Travel

Does it cost more to fly after Spirit Airlines shut down? ‘Upward pressure’

By Vinod Sreeharsha

Updated May 19, 2026 2:46 PM

The end of Spirit Airlines

The low-cost airline shuts down. Here’s what is happening and what it means.

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Airfares were already rising when Spirit Airlines shut down on May 2, and the loss of the discount carrier is expected to worsen the trend for travelers.

Costs will be higher for at least the next four months, according to one report. And while the numbers are national averages, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, a Spirit hub, also is feeling the changes ahead of Memorial Day and summer travel.

Round-trip airfare in the U.S. between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend is 27% higher than it was last year, according to a new report by Points Path and The Points Guy, a consumer aviation publication. Even using miles won’t help: Prices were up 25% in the May 13 findings.

For those who have been told or badgered by family members to book travel early, doing so 21 days to 35 days ahead of travel resulted in an even more expensive 33% ticket hike.

On May 11, nine days after Spirit stopped flying, the average one-way domestic airfare to FLL was $280, up from $257 on April 27, five days before the discount airline’s demise. That’s higher than the $210 on May 11, 2025. The latest numbers are from Kayak, a travel search site that keeps track of trends.

But there was a bit of good news for travelers in Kayak’s weekly figures released Tuesday: May 11 airfare was a tad lower than the $283 seen on May 4.

Fares were already rising in April due to increased fuel prices and volatility in the Middle East before the discount airline Spirit shut down at 3 a.m. Saturday, May 2.

Broward-based Spirit was a pioneer in the ultra-low cost-carrier market and kept prices down across the industry. Aviation and travel experts say Spirit’s absence will drive up fares.

“The cost of travel will be higher for your average traveler,” said Christina Tunnah, head of Americas with World Nomads, a travel insurer.

“There’s definitely going to be some upward pressure” on airfares, said Jay Shabat, co-founder of Airline Weekly and senior analyst with travel publication Skift.

The carrier “absolutely helped the consumer in the markets they served,” he said. “Them going away is one less option for consumers, especially for markets like FLL.”

There’s also the issue of where Spirit’s airplanes end up, Shabat said. Do they end up grounded in the Arizona desert because a lot of them have older technology? Or do other airlines buy them?

If the planes stay parked, then supply in the market decreases, putting more pressure on airfares, he said.

Spirit’s impact on Fort Lauderdale

The deserted Spirit Airlines counters at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the company shut down on Saturday May 0, 2026. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com

Spirit had more flights at FLL than anywhere, and it was the top provider of passengers that went through the Broward airport, about 28% of the total in 2025.

Of the 17,000 Spirit employees, more than 2,500 were based at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The company’s headquarters complex was in nearby Dania Beach.

But other airlines are making moves to fill the void at FLL. JetBlue Airways, which began as low-cost carrier, has said it will add service or increase frequency to nearly a dozen destinations.

“We’re stepping up for Fort Lauderdale to ensure the availability of air service in this market,” Marty St. George, the airline’s president, said in a statement.

JetBlue plans nearly 130 daily departures at FLL this summer, a 75% increase from last summer. Breeze also announced new nonstop flights from FLL to Pensacola and to Savannah, Georgia.

Allegiant on Tuesday said it was adding flights in October between FLL and four destinations, including Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska.

Broward Mayor Mark Bogen said that United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have contacted the county.

“All have expressed interest in talking,” Bogen said.

Southwest hasn’t talked about expanding its presence at FLL, the mayor said.

Bogen is particularly optimistic about JetBlue.

“It offers one of the best products in the marketplace,” he said, and it was already increasing its presence at FLL before Spirit’s demise. “Spirit didn’t provide a superior product.”

Bogen believes that FLL will be able to fill the void left by Spirit before the year ends. “And we may even possibly have some interesting opportunities we didn’t have before.”

Will travelers be able to afford them?

Tunnah, the travel insurance executive, points out that Spirit had a special bond with its customers and attracted a type of budget traveler that might not otherwise travel. Spirit’s absence affects them, which in turn hurts local businesses throughout the country that depended on that certain kind of traveler.

Florida is particularly hard hit: After FLL, Orlando International Airport received the second most number of Spirit flights, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Tourist attractions that draw working-class families will feel the squeeze, too, and may have to increase prices to survive.

“The overall cost of travel could become prohibitive,” Tunnah said.

Then there’s the reality that other ultra-low-cost-carrier are facing: rising fuel prices.

The Association of Value Airlines, a trade group representing low-cost airlines, recently asked the federal government for $2.5 billion in assistance to help with higher fuel costs. That’s a significant ask, said Chris Elliott, a consumer advocate and travel expert.

“They hate any kind of government regulation, so for them to go to the government now is a really big deal,” he said.

For Elliott and other experts, Spirit’s demise may not be an isolated case — especially if fuel prices don’t decline.

JetBlue, which swooped in to add flights at FLL after Spirit shut down, isn’t in great shape. The company’s founder, David Neeleman, said earlier this year that the airline risks going bankrupt and is in a “really tough spot,” according to aviation publication View from the Wing. The airline hasn’t made a profit in six years.

“If high fuel prices continue, we might see another bankruptcy or liquidation this summer,” said Elliot, who writes the Elliot Confidential newsletter.

More advice on low-cost carriers

If you still want to book a ticket with one of the remaining low-cost carriers, Elliott suggested to his readers you approach it this way:

Monitor the news: An airline asking for “fuel tax suspension” or a “liquidity pool” is a red flag.

Book with a credit card: Federal law allows you to get the charge returned if an airline stops flying or goes out of business. Debit cards don’t have this protection.

Avoid long-term bookings or don’t book too far in advance: Booking a flight now for Christmas on “an at-risk carrier like JetBlue is a high stakes gamble in this economy,” Elliott says.

Avoid OTAs: Book directly with the airline rather than an online travel agent— that’ll make it easier to get a refund