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News & Current Events May 2, 2026 at 3:44 PM

Spirit Airlines ceases operations and US transportation secretary announces measures to help passengers | Business

Posted by Starbits21

Spirit Airlines ceases operations and US transportation secretary announces measures to help passengers
the Guardian
Spirit Airlines ceases operations and US transportation secretary announces measures to help passengers
Several US airlines have agreed to cap ticket prices for Spirit customers who need to rebook canceled flights
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littlepup26 May 2, 2026 +2118
That's 17,000 jobs lost.
2118
senyab May 2, 2026 +1359
17k direct jobs, there will be indirect jobs lost as well
1359
IKillZombies4Cash May 2, 2026 +599
Yep, out sourced IT , or contractors, or supply chain partners, rental car booth, air port workers
599
ShallowTal May 2, 2026 +255
Most ppl don’t realize how many below wing operations are conducted via contracted services. Spirit uses mostly, if not always, uses contractors for that specifically.
255
minusthedrifter May 2, 2026 +54
Both above and below wing operations were all outsourced. Only FLL had Spirit direct employees. All those people working Spirit contracts also lost their jobs today if the contractor is unable to absorb them to some other contract.
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ShallowTal May 2, 2026 +30
I figured gate agents were likely contractors, too. I worked at a legacy and it was only then I learned even legacy airlines use quite a bit of contractors, so with Spirit, I imagine it was a giant chunk. They were not paid well and had underwhelming benefits, losing their job is just a huge kick in the gut. I hope they can at least get in with another airline if they want to stay in the industry. Although it’s going to be tough to be hired anywhere at this moment within the realm
30
anothercookie90 May 3, 2026 +14
At some smaller airports the contractors don’t even work for one single airline they work for the airport and handle every flight
14
themagicflutist May 3, 2026 +4
I expect them all to have received notification of layoff tbh. This is based on my own experience with contracting company “ceasing operations.” Companies just can’t absorb that many people looking for new contracts.
4
wizzard419 May 2, 2026 +18
The baggage handlers I can totally see, and the food/beverage suppliers. Would the rental car places feel it quite as much? I was checking the market info and they didn't have as large a presence overall, but I am sure some airports would feel it more than others.
18
IKillZombies4Cash May 2, 2026 +10
Yea maybe not so much for rental counters unless it’s a smaller airport that they made up a decent chunk of their volume
10
wizzard419 May 2, 2026 +3
Yeah, for sure. The cutbacks would be deeper I expect (less staff for all jobs there). An interesting thing I see, at least at my local "large" (their definition, not mine) airport is that the rental counters have been unmanned since 2020. I've not checked what the little signs say but presumably is is telling them to cross the road to the structure where the rental cars are/get on the shuttle to the lot for rental cars.
3
True_Window_9389 May 2, 2026 +223
What happened to all the giant tax cuts for rich people and corporations fueling investment and jobs? Hundreds of thousands of people are out of work this year. Where’s the trickle down?
223
Fartblaster5000 May 2, 2026 +160
The original is the horse and sparrow theory. The horse eats so many seeds that the sparrow thrives by eating horse shit. Telling us to eat shit didn't have favorable numbers so they rebranded it to "trickle down".
160
TrainDestroyer May 3, 2026 +3
Somehow I'm not surprised I never learned this was the original version of it. People are all too happy to bury the actual saying in a way that makes theirs look better.
3
Skill_Issuer May 2, 2026 +40
The uncertainty caused by tariffs and war have destroyed business’ ability to plan for the future properly so they’re tightening their belts
40
raevnos May 2, 2026 +21
It's trickling down Trump's leg after his latest diaper blowout.
21
NW-McWisconsin May 2, 2026 +7
The Executives have inserted all tax cuts into THEIR retirement future income.
7
the_fundertaker May 2, 2026 +69
That’s 17,000 jobs lost _so far_
69
Thatswickedawesome May 2, 2026 +52
I met a woman a few months ago who had just changed careers (in her late fifties!) to become a flight attendant. She was about to start her training in Dallas with spirit airlines. I’m sad for her. She was so excited to had made such a career transition later in life. I feel sad for her.
52
nazerall May 2, 2026 +333
Does anyone think any of those 17,000 people are more worried about Iran having nuclear weapons than that they no longer will have a paycheck next week?
