Spirit Airlines announced on May 2 that it was suspending operations after years of financial hardships, compounded by a recent spike in fuel prices.
All flights have been canceled and the airline’s customer service is no longer available.
The airline had gone through multiple bankruptcies but was unable to balance its books. A proposed bailout by the Trump administration also failed to materialize in time to keep the airline flying.
Now, passengers are left scrambling as flights were immediately canceled across the airline’s network.
“Spirit, for all the talk about how small the ULCCs are individually, it’s a pretty big route map,” William J. McGee, senior fellow for aviation and travel at the American Economic Liberties Project, told USA TODAY.
What Happens to Passengers With Issued Tickets?
Unfortunately, for passengers whose flights were canceled, there’s not much help available immediately. By ending its operations, Spirit was effectively acknowledging it was incapable of getting people to their destinations.
“There is an obligation, but they’re incapable of fulfilling it. They’re not going to have the ability to,” McGee said. “They can’t purchase fuel, they can’t purchase anything. The credit lines are frozen.”
Even getting rebooked on other flights is likely to be a challenge.
Spirit Airlines said it would automatically process refunds for flights purchased through a card to the original form of payment. But those who booked flights through a voucher, existing credit, airline points, or another means will be determined through the bankruptcy court process.
The airline has directed customers to claims agent Epiq, reachable by email at [email protected], or by phone at (855) 952-6606 (toll-free U.S. and Canada) or (971) 715-2831 (international).
“It’s a really awful situation. You could be stranded on the road. We often think of those who are about to depart on a trip. What about those who are already on a trip?” McGee said.
He warned that flights are fuller than ever, meaning other airlines have limited ability to accommodate stranded Spirit passengers.
Will Passengers Actually Get a Refund?
Passengers may struggle to recover money for their tickets.
“In the past, unfortunately, airline shutdowns have often left passengers stranded. If we get to a point where you’re filing a claim, we’ve also seen — I know this as an employee not only as a passenger — you go to a big list below some very, very big creditors,” McGee said.
You may be able to file a disputed charge claim with your credit card company, but they may not be required to provide reimbursement or credit.
What Happens to Spirit’s Reward Program?
When airlines go out of business, their frequent flyer programs are typically dissolved. Unless another airline merges with Spirit to save it from total liquidation, Free Spirit miles will likely lose their value now that the airline has folded.
What Happens to Spirit-Branded Credit Cards?
Every airline liquidation is different, so it’s hard to say exactly what will happen with the co-branded credit cards issued by Bank of America.
Most likely, the cards will continue to work for purchases but will no longer generate airline points or miles.
Bank of America may offer cardholders the option to convert their points to another of its partner programs, or could let future purchases generate points in the bank’s own reward ecosystem — but the bank has not yet released a statement on its plans.
How Did Spirit Airlines Get Here?
Spirit Airlines has had financial issues for years, compounded by engine problems that kept many of its planes grounded and an uneven recovery across the travel industry following the pandemic.
Although the Trump administration floated the idea of the government receiving warrants for a 90% stake in the airline in exchange for $500 million, Spirit’s existing shareholders balked and the deal never came together.
Spirit was losing ground in the U.S. market, with sharp declines in passengers, market share, and future capacity, according to preliminary domestic data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company.
In February 2026, Spirit carried about 1.7 million domestic passengers, giving it a 3.9% market share, down from 5.1% a year earlier — a 24% drop in share. Year over year, the airline flew roughly 500,000 fewer passengers domestically compared with February 2025. Meanwhile, competitors including Southwest Airlines and American Airlines either grew or held steady.
Spirit had scheduled just 1.65 million seats for May 2026, representing 1.77% of total U.S. capacity — far behind the largest carriers. That figure marked a 51.6% year-over-year reduction in capacity, the steepest drop among major airlines tracked by Cirium, even as overall U.S. airline capacity is set to rise slightly.
The airline’s network is concentrated in major leisure markets like Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Las Vegas, so vacationers are more likely to be affected by its shutdown than business travelers.
