BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Md. (7News) — As of Saturday morning, Spirit Airlines no longer exists. 7News was at our local airports as passengers across the country scrambled to book other flights.
7News looked into how the airline’s shutdown will create a long-lasting impact.
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All the signage and any evidence that Spirit Airlines existed at BWI airport is gone. The company is telling customers that if they have a ticket or an upcoming trip with Spirit Airlines, they shouldn’t come to the airport because there’s no help available.
“If you’re flying Spirit or have to go through the process of flying at all, I feel for you,” said traveler Jonah Cann. “I do this by necessity, not by choice. None of it is fun.”
7News found Cann when he was supposed to be boarding a Spirit flight to Orlando.
Cann said Spirit Airlines’ shutdown added to what’s already been a stressful and, for some, traumatizing time for travelers.
“Stressed out. I came back from work at 3 a.m. to sleep for an hour to get ready for my flight,” Cann said. “Stressed out a little bit. Eventually, it was okay. I have gone through this process of getting a refund, which was never fun.”
Katy Nastro is a travel expert. She spoke to us about the impacts if you currently have a Spirit ticket.
“This is not like a winter storm where you can just rebook on a later flight on the same airline; you have to book on an entirely new airline because your flight does not exist anymore,” said Nastro.
Nastro said the ripple effect will be felt in everyone’s pockets.
“This is not just horrific news for any of the Spirit employees. This is bad news for travelers,” Nastro added. “Especially the cost-conscious traveler. Think whatever you want about Spirit, you can thank them, you owe them gratitude because they put pressure on carriers to price down. They helped whatever market they were in.”
Nastro said Spirit had nearly 600 flights scheduled this weekend. That’s about 100,000 passengers affected by the shutdown over the two days.
“Unfortunately, it’s going to be turbulent times ahead for the cost-conscious traveler as we navigate this market without Spirit,” Nastro explained.
For the pilots, flight attendants, agents, and staff left behind, words from travelers who counted on them.
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“I know you’re doing your job; none of this is your fault,” said Cann.
Spirit was hoping to secure a $500 million rescue deal from the federal government, but it failed. The company filed for bankruptcy for the second time in August.
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