Antonio Mariano and Nathan Wooddy recently unemployed Spirit Airlines flight attendants come under criticism for launching GoFundme page after sudden and abrupt airline failure and bankruptcy.
A South Florida couple and long time employees of recently ceased airlines operation, Spirits Airlines have found themselves the targets of online social media criticism after choosing to hoist a GoFundme page seeking donations following their recent and sudden unemployment.
The abrupt end of Spirit Airlines last week led to more than a dozen former employees resorting to setting up GoFundMe pages to help pay the bills according to NBC6.
‘Overwhelming, to say the least, overnight, both of our lives changed,’ said veteran flight attendant, Antonio Mariano according to the outlet.
Unemployed Spirit Airline flight attendants criticized for turning to GoFundme
‘We’re lucky in the sense that we have each other,’ said Nathan Wooddy, Mariano’s partner and also a flight attendant.
‘Our plan will be to get back into aviation. We love being flight attendants, it’s in our blood,’ Mariano said.
The couple lives in Oakland Park, and they are still stunned that their jobs suddenly ended last Friday night. So they set up a GoFundMe, hoping for financial support they told the outlet.
While the airline employees are now out of work through no fault of their own, social media users criticized the couple for turning to the public for financial support.
‘People lose their jobs everyday. That doesn’t mean they get a GoFundMe and get promoted by GoFundMe,’ wrote one Facebook user.
Went further another user, ‘It’s called getting another job.’
Commenters argued that laid-off workers have access to unemployment benefits for 26 weeks, free healthcare and food assistance.
When capitalism doesn’t always work out
The out of work flight attendants lost their jobs on Friday (while receiving no financial compensation from Spirit Airlines) after the airliner initiated an ‘orderly wind-down of operations’ effective immediately on May 2, 2026, after a proposed $500 million federal bailout from the Trump administration failed to materialize. The airliner is now in bankruptcy court as it figures out its next moves.
The collapse resulted from surging jet fuel prices amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, affecting approximately 17,000 employees and contract workers.
Stated the couple’s GoFundme page ‘Support Antonio & Nathan After Both Lost Spirit Careers’ in part:
As of Thursday afternoon the fundraiser had raised $3,790 raised of a $10K goal.
