Spirit Airlines is about to close. What travelers need to know

Spirit Airlines closed overnight. The carrier failed to secure a financial lifeline to continue operating, ending the discount air travel pioneer’s time in the skies, costing about 17,000 jobs and thousands of cheaper flights to the market.

“Spirit is terminating all operations,” its website reads as of Saturday morning, replacing a functioning booking homepage that had been up for less than 24 hours.

Travelers with Spirit tickets can be understandably upset. While some U.S. carriers have closed their doors in recent years, the budget carrier is larger than most of the recent failed airlines and connects major cities like New York, Miami, Detroit, and Los Angeles — and many others in between, including destinations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean — with its Airbus planes.

Here’s what travelers need to know:

Spirit said it will automatically refund tickets purchased through the airline using a credit or debit card.

Travelers who booked through a travel agency need to request a refund from the agency. If they use loyalty points, vouchers or credit, repayment will be determined “at a later date through the bankruptcy process,” Spirit said.

However, the odds of getting reimbursed for loyalty points bookings are very slim, said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel consulting firm.

Spirit asked customers not to go to the airport.

Thousands of Spirit employees have lost their jobs, so there will be no customer service agents to help them. That may leave passengers with fewer answers than they want, but other airlines say they will cap customer prices.

Airlines offering last-minute fares, likely with some discounts, will be available to travelers at airport ticket offices or other channels.

united Airlines, jetBlue Airlines, Frontier Airlines and American Airlines It is among the carriers that said they stand ready to assist Spirit customers and crews, similar to what they would during a hurricane or other natural disaster.

JetBlue said it will cap fares for affected passengers at $99 for one-way tickets through May 6. Travelers will need to provide proof of their Spirit itinerary and call 1-800-JETBLUE. It will also cap fares between Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, Puerto Rico, for new purchases made from May 1 to May 8 at $299, which is the route Spirit traveled.

“With major operations in Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, we are uniquely positioned to help Spirit customers get where they need to go and ensure flights remain affordable despite increased demand,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue CEO.

Southwest Airlines Domestic fares are set at $200 for one-way trips of up to 500 miles, at $300 for trips of up to 1,000 miles, and trips of more than 1,000 miles at $400. Prices are available at the Southwest box office. The airline also honors Spirit’s frequent flyer statuses and benefits at Southwest, such as early boarding.

American Airlines, Frontier Airlines and United Airlines They also said they are capping prices for affected customers. Airlines across the board are helping flight crews get home.

Spirit, known for its bright yellow planes and low prices and fees for everything else, has been successful for years, but this week it was on the verge of liquidation after failing to reach an agreement with bondholders for a $500 million government bailout from the Trump administration.

Last year, Spirit filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, though it faced a host of problems even before then.

A plan to be acquired by JetBlue has been blocked. Rising costs have upended its business model. An engine failure grounded dozens of its planes. More broadly, upscale travel has become more popular among consumers, increasing airline profits.

At the same time, major airlines were selling their own basic economy fares that were similar to what Spirit was offering, but with larger networks and more perks, such as free Wi-Fi, food, and more spacious seating options, as well as lounges.

Experts said they expect prices to rise, at least in some markets, if the discount disappears, although the carrier has shrunk significantly in recent months.

Airlines have added flights since Spirit declared bankruptcy last year on some of its routes and at major airports. They will ramp it up.

JetBlue said it will operate its largest operation ever from Fort Lauderdale this summer with 130 daily departures, which it said is 75% more than last year.

It plans to add service to the airport from Barranquilla and Cali, Colombia, Baltimore and Charlotte, North Carolina, in addition to Detroit, Chicago, Houston and others.