Spirit Airlines officially filed for bankruptcy protection today Monday after the pioneer of no-frills travel in the U.S. struggled with a long run of quarterly losses, failed merger attempts and looming debt maturities.
Spirit’s troubles deepened after the collapse of its $3.8 billion planned merger with JetBlue Airways in January and the impact of RTX’s, Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines snag that grounded many of its aircraft.
So, how will this news affect people traveling for Thanksgiving at airports like Logan Airport in Boston, or T.F. Green in Rhode Island?
Here’s what to know.
Yes, the airline operates out of Boston Logan International Airport. Spirit operates out of Terminal B at Logan Airport.
No, it will not.
Spirit Airlines officials stated the airline expects to “continue its flight operations through the proceedings and customers can book and fly without interruption. Passengers shouldn’t worry too much about their travel plans or frequent flyer miles immediately.
“In the short term, it will be just smaller,” Robert W. Mann Jr., a former airline executive officer and current president of R. W. Mann and Co., an independent airline consultancy, told USA Today.
Mann added while immediate effects are minimum, it is possible that there could be schedule changes and cancellations later in the winter as a result of the bankruptcy.
Travelers with existing Spirit reservations should look out for notifications about any changes to their itinerary from Spirit as their departure date approaches.
The Department of Transportation recently finalized guidelines that require airlines to provide passengers with a full refund if their flight is canceled or delayed more than three hours on a domestic itinerary or six hours on an international itinerary for any reason. Travelers are only eligible for the refunds if they choose not to travel on the delayed flight or on an alternative itinerary offered by the airline.
Generally, airline loyalty points or miles are not transferrable, but Mann said frequent flyer programs are valuable assets that often survive bankruptcies.
It’s also possible that Spirit will emerge from bankruptcy through a merger, according to USA Today.
According to the airline’s website, “Spirit Airlines is an ultra-low cost airline that flies to destinations in the United States, Caribbean, and Latin America. Some of their top destinations include Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, San Juan, Las Vegas, New York, Tampa, and Los Angeles.”
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Spirit Air bankrupt: How it will impact flights out of Logan airport