333
HLOFRND May 2, 2026 +140
I’m sure they are very comforted knowing they’re building the ballroom, though.
140
jcooli09 May 2, 2026 +19
Probably not many of them were dumb enough to believe that Iran was a threat in the first place.
19
PandaJesus May 3, 2026 +8
Nuclear weapons? You’re missing the bigger picture here. We have finally stopped trans girls from playing high school volleyball.  **/s**
8
constipated_pal May 2, 2026 +28
They’d rather die of starvation than a nuclear bomb or something maybe
28
DerekB52 May 2, 2026 +31
That isn't the situation, and even if it was, I think that's a bad pick. I'd rather go instantly to the bomb. Dying of starvation looks like one of the worst things I can imagine.
31
tikstar May 2, 2026 +12
If the chance of both happening are the same, yes I'm with you. But I'm not so sure that is the case.
12
SAugsburger May 3, 2026 +2
To be fair many were predicting Spirit wouldn't make it to the end of the year even before the Iran war. That being said the Iran war no doubt sped the shutdown of the company.
2
BlueFalcon89 May 2, 2026 +20
Is there a bailout? just saw a post and now the story is gone.
20
mystlurker May 2, 2026 +76
Couldn’t come to terms with the lenders. The government wanted seniority on the debt and the existing senior bond holders scoffed at that. They’d rather liquidate and get something back. Those planes have real value.
76
thorscope May 2, 2026 +21
I’m pretty sure a majority of their planes are leased, not owned.
21
NiteOwl421 May 2, 2026 +21
They are. The real value is the hangars where their maintenance is done at the various airports.
21
Leon2060 May 2, 2026 +15
Seniority on debt + 90% ownership via warrants. It wasn’t a real offer. It was a farce.
15
drinkduffdry May 2, 2026 +32
It was a concept of a bailout.
32
idoma21 May 2, 2026 +9
In two weeks.
9
SAugsburger May 3, 2026 +3
Maybe after the infrastruture plan comes out?
3
Tryhard_3 May 2, 2026 +20
There was going to be, and then it fell through at the last minute. We are probably better off without one.
20
Tight_Television_249 May 2, 2026 +25
Trump claimed they were looking at it. Obviously not. Lies like anything and everything that comes out of his yap.
25
EricSanderson May 2, 2026 +19
He wanted the US to own 90% for like $300m, which would legitimately be worse than bankruptcy for the stockholders. And for what? Why the f*** would the US government want to own a majority share in Spirit Airlines? When did "small government" Republicans suddenly start wanting the government to take over private businesses? That's literally communism.
19
uzlonewolf May 3, 2026 +3
Yeah, apparently their execs didn't "donate" enough to get a sweetheart deal like Intel did.
3
mcsnootz May 3, 2026 +2
So, Trump looks good for the mid-terms not dumping 17k employees on the street. It's all about him. He doesn't give two sh$ts about the Spirit employees...only his rep.
2
NewUnusedName May 2, 2026 +10
Looking into it does not mean there will be one. The government offered one but the debitors and creditors didn't find the terms favorable.
10
ernapfz May 2, 2026 +36
With a wonderful assist from the Israeli-US war with Iran
36
originalrocket May 2, 2026 +16
I like to refer to that conflict as the Epstein class protection act of war.
16
bishop375 May 2, 2026 +7
While fair, that glosses over that this was a war Israel wanted, and the current administration is their lapdog.
7
awwc May 2, 2026 +6
Welp unless we want to go back to heavy regulating our airlines... Ps. We should.
6
Feeling_Reindeer2599 May 2, 2026 +208
“Orderly wind down” And cancel all flights, shut down customer service without notice don’t belong in same sentence.
208
Yummyyummyfoodz May 3, 2026 +7
Orderly wind down is relative. They REALLY needed the bail out to stay afloat. They made it as orderly as possible with very little cash on hand. At least it wasn't like the Cruise company vantage, which [shut down with people in transit stranded AND ALSO kept all the money already given for future cruises. ](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/travel/travel-insurance-bankruptcy-cruise.html)
7
SpaceElements May 2, 2026 +1183
$6 dollar gas in a couple weeks, $250 dollar surcharges on flights to Asia and now this. Delta and American were expensive before? Get ready lol Are we winning yet???????😭😭
1183
DownhillUphill May 2, 2026 +196
The whole country is collapsing and it’s directly tied to trump
196
MrThre May 3, 2026 +94
The dude that bankrupted a C***** (you know, the place that originated the saying “house always win”)? Yeah let’s trust him with the country’s financial health
94
pakko12 May 3, 2026 +21
It was 3 casinos, too.
