January 2012 offering). The Company incurred a total of $1.3 million in costs between 2011 and 2012 related to this offering, of which $0.5 million were incurred during the nine months ended September 30, 2012, offset by reimbursements from certain selling shareholders of $0.6 million in accordance with the Fourth Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement. The Company did not receive any proceeds from this offering.

Initial Public Offering Costs

In June 2011, the Company issued and sold 15,600,000 shares of common stock in its initial public offering (IPO). The Company incurred contract termination costs and fees of $2.25 million in connection with the IPO during the nine months ended September 30, 2011, which included $1.8 million paid to Indigo Partners, LLC to terminate its professional services agreement with the Company, and $0.5 million paid to three individual, unaffiliated holders of the Company’s subordinated notes.