This is a developing story.
As of May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines has shut down and cancelled 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 cancelled, 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 has ceased all operations.
Book new flights on another airline
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.
One of the best ways to do this is to book a flight with points and miles. Most U.S. airlines allow you to cancel award flights for free when booking with their miles. Locking in a backup award flight early can help save from potential headaches later on — especially if cash prices shoot up due to increased demand. (Delta Air Lines, which allows you to book basic economy award fares, is a notable exception because it charges a cancellation fee in miles for these tickets.)
Spirit passengers also have access to special “rescue fares,” where competitor airlines offer discounted tickets to stranded passengers. American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines have all said they will offer assistance to Spirit passengers. 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, which 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, United and Southwest are offering assistance to Spirit passengers, as long as they are able to provide proof of an existing reservation.
For the next two weeks, United MileagePlus members who had Spirit flights booked between May 2 and May 16 can access a dedicated United portal to purchase one-way flights from many airports previously served by Spirit. United says most of these fares will be capped at $199, and longer flights will cost $299 at most.
Southwest says 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.
Travel protections that come with your credit card are unlikely to be useful here, as most come with fine print that excludes financial insolvency as a covered reason. However, if you have a separate travel insurance policy, it may be worth reaching out to your provider to see if you’re eligible for coverage.
Get a refund for your Spirit flights
Spirit has said that it will automatically process refunds for all cancelled 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 booking 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):
If you paid with a credit card, you’ll find yourself in the best position to get your money back. That’s because credit card issuers allow you to dispute a charge, known as a chargeback, if the merchant doesn’t deliver on the promised goods and services.
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 cancelled Spirit flight. However, you should still act promptly, since the clock may start from the date you’re notified about the cancellation.
🤓Nerdy Tip: You may need to provide supporting documentation for any claims you make. It’s a good idea to take screenshots of your reservations and account details, just in case they become suddenly inaccessible.
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.
What will happen to my Free Spirit points?
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 has 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.
