Low-fare pioneer Spirit Airlines shut down this morning after 34 years — the last few mired in financial struggles including two bankruptcies and failure this week to secure a $500 million federal bailout.
“It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately,” a notice on the Spirit website stated. “To our guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available… we are not able to help rebook your flight on another airline.”
Spirit president and CEO Dave Davis further explained the airline’s demise. “Sustaining the business required hundreds of millions of additional dollars of liquidity that Spirit simply does not have and could not procure,” Davis said in a statement. “This is tremendously disappointing and not the outcome any of us wanted.”
Spirit operated flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport, Hollywood Burbank Airport and John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, had an estimated 9,500 full-time employees and roughly 17,000 contractors. It ceased operations shortly after Midnight PST Saturday.
People with tickets or plans to use other Spirit-related services were advised to visit a set of links posted at spiritrestructuring.com/guests for details about refunds and related matters rather than going to an airport.
“Please refer to the links and FAQ below for more information about your booking and next steps,” the notice advised. “Thank you for choosing Spirit – we are grateful to all our Guests who flew with us over the past 34 years.”
Spirit said it would automatically start processing refunds for tickets purchased through the airline with a credit or debit card. “Compensation for guests who booked flights” using a voucher, credit or free Spirit points “will be determined at a later date through the bankruptcy process,” the airline explained.
Industry observers said customers who paid cash or used airline loyalty points could be out of luck since those points cannot be transferred to other airlines’ loyalty programs unless exceptions are made.
Those who paid with a credit card were also advised to contact their banks for a possible chargeback due to Spirit’s failure to provide the promised services. Refunds and other compensation would not include reimbursement for emergency hotel stays or other expenses incurred due to the flight cancellations unless those fees are covered by the traveler’s insurance plan.
Travel experts said Spirit ticket holders should not make any attempt to cancel at this point because it would eliminate all proof and protections they may need during the refund/compensation process. Meanwhile, several other airlines noted on social media or their websites that they are prepared to assist Spirit customers. “We know that uncertainty is never easy,” JetBlue Airways noted on X prior to Spirit’s Saturday announcement. “We’re here to help if Spirit Airlines’ operations are suspended and your travel plans are disrupted.”
Frontier Airlines made a similar offer, also on the X platform. “We are ready to support customers who may be impacted if Spirit Airlines ceases operations, with a focus on helping people continue their travel plans with low-fare options,” Frontier posted.
In a statement reported by The Aviation Circle trade publication, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said “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.”
The department said American, United, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Allegiant, Frontier, Avelo and Breeze airlines have all agreed to support impacted Spirit passengers. This includes capping fares for between 72 hours and two weeks, depending on the airline.