What to know about Spirit Airlines as it says it is 'winding down all operations'
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Key Points:
- Spirit Airlines has begun an immediate orderly wind-down of operations amid uncertain federal government talks over a $500 million rescue deal, canceling all 277 scheduled flights and ceasing customer service.
- The airline's final flight landed early Saturday, and Spirit has flown over 50,000 passengers in the last day while working to safely return more than 1,300 crew members to their bases.
- Many Spirit employees learned about the shutdown through media reports, and the airline cited rising jet fuel costs and financial pressures as reasons for the closure despite previous bankruptcy restructuring efforts.
- Other airlines, including American, United, and Frontier, are preparing to assist stranded Spirit passengers by offering fare caps, discounted flights, and additional capacity on overlapping routes.
- Travelers affected by the shutdown are advised not to cancel flights immediately to preserve refund rights, and those who booked with credit cards may dispute charges; refunds for bookings made with vouchers or points will be handled through bankruptcy proceedings.