21
laplongejr May 4, 2026 +3
And possibly as an attempt at laundering.   The dude took summer earnings and multiply that by 12 for the annual projections... truly a genius to assume the best months are average expectations  
3
EgoTripWire May 3, 2026 +13
And the country deserves it for letting this happen.
13
Kafkas7 May 2, 2026 +147
I’ll fly Etihad through a drone field before I fly a domestic to Asia. But, yes, your sentiment is true, this all f****** sucks.
147
HillarysFloppyChode May 2, 2026 +90
You really shouldn’t be flying a domestic internationally anyway.
90
kacheow May 2, 2026 +63
Honestly United transatlantic is so much better than flying a euro carrier these days
63
Lazy-Gene-7284 May 2, 2026 +20
Agree especially Polaris class they’ve upped their game
20
fatherofraptors May 3, 2026 +7
That sounds nice for the 0.00001% of the population that can afford to fly that lol For us average people flying economy or economy +, British is significantly better than any US airline when flying across the pond.
7
buttgers May 2, 2026 +8
Interesting, cause United domestic sucks
8
AsherGray May 2, 2026 +11
Depends on the route, but domestic just usually sucks on every US carrier. United for Hawaii is better than American since there's a hot meal in economy(SFO and LAX excluded), American you get jack shit.
11
wiseroldman May 3, 2026 +2
How bad are European airlines if United is better by comparison? I’ve flown United across the pacific and it was like having to drink hot dog water. Sure, it’s edible but I wouldn’t willingly drink it again, much like flying United. I then flew Japan Airlines to Tokyo and it was like eating a succulent gourmet meal.
2
Ingenium13 May 2, 2026 +16
Depends where you're flying to. From the US to Europe or South America, you don't have many options and the domestics in my experience are often better. Now to Asia or the Middle East is another story...
16
Prince_Uncharming May 2, 2026 +9
Even to Asia there’s plenty of bad airlines. I flew Philippine Air cause I had to go to MNL for work and they had a new direct flight, what an absolute shithole. I’d rather just have a layover in Tokyo or Seoul to avoid that airline.
9
wizzard419 May 2, 2026 +5
Hard agree, had a flight to and from LHR. On the way out it was AA on the way back it was BA. AA wasn't bad by any measure but it was just a lot nicer overall coming back. Granted, this could be one of those situations where it was less stressful coming back since the conference and vacation were done.
5
gangy86 May 3, 2026 +2
BA is overpriced garbage these days unfortunately
2
Lane-Kiffin May 2, 2026 +15
The only reasons one should fly a domestic to Asia are if: - You are flying a premium class and the price is better than a premium class on an Asian carrier (something I see a lot) - Your employer is paying for it - You really need the miles/points
15
MembershipNo2077 May 3, 2026 +5
- They offer direct flights while the international carrier does not. Layovers are the worst part of flying.
5
GuaranteedCougher May 2, 2026 +9
How do you fly a domestic to another country
9
nathanforyouseason5 May 2, 2026 +41
He’s talking about Asian airlines. Asian airlines are so far ahead on cleanliness and things that actually works. 
41
PseudonymIncognito May 2, 2026 +18
Some of them. My experience with Air China is that it's just as mediocre as the Big 3 US carriers.
18
Politicsboringagain May 2, 2026 +56
and republicans will be like "Gas was $7.00 under Biden.".
56
Taokan May 3, 2026 +9
Honestly that's probably part of why the government didn't try to step in to stop it, or look away while another big airline ate them. Like, the party of deregulate everything, disallowed a buyout/merger of airlines. They are desperate to alleviate fuel costs, and one way to do that, is to reduce air travel. And at the same time, Delta and American can pass through the increased fuel costs, because lets face it, if you flew spirit it's because you couldn't afford better, if you didn't, it's because you could.
9
SpaceElements May 3, 2026 +5
Shit….great comment. They need demand decimation to keep the prices from growing up, this could easily be apart of the strategy. Spirit is one of the only airlines for low and middle income Americans 
5
littleadventures May 2, 2026 +6
California has been at $6 for months
6
GarionOrb May 3, 2026 +2
I have to travel from Seattle to Tampa this month. I bought my ticket (Alaska Airlines) and it was a $1500 trip. Before this war, it would only be around $600 for the same flight and seats. So much winning.
