Other carriers are reaching out with “rescue fares”—and employment opportunities.
Panicked passengers, travel agents, other airlines, and even the federal government scrambled to find alternative flights for thousands of stranded flyers after Spirit Airlines’ sudden shutdown.
The low-cost airline ceased all operations on Saturday. It is the first major business to fall victim to President Donald Trump’s war with Iran after the soaring cost of jet fuel finally pushed Spirit over the edge.
“We regret to inform you that Spirit Airlines has ceased global operations,” read a sign for abandoned passengers at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Saturday. “All Spirit flights have been canceled, and customer service is no longer available. ” It was the first time in 25 years that a major American airline shut down because it ran out of money.
The budget airline wasthis year when the soaring cost of jet fuel triggered by the choked Strait of Hormuz sent it plummeting back into the red. Spirit’s last-ditch effort to wrest help from the federal government failed when a potential $500 million deal in exchange for a 90 percent stake in the company Trump, who had boasted earlier in the week about the U.S. government potentially owning part of the airline, said the government had delivered a “final proposal.
” It wasn’t clear exactly where negotiations broke down, but some lawmakers were critical of taxpayers getting stuck with the bill of a failing airline. Another family planning to travel back home to Michigan after a vacation at Florida’s Walt Disney World decided to rent a car for the 17-hour trip.
“We’re justSecurity guards stand at the door of a boarding gate where signs inform passengers of the shutdown of Spirit Airlines at LaGuardia Airport. Frontier, Southwest, American, United, JetBlue, and Delta Air Lines were reaching out with ticket offers outlined in a stack of memos at the Spirit window, including “capped rescue fares,” for stranded flyers, CNN reported.that the federal government was coordinating with airlines to “bring relief to Spirit customers and its workforce” following the carrier’s collapse.
He detailed offers of capped airline fares and discounted rebooking options, along with support for employees now out of a job. Some airlines were offering suddenly-fired Spirit workers “preferential employment interviews to ensure they jump the queue” into a potential new job, noted a statement from the Transportation Department.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Future of Spirit Airlines in doubt, Trump says a Spirit bailout still is possibleWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration was still weighing a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines, with talks ongoin
Read more »
Spirit Airlines closes, grounds fleet, leaves customers seeking alternativesJustin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps company. Justin covers anything from politics to sports and entertainment.
Read more »
Airlines Offer Assistance to Stranded Spirit Airlines PassengersFollowing Spirit Airlines' sudden flight cancellations, United, American, JetBlue, and Frontier are offering capped fares and support to affected passengers and employees.
Read more »
Spirit in the sky: Spirit Airlines shuts down operations with all flights canceledIn an announcement at 2:23 a.m., the airline said it would begin an 'orderly wind-down of operations, effective immediately.'
Read more »
Spirit Airlines CEO and Trump Admin at Odds Over Iran War Role in CollapseThe Iran war has caused fuel and gas prices to skyrocket across the country and around the world, with further impacts expected.
Read more »
Spirit Airlines Shutdown Leaves Thousands of Employees Stranded, Including Atlanta-Based Flight Attendant Aijah SmithThe sudden closure of Spirit Airlines has left over 17,000 employees, including flight attendant Aijah Smith, in professional limbo. Despite the shock, Smith reflects on her positive experiences with the airline and looks forward to continuing her career in aviation with the support of other major carriers.
Read more »