Spirit Airlines Grounded Flight of Fancy Ends in Bankruptcy

• Spirit Airlines abruptly ceases operations, leaving thousands of travelers with cancelled flights and lost jobs.
• Passengers with Spirit tickets are advised not to go to the airport and to seek refunds through the airline or their travel agencies.
• Other airlines, including United, JetBlue, Frontier, American and Southwest are offering capped fares and assistance to stranded Spirit customers.
• Spirit's downfall is attributed to failed financial deals, rising costs, blocked acquisition, and increased competition from legacy carriers.

Another One Bites the Dust

Well, blast it all. Looks like another flying jalopy has crashed and burned. Spirit Airlines, eh? Never flew 'em myself. Too yellow for my taste – reminds me of dandelion wine after a week in the sun. Seems they couldn't secure a bailout, and now 17,000 souls are out of a job. I've seen drowners with more job security. And thousands of folk trying to get somewhere cheap now have to figure out how to get there not-so-cheaply.

Refunds and Regret

If you're stuck with a Spirit ticket, the good news is they say they'll refund you if you paid with a card. If you went through some travel agent, well, good luck with that. And if you paid with loyalty points… HA. As if those things were ever worth more than a handful of orens in a Skellige tavern. I hope the travel agents will have a good compensation to offer to the users. Speaking of which, you know what else is a flight of fancy crashing down? The Iran War Fertilizer Fallout: Global Food Prices Set to Inflate Like a Jerrys Ego – that one's gonna sting folks where it really hurts: the dinner table. Seems like we live in a world where things just keep getting harder.

Don't Bother Heading to the Airport

Spirit says don't go to the airport. That's usually good advice, airport are crowded, people are angry, the coffee is bad and I'd rather fight a griffin than deal with airport security. All those employees lost their jobs, and there is no customer support which means no one is there to help you anyway. Though some other airlines are stepping up, saying they'll cap fares for stranded passengers. Seems like a decent thing to do – for once. Like a noonwraith offering you a sip of water.

Airlines to the Rescue?

United, JetBlue, Frontier, American and Southwest are all offering a hand, capping fares and whatnot. JetBlue's even capping one-way tickets at $99 through May 6th, though you'll need proof of that Spirit itinerary. Southwest is doing the same with prices going up to $400 dependending on distance and they are also honoring Spirit frequent-flyer statuses. A good gesture and if the industry wants to recover their reputations, they better offer it.

The Yellow Peril's Demise

So, why did Spirit kick the bucket? Seems like a stew of bad luck and worse decisions. Failed bailout, rising costs, a merger blocked by bureaucrats… and apparently, fancy folk started flying upscale. Go figure. People with coin actually want legroom and free wi-fi and complimentary food. Who knew? Also the bigger players started offering something similar and that probably put the nail in the coffin.

What's Next for Air Travel?

Experts are saying fares will likely rise, especially in some markets. Supply and demand, eh? JetBlue's planning on expanding its operations, which might help. But let's be honest, this whole mess probably means less cheap flights for everyone. Another day, another monster to slay. Only this time, the monster is airline economics.