Spirit Airlines Has Shut Down: Here’s What to Do

This is a developing story.

As of May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines has shut down and canceled all flights. Passengers with Spirit flights should not go to the airport.

Travelers who had future flights on the budget airline and Free Spirit points may be wondering what their next steps should be. Spirit has struggled in recent years, filing twice for Chapter 11 bankruptcy within the last two years. The war in Iran, which has driven up the cost of fuel, has made things even more untenable.

“To our Guests: all flights have been canceled, and customer service is no longer available,” the now-defunct airline said in a note on its website. “We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our Guests for many years to come.”

Here’s what you need to know about Spirit’s wind-down process after it’s ceased all operations.

If you had planned on flying with Spirit, the first thing you should focus on is making alternate arrangements since Spirit is no longer operating and will not help rebook you on another airline. Your options will vary depending on how soon your originally scheduled flight was.

Spirit passengers also have access to special “rescue fares,” where competitor airlines offer discounted tickets to stranded passengers. American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have all said they will offer special fares, but you’ll need to act quickly if you want to book one of these fares.

American said it is offering discounted fares on Spirit routes where it also offers nonstop service; these can be purchased directly through American’s booking channels.

Frontier is offering the promo code “SAVENOW,” which gives a discount of 10% or 50% on base fares when you book by May 10, 2026, and travel by November 19, 2026. To get the higher discount, you need to travel on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday and purchase your ticket 21 days in advance of travel. Other restrictions, including blackout dates, may apply.

Meanwhile, JetBlue, United and Southwest are offering assistance to Spirit passengers, as long as travelers are able to provide proof of an existing reservation.

JetBlue said it will offer $99 one-way fares for passengers traveling on the same route (or from an eligible nearby airport) as their canceled Spirit flight through May 6, 2026. To book, customers will need to call 1-800-538-2583. The airline said it will also cap Blue Basic fares at $299 for all nonstop routes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that were also operated by Spirit. This cap will apply to flights departing by May 8, 2026.

Southwest said Spirit passengers can purchase special fares for domestic and international travel at a Southwest ticket counter at their departure airport through May 6, 2026. Domestic fares will be priced based on flight distance. Flights 500 miles and fewer will cost $200; flights 501 to 1,000 miles will cost $300 and flights exceeding 1,000 miles will cost $400.

Spirit has said that it will automatically process refunds for all canceled flights purchased directly through Spirit via credit and debit cards. This is great news for eligible travelers, who won’t need to go through extra hoops to get their money back.

However, if you booked your flights via a travel agent, you’ll need to reach out to your travel agent for a refund. Meanwhile, passengers who booked through other methods, such as a travel voucher or Free Spirit points, will not receive any immediate compensation; they’ll find out more information through the bankruptcy court process.

Here’s some helpful information if you did not book through Spirit and you are running into difficulties getting a refund through your travel agent (which includes online booking platforms like Expedia and Orbitz):

You will need to file a chargeback within a certain period from the original transaction date, typically up to 120 days — but if goods and services aren’t received, that window can get extended. The amount of time you have will vary depending on your card network (such as American Express, Visa and Mastercard).

Generally, issuers allow you more time to file a chargeback when it involves goods and services delivered at a future date; in this case, that’s your canceled Spirit flight. However, you should still act promptly, since the clock may start from the date you’re notified about the cancellation.

If you paid with a debit card, you aren’t covered by the same protections. However, it’s still worth reaching out to your issuer to see whether they’ll offer any protections voluntarily.

It’s not clear what will happen to Free Spirit points, and you may very well lose them entirely. Unlike other airline loyalty programs, Free Spirit does not offer members meaningful ways to redeem their points outside of award flights with the airline.

“Given Spirit Airlines’ immediate wind-down of operations, Free Spirit points are no longer redeemable, and there are no flights available for purchase,” the airline said on its website. “Plans for the loyalty program will be determined at a later date through the bankruptcy process.”

One scenario could involve another airline purchasing the Free Spirit loyalty program, since the customer data can be valuable. In the past, acquiring loyalty programs have offered to convert existing points from the acquired program to the new one. However, this remains a big if, so don’t count on this happening.

Top photo courtesy of Spirit Airlines.