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That's the Spirit
Opinion · August 9, 2002

Spirit Airlines, the no-frills carrier headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, shocked the travel industry this week when it offered free tickets to fly on Sept. 11.

"The sky should be full of Americans on that day," said its defiant chief executive, Jacob Schorr, who estimated that the move would cost the airline $500,000.

Spirit's move stands in sharp contrast to the major airlines, which are reducing schedules on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks. American Airlines and United Airlines, the nation's two largest carriers, announced that they would pare the number of Sept. 11 flights because of weak bookings. Delta Air Lines is reportedly reducing its schedule for the entire week. British Airways announced it is canceling around two dozen flights to the United States.

The decisions of the rest of the airline industry may make sense for their businesses, but they miss the spirit of the Sept. 11 anniversary and hand the terrorists a victory. These criminals wanted to ground us, if not keep us in our homes cowering in fear. By canceling flights, the airlines are yielding to them.

What to do instead? Follow Spirit's example: Make the Sept. 11 flights free. Granted, the airlines are losing money, but losing a few hundred thousand dollars more to prove a point won't make much of a difference. United is bleeding $5 million a day. Delta recorded a net loss of $186 million last quarter; Northwest Airlines lost $93 million, and American's net loss came to $495 million.

By opening their cabin doors to the public, the airlines would be sending a powerful message: We are not afraid.

Incidentally, travel security expert Terry Riley believes Sept. 11 is the safest day to travel by plane. He plans to travel on that day. ''Al Qaeda terrorists are unlikely to attempt a repeat incident on the anniversary of the hijackings,'' he said. "We Westerners attach much more significance to anniversary dates than do these international thugs.''

I, too, will travel. I'll commemorate Sept. 11 in the nation's capital. Getting on a plane on that day will be both thrilling and a cathartic act. It may make little economic sense, but it is rife with political and sentimental meaning.

That's the spirit.

 Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.