Spirit Airlines Shuts Down, Leaving Thousands of Passengers and Employees in Limbo

Spirit Airlines passengers are waking up to a nightmare this week after the budget carrier abruptly shut down Saturday, canceling hundreds of thousands of bookings overnight and leaving travelers stranded across the country, and beyond.

The airline told customers not to go to the airport, promising refunds for card payments but offering no rebooking options, instead pointing people to its website for next steps. For many, that wasn't enough. "No customer service exists and Spirit don't exist," said one traveler stuck in New Orleans. Another passenger reported being stranded in the Virgin Islands with nowhere to turn.

Last-minute efforts to save the airline fell through. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a deal with the administration never came together, noting, "We oftentimes don't have half a billion dollars lying around in a spare account that we can put into a bailout," and adding that Spirit "was in dire straits long before the war with Iran."

Other carriers are stepping in to absorb some of the fallout. United Airlines says it has already rebooked 14,000 Spirit passengers, and some airlines are capping fares at $199 for affected routes. But travel experts warn the airline's disappearance will push ticket prices up for everyone. One industry expert noted that Spirit's presence kept average fares roughly 14% lower across the market.

The collapse also puts roughly 17,000 Spirit employees out of work. Emotional farewell videos from airline staff are spreading online, marking the end of one of the country's largest low-cost carriers.