Spirit Airlines has permanently ceased operations
This is not a temporary grounding or a merger delay. Spirit is gone. As of May 2, 2026, the airline has cancelled every flight permanently, shut down its customer service lines, taken its booking platform offline, and entered bankruptcy with no buyer or restructuring plan that keeps it flying.
If you hold a Spirit ticket for any future date, that flight will not operate. There is no rebooking path through Spirit because Spirit no longer exists as a functioning airline.
How to get a refund on your Spirit ticket
Your options depend on how you paid and what you bought.
Credit or debit card purchases
If you bought your Spirit ticket directly with a credit or debit card, you should receive an automatic refund to that card. The Department of Transportation requires airlines to issue full cash refunds for cancelled flights, and Spirit's bankruptcy administrators are processing them — but timelines vary. Check your statement over the next several weeks.
If nothing shows up within 7 to 10 business days, don't wait. Go straight to a chargeback (below).
Bookings made through a travel agent or OTA
If you booked through a third-party travel agent or online travel agency, contact that agency directly. They processed your payment and they're responsible for your refund. Don't wait for Spirit to reach out through a third party — it won't happen.
Spirit vouchers, travel credits, and Free Spirit points
This is the harder category. Gift cards, travel credits, and vouchers are treated as unsecured claims in bankruptcy. Free Spirit miles fall into the same bucket.
The official channel is spiritrestructuring.com, the court-administered bankruptcy portal. File a claim there to get into the queue. Be realistic: unsecured creditors in airline bankruptcies often recover pennies on the dollar, and the process can stretch months or longer.
Your DOT rights: you are owed a full refund
The US Department of Transportation is clear on this. When an airline cancels a flight, passengers are entitled to a full cash refund to the original payment method — regardless of ticket type. That includes non-refundable fares.
Spirit's collapse does not erase that right. The bankruptcy process can complicate collection in some cases, which is exactly why the chargeback option matters.
Use a credit card chargeback if you hit a wall
If your automatic refund doesn't arrive in a reasonable window, file a chargeback with your card issuer. Call the number on the back of your card and tell them the airline cancelled the flight and no refund has come through.
Most credit card issuers allow disputes within 60 to 120 days of the transaction date. If your purchase was more than a month ago, move quickly. Document everything: booking confirmation, cancellation notice, and any communication you attempted with Spirit.
Debit card chargebacks are also possible but carry shorter dispute windows — typically 60 days. Don't sit on this.
What rival airlines did for Spirit passengers
Several US carriers responded to Spirit's shutdown by offering discounted or capped fares for displaced travelers. Frontier, Allegiant, and others announced short-term fare programs in the days following the closure, targeting routes where Spirit had significant market share.
Those offers moved fast and most expired within days. If you missed them, you're not stuck paying full price — it just means you need to search broadly across every carrier flying your route right now.
How to find a replacement flight right now
Spirit's customer service lines are offline. No hold queue, no chat bot, no email address. No one to call.
CheapoTrav's lines are open 24/7.
Our travel experts search across 1,200+ providers simultaneously and have access to unpublished deals that never appear on any public booking site. If you need to replace a Spirit flight fast, calling CheapoTrav is the fastest path to a real alternative at the lowest available price — with no booking fee added to your reservation.
You can also search directly at cheapotrav.com. Enter your origin, destination, and travel dates and you'll see real-time prices across every carrier flying that route. Bundling a hotel? Compare flight + hotel packages in the same search. Set a fare drop alert and we'll notify you if prices shift before you're ready to commit.
What happens to your Free Spirit miles
Free Spirit miles are an unsecured liability of the bankrupt estate. The loyalty program is no longer operating, and the miles have no cash value outside of it.
To pursue any recovery, file a claim at spiritrestructuring.com. The court will determine what miles holders receive, if anything. In past airline bankruptcies, loyalty program members have typically recovered very little — but filing a claim at least preserves your place in the process.
Don't wait around hoping a buyer emerges who honors the miles. No such deal has been announced, and even if one were, significant devaluation would be likely.
Quick action checklist for Spirit passengers
- Check your card for an automatic refund — allow 7 to 10 business days.
- Contact your travel agent or OTA if you booked through a third party.
- File a claim at spiritrestructuring.com if you had vouchers, credits, or Free Spirit miles.
- Initiate a chargeback with your card issuer if no refund arrives in a reasonable window.
- Search for replacement flights at cheapotrav.com, or call the 24/7 line for unpublished options.
- Act fast on rebookings — fares on popular Spirit routes have risen since the shutdown and will keep moving.
FAQ
Will Spirit Airlines refund my ticket automatically?
If you paid by credit or debit card directly with Spirit, an automatic refund should process to that card. Timelines vary because of the bankruptcy proceedings. If nothing appears within 7 to 10 business days, file a chargeback with your card issuer.
Can I still call Spirit Airlines customer service?
No. As of May 2, 2026, Spirit's customer service lines are offline and the airline has ceased all operations. There is no active phone number, email address, or chat support.
What if I booked through Expedia, Priceline, or another OTA?
Contact that OTA directly. They processed your payment and are responsible for your refund. Don't wait for Spirit to initiate anything through a third party — it won't happen.
What happens to my Free Spirit miles?
Free Spirit miles are now an unsecured claim in bankruptcy. File a claim at spiritrestructuring.com to preserve your place in the creditor queue. Recovery is uncertain and the timeline will be long.
What are my rights under DOT rules?
The Department of Transportation requires airlines to issue full cash refunds for cancelled flights — all ticket types, including non-refundable fares. Spirit's bankruptcy does not erase that right, though collection may require a chargeback if the refund is delayed.
How do I find the cheapest replacement flight for my cancelled Spirit route?
Search at cheapotrav.com to compare real-time prices across 1,200+ providers. For last-minute or complex itineraries, call the 24/7 phone line to access unpublished deals that won't show up on any public booking site.
What is spiritrestructuring.com?
It's the court-administered bankruptcy portal for Spirit Airlines — the official channel for filing claims related to vouchers, travel credits, gift cards, and Free Spirit miles.
Should I file a credit card chargeback even if Spirit says a refund is coming?
If you haven't received confirmation of a refund and your card's dispute window is getting close, yes. You can always withdraw the dispute if the refund arrives. Missing the chargeback window is a much harder problem to fix.
Start searching now
Spirit is gone, but your trip doesn't have to be. Replacement flights exist on dozens of carriers across the routes Spirit served. The sooner you search, the better the prices you'll find.
Search flights, compare hotels, and bundle your full trip at cheapotrav.com — or call the 24/7 line to reach a travel expert who can pull deals that never go public. No booking fees. No runaround.