2
CoconutBangerzBaller May 2, 2026 +7
Good thing we already had our trip to Europe this year. Next year the honeymoon is gonna be camping in the Ozarks
7
EricThirteen May 2, 2026 +4
I just filled up my kid’s car at $6.20. $96 total.
4
the_boss_sauce May 2, 2026 +2
I just paid 6 dollars at Costco in CA. We are fucked
2
NappyFlickz May 2, 2026 +905
When you find out that Spirit could have been saved by merging with Frontier (which was a guaranteed safe path), but that deal got nixed at the finish line, because greedy shareholders wanted to try a riskier merger with JetBlue (which didn't happen), you get exibit #99432365 as to why corporate shareholders ruin everything.
905
userhwon May 2, 2026 +80
Shareholders are left holding an empty bag, now. At least someone gets what they deserve out of that.
80
minusthedrifter May 2, 2026 +34
Empty? Shareholders are already wealthy. Sure it hit their bottom line but they're already all swimming in vaults of gold Scrooge McDuck style. The only people holding an empty bag now are the thousands who lost their actual jobs that produced the wealth the shareholders hoarded.
34
userhwon May 3, 2026 +8
Shareholders aren't necessarily wealthy, and if they concentrated in this stock hoping for a rebound, now they're broke. Even if they didn't, a dead loss hurts them, as it should.
8
Skunk_Gunk May 2, 2026 +137
I still don’t quite understand why the government shut down that merger. People can blame what Trump has done recently for good reason but the merger was shut down under the last administration and they share some of this blame too.
137
bishop375 May 2, 2026 +190
Because carriers own routes. And creating an obvious monopoly that would have crushed consumers is a bad thing, actually. The merger should have been stopped. Spirit could have raised prices, but this bullshit war probably was going to do them in regardless.
190
Skunk_Gunk May 2, 2026 +103
You think combining an airline with 3.4% route share in the US and one with 1.4% is an obvious monopoly that would crush consumers?
103
goodytwoboobs May 2, 2026 +43
They don’t look at routes nationally. Each route is treated as a single market individually. If a merger would create a monopoly on that route/market, that’s cause for concerns. If a merger creates enough monopolies on enough routes, it almost certainly will get shut down.
43
Careful_Farmer_2879 May 2, 2026 +23
That’s why airlines divest routes when they merge. This isn’t the problem you think it is. Government tells them what to give up, and they sell it off.
23
bishop375 May 2, 2026 +23
If the consumers can only afford the flights on the carrier holding 1.4% of routes, and suddenly cannot because a larger carrier holds them? Yes, they are crushed.
23
TheCraftwise May 2, 2026 +55
Seems we are crushed in the current outcome too.
55
AN_225 May 2, 2026 +9
That was always the plan.
9
Skunk_Gunk May 2, 2026 +15
Spirit was nearing bankruptcy though. Even without the war they likely would have gone under, the oil shock just sped up their demise. Now instead of the routes going to another lower cost carrier they will get divvied up among the entire market.
15
Sacknuts93 May 2, 2026 +4
Bud, they've been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy for over a year.
4
Skunk_Gunk May 2, 2026 +12
They weren’t at the time of the government blocking the merger pal
12
Careful_Farmer_2879 May 2, 2026 +11
What monopoly? You can have them divest routes. All this ever did was benefit the larger carriers. Now even more so.
11
[deleted] May 2, 2026 +8
[removed]
8
thorscope May 2, 2026 +15
This tweet aged like milk https://x.com/senwarren/status/1765190540427935859?s=46
15
dfv157 May 2, 2026 +6
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/12/spirit-airlines-rejects-acquisition-offer-from-frontier-group-again.html
6
thorscope May 2, 2026 +10
Frontier is not JetBlue, and they had separate deals. One was an acquisition, one was a merger.
