Spirit says goodbye to a dozen cities
Spirit Airlines is trimming its wings. Less than a week after filing for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, the budget-friendly Florida-based airline announced it will stop flying to 12 U.S. cities starting October 2, 2025.
If you live in one of these areas, Spirit flights will soon be a thing of the past:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Boise, Idaho
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Oakland, California
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Portland, Oregon
- Sacramento, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- San Diego, California
- San Jose, California
And if you were hoping for new Spirit flights from Macon, Georgia, later this year, don’t count on it—the airline has scrapped those plans too.
Spirit said it will reach out to travellers with existing reservations in these cities to offer refunds or help them make new arrangements.
Why Spirit is making these cuts
The decision comes at a shaky financial moment for Spirit. The airline first filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2024, blaming high operating costs and mounting debt. After briefly climbing out of Chapter 11, it had to go back into bankruptcy protection in August 2025.
At first, Spirit reassured passengers that it would keep flying normally during its restructuring. But now, it’s clear the airline needs to cut routes that aren’t bringing in enough money. In its most recent earnings report, Spirit even admitted there’s “substantial doubt” about its long-term survival, pointing to weak demand for domestic leisure travel and tough market conditions.
In simple terms? Spirit is trimming the fat and focusing only on routes that actually make money.
The rivals are circling
Airlines hate leaving money on the table—and Spirit’s rivals wasted no time swooping in.
United Airlines, the world’s largest airline, announced it will add flights to 15 cities starting January 6, 2026. These include flights to and from big hubs like Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Las Vegas.
Patrick Quayle, United’s senior VP of global network planning, put it bluntly:
“If Spirit suddenly goes out of business, it will be incredibly disruptive, so we’re adding these flights to give their customers other options.”
Meanwhile, Frontier Airlines is seizing the chance to lure budget-conscious flyers. The Denver-based airline unveiled 20 new routes from cities like Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, and Dallas. Prices? Starting at just $29 one-way, with most tickets topping out under $90.
For travellers who relied on Spirit’s famously low fares, Frontier hopes to become the new go-to bargain choice.
Spirit fights back
Not one to sit quietly, Spirit clapped back at the sudden attention from competitors.
“While we appreciate the obsession certain airline executives have with us, we’re focused on competing and running a great operation,” a Spirit spokesperson said. The airline promised it would continue to offer “low fares for many years to come.”
In other words, Spirit isn’t ready to roll over just yet, even if its rivals are already carving up the skies.
What this means for travelers
For passengers, the news is bittersweet. On one hand, Spirit’s exit from 12 cities may mean fewer budget options and inconvenience for those who already had trips booked. On the other hand, airlines like United and Frontier are rushing to fill the gap—meaning more choices, and possibly even better deals, depending on where you fly.
But the bigger picture is harder to ignore: Spirit is fighting for survival. Whether it succeeds or not could decide how competitive air travel stays for U.S. passengers in the coming years.
So if you’re flying Spirit in the near future, double-check your reservation. And if your city made the cut list, don’t worry—other airlines are already waiting with open wings.
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