Spirit Airlines has ceased operations, canceling all flights effective immediately and leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The shutdown follows prolonged financial pressures, including rising oil prices, as stated by Spirit Aviation Holdings, its parent company.
Major U.S. carriers have introduced rescue fares and other assistance for affected travelers. Delta Air Lines offers reduced, nonrefundable fares for the next five days on domestic routes Spirit served, including connections through its hubs and select Latin America routes. Travelers can access these via delta.com.
American Airlines provides rescue fares on overlapping nonstop routes, covering 70 of Spirits 72 airports and 67 routes. The carrier is also adding capacity with larger aircraft where possible and aiding displaced Spirit crew with transportation.
United Airlines launched united.com/specialfares, capping one-way tickets at $199 and longer flights at $299 for Spirit customers through May 16. Eligible cities include Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, Orlando, and others.
JetBlue offers $99 one-way fares through May 6 for those with valid Spirit itineraries on matching routes; affected passengers should call 1-800-JETBLUE. It also caps Blue Basic fares at $299 on certain Florida and Puerto Rico routes through May 8.
Southwest Airlines provides special fares at ticket counters through May 6 on eligible domestic routes. Airlines are also extending travel benefits to stranded Spirit employees and prioritizing their job applications.
Spirit advises credit or debit card buyers to expect automatic refunds, while third-party bookings require contacting those agents. Airports like Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta warn passengers not to arrive, as no Spirit service is available.