U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a series of measures Saturday to help Spirit Airlines customers left in the lurch after the company folded overnight after failing to reach a bailout deal with the feds.
The policies would allow stranded customers to rebook tickets with other carriers at capped or reduced prices.
“We’ve activated our airline partners to ensure passengers are not stranded, communities maintain route access, fares do not skyrocket, and Spirit’s workforce is connected to new job opportunities,” Duffy said.
Spirit ticketholders can provide proof of purchase to qualify for special prices aboard JetBlue, Southwest, Delta, and United. The carriers are making the prices available for various time periods. But ticket-holders should hurry, with some offers expiring in three days.
Carriers are offering “spare jump seats” to Spirit pilots and flight attendants who are stuck away from home.
Duffy hammered the Biden administration for blocking a merger between Spirit and JetBlue in 2024. President Trump last month floated the idea that the US government could “just buy” the floundering airline. But Duffy argued against a potential $500 million rescue, saying, “What we don’t want to do is put good money after bad.”
Spirit’s president and CEO Dave Davis blamed the “sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices” for finally causing the shutdown.
Spirit’s final flight was flight 1833 which travelled from Detroit to Dallas and landed early Saturday morning just after midnight, the company said.
The 34-year-old budget airline is the first US airline to fail for financial reasons in 25 years.
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