✈️ The "Spirit Effect" Is Over. And Your Flight Prices Are About to Show It. ✈️
Published: Mon, 05/04/26
The airline is gone. The impact on your wallet is just getting started.
The "Spirit Effect" Is Over. And Your Flight Prices Are About to Show It.
I'll be honest. I took it a little too far this week.
I spent the whole trip in London just wandering. No plan. No camera rolling. No mental checklist of content to capture. Just me, the city, and an
embarrassing amount of walking. Thirteen miles in one day, to be exact.
And it was genuinely great.
Until I realized I had nothing to show for it.
Then,
because apparently I have no self-control, I ran into some dancers who told me about a salsa weekender happening that weekend.
My brain did the math.
Content I still needed to get: urgent.
Salsa weekender I had no
business attending: alsourgent.
Sleep: rain check.
So I filmed, I danced, and I went straight to the airport.
I slept through the entire flight home. Every single minute of
it.
Except for snacks. I always woke up for snacks.
Anyway. While I was busy making questionable decisions in London, something big happened in the travel world that affects all of us.
By now you've probably seen the headlines. Spirit Airlines is gone. Here's what it means for your bookings and what it means for everyone's travel prices going forward.
Spirit shut down completely on May 2nd. Every flight canceled. Every gate dark. The first major U.S. airline to go out of business in 25 years.
Here's what happened and what to do if you're affected.
What Killed Spirit
This didn't come out of nowhere. Spirit had been in financial trouble for years, filing for bankruptcy twice since 2024. What finished them off was a combination
of rising jet fuel costs tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and a failed last-ditch bailout plan. Talks with the Trump administration about a $500 million cash infusion fell apart at the end. After that, there was nothing left to do.
17,000 workers lost their jobs overnight.
Spirit Terminal at Boston Logan International (May 3rd)
If You Had a Spirit Booking
Here's what matters right now.
If you paid with a credit or debit card, contact your card issuer immediately and initiate a chargeback. That's your fastest path to a full refund. Don't wait.
If you booked through a travel agent, contact them
directly.
If you paid with Spirit vouchers, credits, or Free Spirit points, those are likely gone. Potential recovery will go through the bankruptcy court process, which means it will be slow and uncertain.
Keep every piece of documentation. Booking confirmations, receipts, cancellation notices,
anything. Credit card and insurance companies have strict deadlines.
Replacement Flights
United, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest have agreed to cap fares for displaced Spirit passengers at around $200 one-way. To access those prices you'll need your Spirit confirmation number and proof of
payment. Do this soon. Those caps won't last forever.
What This Means for Everyone Else
Even if you never flew Spirit, this affects you.
Here's something called the Spirit Effect. Spirit's
presence in a market kept fares down even on routes they never flew. The threat of cheap competition was enough to pressure other airlines to stay reasonable. That pressure is gone now.
On routes Spirit served heavily, including flights out of Florida, Las Vegas, Detroit, New York, and Houston, fares are expected to jump by as much as 23%. The Caribbean and Central America routes Spirit served will
feel it too.
The budget market will eventually fill the gap. Frontier, Avelo, Breeze, and Allegiant will pick up some routes. But none of them are big enough to replace Spirit cleanly, and that rebalancing will take months. Probably not before summer.
The short version: if you're planning summer travel
and haven't booked yet, book now. Prices are going up.
The Bigger Picture
Spirit wasn't perfect. Anyone who flew them knows that. The fees were real, the seats were tight, and customer service was not their strong suit.
But they kept the market honest. And now they're gone.
Budget travel isn't dead. But it just got more expensive.
Keep traveling,
Andrew
Did you have a Spirit booking affected by the shutdown? How are you
handling it?
Cocktail of the Week
Invented in Paris, France during the 1920s, the Boulevardier was created by American writer Erskine Gwynne, who founded a literary magazine called The Boulevardier. Inspired by his time among the city’s café society, he asked bartenders to craft a whiskey-based riff on the popular Negroni — and a richly bold classic was
born.
Ingredients
1 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth
Orange peel (for garnish)
How to make it
Fill a mixing glass with ice.
Pour in the whiskey, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
Stir until well chilled (about 20–30 seconds).
Strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass with large ice.
Express an orange peel over the top and use it as garnish.
Random Travel Thought
In London, I managed to get a full eight hours of sleep. Just spread across three days.
Follow me on Instagram.
The Plug
Cheap flights:
Going.com: This might be the only discounted flights website you need.It’s a paid service that sends you notifications when deals become available, but they expire in a couple of days so Act Fast!!
Secret
Flying
🤫: This website emails you about free flight opportunities and even better… it doesn’t cost a thing!!
Skyscanner
:
An older, but still reliable website that’s also *FREE* so there’s no reason not to use it. Use the "Explore the World" feature and set your departure date to "Whole Month" to find the cheapest deals.
Insurance:
Safety
Wing
:
I use Safety Wing as my travel insurance because the plans are flexible. You can easily insure a 1-week trip for like $11 dollars which is less than the cost of a cocktail at the bar.
Travel Gear
Compression socks: Sitting for extended periods of time is not good for the body, so keep yourself healthy enough to go on more trips.Link
Apple AirTags: Consider getting Apple AirTags for the peace of mind of always knowing where your luggage is. Link
Smart Phone holder: It's a foldable sheet that can be used as a stand for your iPhone or iPad.Link
Packing cubes: Having a separate container works wonders for keeping
clothes wrinkle-free. It also makes packing/unpacking much easier.Link
Donut Power Strip: Power outlets are always in demand, but sometimes they're in weird spots. I use this bagel because it's lightweight, and I don't have to think about it.Link
Travel Case Organizer: Cable organizers can be a pain, but this is what I use to keep my cables organized. Link
Backup batteries: I like these backup batteries because they have three important components for me: 1. They have enough power to recharge my phone multiple times at once, 2. Are small enough to put in my pocket, and 3. Are sturdy enough to survive a fall. Link
Yoga Mat: I use this thin mat to get my stretching in even when I'm traveling. Link
Jump Rope: It's so easy to bring a jump rope with you for exercise because it
weighs almost nothing and takes up no space. Link
Liquid IV: Great for hydration to keep you from dying. When you're traveling, it's time to live it up! Link
*Above are Affiliate links at no additional cost to you.
