“Spirit’s shutdown is unlikely to cause large-scale, system-wide strain, but it is putting localized pressure on domestic travel,” says Tyler Hosford, security director at risk mitigation company International SOS. “As of Saturday, reports have shown that more than 14,000 affected passengers had rebooked with United Airlines and 20,000 on Southwest.”
JetBlue, for example, is offering $99 one-way fares for Spirit customers flying on the same route through Wednesday, May 6. American Airlines and United Airlines have also both launched special booking sites with rescue fares for Spirit passengers that will be available through mid-May. United is capping most of its special fares at $199 (with longer flights no more than $299), while American’s fares range from about $200 to $400.
Other low-cost carriers are also reducing their ticket prices to support Spirit passengers. Frontier is offering up to 50% off base fares for Spirit customers across its entire network through May 10, and Avelo is offering up to 75% off its base fares on certain routes through November 17 with the code TRYAVELO.
How can I get a refund for canceled Spirit flights?
Spirit is automatically processing refunds for any canceled flights that were purchased with a debit or credit card. The carrier says that travelers who booked flights with a travel agent should contact the travel agent directly for a refund. Compensation for all other forms of payment, including a voucher, credit, or Free Spirit points, is pending and will need to be determined through the bankruptcy process, the airline’s release states. Those customers can learn more on Spirit’s bankruptcy site.
Will US flights get more expensive without competition from Spirit?
Travelers should brace for higher airfares this summer due to looming jet fuel shortages amid the war with Iran. However, you might not notice any immediate changes in US flight prices as a result of Spirit folding.
That’s because before officially shuttering, Spirit had already dramatically scaled down its operations in the hopes of reducing costs and becoming profitable once again. That means that the airline’s low prices had been slowly losing influence in the industry for a while. “In a few markets, they have been a factor, but not a universal driver of lower ticket prices,” airline consultant Michael Boyd of Boyd Aviation International said in his weekly aviation insights email newsletter.
In fact, Spirit had greatly reduced the size of its fleet and its flight schedule in recent months, so passengers probably won’t see many repercussions just “because several dozen ten-year old A320/321s are going to be grounded,” according to Boyd.
Booking tips for summer travel
Given the instability of prices across the airline industry, there are certain strategies travelers should be leveraging when booking trips for this summer. “If possible, plan to book your travel early, as airfare prices are likely to continue increasing, especially during the busy summer travel season,” Hosford of International SOS says.
In order to have maximum control over changing their plans, travelers should also avoid booking through third-party websites and eschew basic economy tickets for main economy fares, he adds. For more air travel tips and tricks, see our guides to what your airline owes you when your flight is canceled or delayed in the US, and how to find cheap last-minute flights.