10
dfv157 May 2, 2026 +13
Maybe reading the article would help. Spirit was in the middle of (the first) bankruptcy. The word you want to use doesn't matter. The gov was 100% blocking the jetblue proposal. Everybody that cared to look at all knew, but shareholders rejected the sure bet with Frontier and get everything they deserve. Too bad the C-level and board doesn't go to jail for destroying jobs. More info: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/07/27/spirit-and-frontier-airlines-cancel-merger-plans-opening-door-for-jetblues-offer/
13
jangobotito May 2, 2026 +205
My wife and I bought a return flight back (May 17th) from Cancun through Spirit back in January. We were gonna go to celebrate her graduation from medical school. I know it’s early, and it’s probably a stupid question, but even with our confirmation/proof of payment, where are we even supposed to input that for the offers other airlines have for affected Spirit customers?
205
fatheadlifter May 2, 2026 +140
You might have to call an airline directly and give them then the spirit ticket/confirmation details. This whole thing is a mess.
140
HillarysFloppyChode May 2, 2026 +64
United is asking for the confirmation number, Delta is applying it automatically to select routes - they have some specifics, you might want to check out, I think being by a Delta hub is one. I don’t know on American because I find them consistently more expensive than Delta and United and thus never fly them. You could try Sun Country if you still want a budget airline.
64
RustySheriffsBadge1 May 2, 2026 +60
Charge back?
60
Rakebleed May 2, 2026 +113
that’s pretty bleak. You’re telling me there’s no viable market for budget air travel in the US?
113
nethingelse May 2, 2026 +159
Unless jet fuel prices drop it's going to continue to be really difficult for budget carriers to sustain operations. Spirit projected that gas prices would be around $2.20/gallon for 2026, and built their ops around that, then the Iran shit happened and doubled prices, which means Spirit was operating at a loss which is harder for any budget operator to sustain because margins are thinner for them to begin with.
159
Tinkado May 2, 2026 +13
I am kinda stumped: why didn't Spirit just raise ticket prices to match the fuel and then some? Or did they already lock in too much, and they basically were operating in deficit for too long?
13
nethingelse May 2, 2026 +31
They had losses back to back at least the last 2 years, so they basically had no wiggle room and were stuck between keeping their pricing model relatively intact and charging more to account for semi-unpredictable and rapidly rising fuel costs.
31
AzizNotSorry May 3, 2026 +18
you can’t up prices fast enough to negate the ongoing cash flow issues they were having. if they raised prices to stay afloat, it probably would be close to the other bigger airlines, at which point most consumers are going to choose the bigger more reliable airlines…
18
DtownHero17 May 3, 2026 +3
They would lose customers if they upped the price.
3
euthan_asian May 2, 2026 +43
Budget airlines are cutting back flights in Europe right now too. The US Israel war in Iran has caused a huge amount of problems globally, it's not just about the budget airlines in the US.
43
LemonPress50 May 2, 2026 +24
I’m sure there’s a viable market but you need to bring in more revenue than your expenses. A war that started 60 days ago was the last straw for an airline already on the brink.
24
dovahbe4r May 2, 2026 +18
This. Spirit has been hemorrhaging billions over the past 5 years. Of course a global health crisis played a part for a chunk of that, but when everyone else was able to at least start to come out of it yet Spirit did -$1.2b in 2024 and an estimated -$2.7b last year… that’s beyond geopolitical factors. A merger/acquisition likely would’ve brought down JBU or AAY, whichever were to happen. A $500m bailout would have been useless. They’ve been on death’s doorstep for a while, three bankruptcies (including entering chapter 7) within 18 months doesn’t come out of nowhere. Budget carriers are in a tight spot right now but none of them are anywhere near where Spirit was.
18
LemonPress50 May 2, 2026 +5
Thanks for the insight. I don’t live in the US. This is just Business 101
5
Lane-Kiffin May 2, 2026 +54
1. When times are tough, budget travelers are not travelers at all 2. I’m going to push back on the narrative that Spirit always came through with c**** fares. In my experience shopping for plane tickets, they weren’t much cheaper and if you wanted basic dignity (like the honor of using the overhead bin) you would be inundated with fees that wiped out any savings. Ryanair offering $18 fares in Europe is a budget airline. Spirit Airlines charging $200 is not worth what you’re getting. For the weary backpack traveler, FlixBus is the go to option in the US now.
54
Cygnus__A May 2, 2026 +8
frontier isnt any better. they lure you with a c**** ticket, but you get smashed with addons. checked bags are far more expensive than other airlines, overhead bag costs money too. and you have to pay for in flight drink!
