You might not want to fly Spirit Airlines, but you probably wish you owned its stock this year.
Shares of the no-frills airline surged close to 30 percent in 2018, as of Wednesday's close, while those of most of its competitors — and the broader market — tumbled. Spirit's shares hit a more than three-year high in early December, and the company is now worth about $3.8 billion after the year's gains.
It grew its profits in the most recent quarter despite a jump in fuel costs and issued a sunny forecast for the end of the year.
But it's not just investors who might be pleased. The airline that long drew the ire of travelers for its customer service and still receives more complaints from customers than most other U.S. rivals is making strides. Its flights are arriving on time.
"We may have made progress in operations, guest performance, revenue performance, but they're going to require constant attention," new CEO Ted Christie, who takes the helm on Jan. 1, said in an interview. "We're a much sharper competitor."