Overview
- Spirit Airlines, which halted operations Saturday, canceled all flights and told customers to avoid airports, wiping out roughly 9,000 May flights and about 1.8 million seats.
- Ticket purchases made with credit or debit cards are being refunded automatically, while agency bookings must be handled through the agency and loyalty miles and coupons remain uncertain in bankruptcy.
- Last‑minute efforts to secure about $500 million in support collapsed without backing from the U.S. government or key creditors, prompting an immediate, orderly wind‑down.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation announced temporary caps on rescue fares and coordinated help for displaced workers as American, United, Southwest, Frontier, JetBlue, Avelo and others offered limited relief flights.
- Data firms estimate the collapse removes about 21.3 million seats and roughly 4.5% of low‑cost domestic capacity, and with jet fuel up sharply and schedules already trimmed, analysts report fares are rising fastest into summer, especially around Fort Lauderdale, Detroit and Las Vegas.