8
AzizNotSorry May 3, 2026 +3
we always joke that frontier and spirit make consumers push the plane on to the runway and charge you to do it at the same time
3
No-Celebration3097 May 2, 2026 +23
Budget travelers in this economy?
23
Chreiol May 2, 2026 +6
Allegiant and Breeze are good alternatives.
6
Uhh_JustADude May 2, 2026 +18
While they last. Allegiant survives by *only* serving smaller markets. They’ll cant and don’t compete in major cities. Breez and Frontier are the next sacrificial lambs.
18
DocRedbeard May 3, 2026 +3
There was a market for Southwest, but they're shooting their own feet with a fully automatic rifle right now, not to be distracted by any notions of running a decent company.
3
Mat_At_Home May 3, 2026 +2
There is, a lot of it has been absorbed by the major carriers. Basic economy fares didn’t exist in United/Delta/American until low cost airlines like Spirit forced them to compete on fare prices, rather than just service. It’s part of what chipped away at Spirit’s business model, major carriers made more effort to compete on price
2
CypherAZ May 2, 2026 +5
There is but less competition means more money for the larger domestic carriers….it’s all corruption at the end of the day.
5
ResponsibleDesk2516 May 2, 2026 +144
Trump is ushering a period of poverty and war.
144
shadrap May 2, 2026 +32
And actively recruiting the two other horsemen of the apocalypse.
32
MCCodyB May 3, 2026 +7
Just one. We already had pestilence under Trump the first time around.
7
Ok_Cheetah_6251 May 3, 2026 +12
The Heritage Foundation is a right-wing christo-fasist end-times accelerationist organization. Project 2025 isn't just their plan to take over the U.S., it's their plan to end the world.
12
SadKneeCruiseBee May 2, 2026 +56
As an employee with a much smaller airline, this is genuinely terrifying for me. I got promoted literally last week and I absolutely love my job. We’re the only airline that flies out of my city, so if we don’t survive this shit and I wanted to stay in the industry I’d have to move. Why the f*** did people vote for this dumbass? Why do so many people not care if I lose my livelihood?
56
CountDraculablehbleh May 2, 2026 +2
The aviation industry is notoriously volatile
2
butternutflies May 2, 2026 +3
I mean, this whole situation f****** sucks for pretty much everybody... And I don't mean any offense to you personally... Why do you expect anyone to give a shit about you? People only give a shit about themselves at the end of the day, and your comment proves it. You talk about the impact this could have on your life, but what about the impact this has on other people's lives? I'm not judging you, I'm just saying how it is. Live and learn, good luck to you.
3
That_Country_7682 May 2, 2026 +76
Spirit finally ran out of duct tape and prayers.
76
100percentfinelinen May 2, 2026 +240
What do I stick the trump “I did that” sticker to?
240
nethingelse May 2, 2026 +83
Everything? I mean, we're in for a period of rapid price increases across the board because fuel is not going to go down and companies are not going to eat those losses.
83
mr_potatoface May 2, 2026 +31
Jet fuel specifically got mega-fucked. It was normally $2.20/gal, now it's about $4.25/gal or higher in smaller regional airports. It was nearly $5/gal for a while. I'm surprised ticket prices haven't gone up more honestly. Fuel is about 25-30% of an airlines operating budget on any given year. So when that 30% suddenly becomes 50-60% in the span of less than 1 month, its no surprise the business fails.
31
texasguy911 May 2, 2026 +8
> I'm surprised ticket prices haven't gone up more honestly. Companies buy fuel like 6-8 months in advance.
8
Shzwah May 2, 2026 +5
This is why I bought my plane ticket yesterday. Was still surprised that the price wasn’t astronomical already.
5
mido_sama May 2, 2026 +28
The guy that bankrupted a c***** got elected twice 🤦🏾.
28
dookieshoes97 May 2, 2026 +10
A good chunk of men are racist and hate women. A good chunk of women are submissive and do what their wife beater wearing husbands say. The most worthless people on the planet are reproducing en masse. Mike Judge called it.
10
gabacus_39 May 2, 2026 +7
Everywhere that's turned to shit
7
WarriyorCat May 2, 2026 +13
The main page of Indeed and the soon-to-be-scrap metal fuselage.
13
Donkey_Doody May 2, 2026 +8
On your ass because you, like the rest of us, are getting fucked!
