Airlines offer discounts to stranded Spirit Airlines travelers
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The Spirit Airlines bag drop and customer service counters at Logan Airport in Boston sit empty early Saturday after operations ceased for the company. Photo: Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images
Several airlines are offering "rescue" fares to stranded Spirit Airlines passengers after the budget carrier ceased operations early Saturday.
Why it matters: Spirit announced shortly after 2am that it's going out of business and canceling all its flights.
The big picture: The move leaves all future Spirit ticket holders without flights to their destinations — including travelers who are in the middle of an itinerary.
- They will have to "find a way home if they're literally on trips now," Georgetown University business professor and aviation executive Shye Gilad tells Axios.
- Spirit said customers who paid for their tickets directly with credit cards or debit cards will be automatically refunded. People who paid through an agent will need to contact that entity.
State of play: Several airlines are making offers to Spirit flyers:
- Southwest. The company is offering deals at the airport counter to domestic Spirit travelers through Wednesday night: $200 for flights up to 500 miles; $300 for 501-to-1,000-mile flights, and $400 for flights of 1,000 miles or more. It's also offering discounts on international fares.
- Delta. "We are offering reduced, nonrefundable rescue fares in affected markets over the next five days to help travelers book last-minute travel," a Delta spokesperson said in a statement. Those are available in markets where Spirit operates.
- American Airlines. "If your travel has been impacted, American Airlines is offering rescue fares in Main Cabin on select routes to help Spirit customers reach their destination," the company said on X, pointing customers to search fares on its website.
- United Airlines. The company is offering capped fares on "on most one-way United flights where Spirit also flew" through May 16: "We know the changes at Spirit may disrupt your travel plans and want to help."
- JetBlue. The airline — whose plan to merge with Spirit was blocked by the Biden administration — is offering $99 one-way fares for Spirit travelers through Wednesday. It's also capping certain fares to the popular Spirit destinations of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Frontier. The budget carrier — which once reportedly weighed a merger with Spirit — announced "rescue fare discounts" on Spirit routes.
What they're saying: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he had lobbied the companies to offer help to Spirit travelers: "We've activated our airline partners to ensure passengers are not stranded, communities maintain route access, fares do not skyrocket, and Spirit's workforce is connected to new job opportunities."
