Spirit Airlines announced on May 2 that it was suspending operations after years of financial difficulties due to recent increases in fuel prices.
All flights have been canceled and the airline’s customer service is no longer available.
The airline had gone through several bankruptcies but was unable to balance its books. The bailout proposed by the Trump administration also failed to be completed in time to keep the airline flying.
Now, passengers are struggling as flights on the airline’s network have been canceled immediately.
“Spirit, for all the discussion about how small the ULCCs are individually, this is a much bigger route map,” William J. McGee, senior fellow for aviation and travel at the American Economic Liberties Project, told USA TODAY.
What happens to passengers with issued tickets?
Unfortunately, there is no immediate help available for passengers whose flights were cancelled. By ending its operations, Spirit was effectively admitting that it was unable to transport people to their destinations.
“There is an obligation, but they are unable to meet it. They don’t have the ability to do it,” McGee said. “They can’t buy fuel, they can’t buy anything. Credit lines are frozen.”
Even rebooking on other flights can be a challenge.
Spirit Airlines said it will automatically process refunds in the original form of payment for flights purchased through the card. But those who booked flights using vouchers, existing credit, airline points or any other means will be determined through the bankruptcy court process.
The airline directed customers to contact claims agent Epic, which can be reached by email at (email protected), or by phone at (855) 952-6606 (toll-free US and Canada) or (971) 715-2831 (international).
“It’s really a terrible situation. You could be stranded on the road. We often think about the people who are about to set out on a journey. What about the people who are already on the journey?” McGee said.
He warned that flights are more full than ever, meaning other airlines have limited capacity to accommodate stranded Spirit passengers.
Will passengers actually get refunds?
Passengers may struggle to recover money for their tickets.
“In the past, unfortunately, airline shutdowns have often left passengers stranded. If we get to a point where you’re filing a claim, we’ve also seen — I know this not only as a passenger but as an employee — you go down to a big list with some very, very large creditors,” McGee said.
You may be able to file a claim to dispute charges with your credit card company, but they may not be required to reimburse or provide a credit.
What happens to the Soul Rewards program?
When airlines go out of business, their frequent flyer programs typically dissolve. Unless another airline merges with Spirit to save it from complete liquidation, the value of free Spirit miles will likely decrease as the airline is shut down.
What happens to Spirit-branded credit cards?
Every airline’s liquidation is different, so it’s hard to say what will happen with co-branded credit cards issued by Bank of America.
Most likely, the cards will continue to work for purchases but will no longer generate airline points or miles.
Bank of America may give cardholders the option to convert their points to one of its other partner programs, or let future purchases generate points in the bank’s own rewards ecosystem — but the bank has not yet issued a statement on its plans.
How did Spirit Airlines get here?
Spirit Airlines has had financial problems for years, with engine problems grounding many of its planes and an uneven recovery in the travel industry after the pandemic.
Although the Trump administration floated the idea of the government acquiring warrants for a 90% stake in the airline in exchange for $500 million, Spirit’s existing shareholders did not agree and the deal never happened.
Spirit was losing ground in the U.S. market, with steep declines in passengers, market share and future capacity, according to preliminary domestic data from aviation analytics company Cirium.
In February 2026, Spirit carried nearly 1.7 million domestic passengers, giving it a 3.9% market share, down from 5.1% a year earlier – a 24% decline in share. Year over year, the airline flew nearly 500,000 fewer passengers domestically than in February 2025. Meanwhile, competitors including Southwest Airlines and American Airlines either grew or remained flat.
Spirit had scheduled only 1.65 million seats for May 2026, which is 1.77% of total US capacity – far behind the largest carriers. The figure represents a 51.6% year-over-year decline in capacity, the largest decline among major airlines tracked by Cirium, even as total U.S. airline capacity is set to increase slightly.
The airline’s network is concentrated in major leisure markets such as Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Las Vegas, so its closure is more likely to affect vacationers than business travelers.