8
RegulatoryCapture May 2, 2026 +3
Duffy’s press release is aggressively blaming it on Biden and Buttigieg. Even though the actual cause is obvious and those two haven’t been in power for a while.  That said, I do think the merger probably should have been allowed…this isn’t a retail or food merger where the struggling company could do a slow shutdown/selloff if they hit bankruptcy…airlines are kinda all or nothing and if the only savior is being bought by another airline, you should probably allow it.  But it isn’t Biden’s fault they failed now 2 years later. They were on shaky footing and then gas prices shot up because someone started bombing the Middle East again. 
3
Careful_Farmer_2879 May 2, 2026 +5
This is a combo of Biden and Trump. Biden blocked a merger that would have saved them. The combined company would have been nowhere near the top 4, and could have divested routes.
5
NW-McWisconsin May 2, 2026 +21
And of course, AFTER the other Airlines cap their prices.... Sean Duffy scrambles to announce they agreed to cap prices. I hate ALL politics.
21
howigottomemphis May 2, 2026 +66
The Great Recession is starting...
66
Poobbly May 2, 2026 +19
Another one?
19
gakule May 2, 2026 +33
Some say it's the greatest recession, the most beautiful recession, can you believe that? This big handsome man looked me straight in my eyes, he was very hunky by the way, and he looked me in my eyes and tearfully said "Thank you Mr President, I never thought I would live to see such a beautiful recession". We're going to do a great job with it, two weeks and you'll see what we're doing with it but it's going to be great. You might not know this, but no one knows as much about recessions as I do and we're just going to do a great job with it.
33
HatlessDuck May 2, 2026 +8
Make Depressions Great Again
8
dookieshoes97 May 2, 2026 +5
I'm tired, boss.
5
nutmac May 2, 2026 +52
I dodged the bullet. A few months ago, I booked a round-trip flight for a convention in Las Vegas - May 1 (yesterday) to May 3. Spirit ceased operations as of today. I almost chose Spirit, and good thing I didn’t. I would’ve been stranded.
52
redmasc May 2, 2026 +54
Apparently the idiots that voted for him don't remember how things were the first time around with the economy in the dumpster.
54
Shibarijun May 2, 2026 +45
The idiots who voted for him don't fly, at all, because they believe that 5G is a kill switch put into pilots by the covid vaccine. Source: my qanon dad
45
Careful_Farmer_2879 May 2, 2026 +3
The 5G thing is shared by crunchy liberals and frothing conservatives. Horseshoe theory.
3
shadrap May 2, 2026 +1
I mean... that's just science.
1
Corben11 May 3, 2026 +2
This is exactly like how he handled covid. Just one more week and covid will be over. Just one more week and the iran war will be over.
2
eXecute_bit May 2, 2026 +3
They give him credit for recovering the economy! He's done nothing but improve the market, they say.
3
Base841 May 3, 2026 +6
A few days ago I saw what must have been one of the last Spirit Airlines aircraft fly overhead, the gaudy bright yellow A320 over Tampa. Flying with them was always memorable. Trying to out-c**** Spirit was a challenge, dodging their up-sell, out thinking their attempt to charge me for choosing a seat, the atrocious app that crapped out half the time I tried to use it. But I could fly to Indy for $50 or so. I'll miss their hyper capitalism, feeling like I beat the con man playing 3 card Monty.
6
dynogirl59 May 3, 2026 +15
According to the article, this is a direct result of skyrocketing fuel prices because of the war in Iran. So, Trump’s failed leadership, once again.
15
ArmadilloBandito May 2, 2026 +37
I just want reliable trains.
37
zip_zap_zip_zap_ May 3, 2026 +2
I just got off my first Roomette experience with Amtrak. It was a 16 hour journey and it was awesome. I wish it was a more viable option for our country, I would take the train all the time.
2
ArmadilloBandito May 3, 2026 +2
I visited the UK back in March and took the train from London to Edinburgh and it was so nice. I lived in Texas and everything is such a far drive. I would actually visit family often if 8 could take a train.
2
FLSteve11 May 3, 2026 +9
Good thing they blocked that merger with JetBlue to help low fare customers. (Watch, the big 4 will now buy out all the routes, leaving even less competition).
9
BoosterRead78 May 2, 2026 +13
And says it’s All Biden’s fault again. When a Reagan appointment judge blocked the merger and they said “well it’s the president from 16 months ago fault who had no hand in anything.” 🤦‍♂️
13
prcodes May 2, 2026 +7
Where am I going to get my airport meltdown videos from now 😭
7
Knightfires May 3, 2026 +7
Finally an American company goes belly up again. Shows the world that margin calls and debt collecting on higher levels is still there. And if you wonder where all the money has gone too. Check the pockets of every previous and current board of executives. Great place to start for each company if you ask me.
7
otterpusrexII May 2, 2026 +10
My flight to NYC on Wednesday was canceled! I am never flying Spirit Air again!
10
ericscarn May 3, 2026 +16
I don’t think anyone is!
16
DragonPup May 2, 2026 +7
Spirit Airlines about to become a Spirit Halloween.
7
BiploarFurryEgirl May 2, 2026 +19
There’s a huge furry con next weekend too in ATL. A lot of people are panicking because they no longer have a flight. I’m picking up two of their suits from the hotel to ship back to them. It’s a mess
19
evenaintlosin May 3, 2026 +3
r.i.p my 36k spirit points 🪦 i was planning a getaway for the end of the month how unfortunate.
3
Bunch_of_Shit May 3, 2026 +3
Duffy blamed democrats
3
Correct_Emu7015 May 2, 2026 +13
ThIs Is wHaT wE vOtED fOr
13
Xyellowsn0wX May 3, 2026 +6
Watched the CEO's statement. They blamed it all on the fact they couldn't get a merger approved. If they needed a merger to continue functioning then the CEO didn't know how to run the company in the first place. That prolly would've taken out two airlines in one blow. Iran war gas pricing shit from the Trump admin was the final blow.
6
Speedracer666 May 2, 2026 +8
How will I vape on a plane now?
8
BrokenMash May 3, 2026 +4
Laughing my ass off at all the Trump apologists here. F****** morons. 🤣🤣🤣
4
echoshizzle May 2, 2026 +5
If there’s a market for Spirit it will come. Avelo, frontier, one of them will pick up the slack
5
butternutflies May 2, 2026 +13
The point of this whole thing is to bring that market down and prevent normal people from traveling around for c**** and easily. The intention is to break down people's freedom little by little. This is only the beginning
13
SnuffleWarrior May 3, 2026 +6
Trump's war killed the airline. So much winning
6
Particular_Main_5726 May 3, 2026 +2
Mark my words - he's going to try to buy it and rebrand if with his dumb name, specifically so he can grift taxpayer's even further by mandating that his airline be used in some capacity for all US government flight logistics. 
2
chefjayprez May 2, 2026 +2
Pete could give them apache rides.
2
Somestunned May 2, 2026 +3
If only this could have been avoided somehow.
3
supercali45 May 2, 2026 +5
This all due to high jet fuel prices from the war? The stomp on the neck
5
stayclassypeople May 2, 2026 +19
More like the straw that broke the camels back. Here’s a good podcast explaining it https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?i=1000764550482
19
FuggyGlasses May 2, 2026 +3
Some parts of it.
3
AsteroidMike May 2, 2026 +3
Spirit was the “Motel 6 of the sky” according to Brent Pella. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YvfYK0EEhK4&pp=ygUbYnJlbnQgcGVsbGEgc3Bpcml0IGFpcmxpbmVz
3
FatBa May 2, 2026 +2
I hated Spirit almost as much as I hate Frontier. "Budget" transportation doesn't need to feel so crummy.
2
Uhh_JustADude May 2, 2026 +20
Yeah, but without them the big three national carriers will all charge $1200 a seat to go anywhere. This is, ultimately, a decrease in competition unless Spirit’s assets and, more importantly, *routes* are picked-up by smaller carriers like Breez, Frontier, Allegiant, or maybe JetBlue. Southwest used to be kinda regional until they merged/bought AirTran, then they became fully national and strong enough to endure.
20
JimiSlew3 May 2, 2026 +3
Eh, Frontier flies out of my local direct to a vacation area. Misses and I get one bag and c**** tickets and we're off. Would cost us 2-3x more to go to the big city and fly.  Then again we are Hobbit sized folk and not need the extra legroom you six footers do.
3
6xlevbear May 2, 2026 +2
Where are the smart people who blocked the merger? So stupid
2
idc2011 May 2, 2026 +1
You all know who to thank for this.
1
TooMad May 2, 2026 +1
At least we still have Jet Blue for Jerry Springer Air
1
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