Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy
Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following significant financial struggles, the airline announced Monday, Nov. 18.
MILWAUKEE – Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following significant financial struggles, the airline announced Monday, Nov. 18.
The airline had tried to merge with JetBlue and Frontier, but both of those dealings failed.
When taking a trip, Amanda Jenkins is willing to pay a little extra. Monday, she returned from a trip to North Carolina, flying American Airlines. She said she looks for reliability when booking a flight and often stays away from one airline in particular: Spirit.
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“I try my best to stay on the low end, but I do like to be comfortable,” Jenkins said. “I wouldn’t fly it definitely now. At all, with it it being bankrupt.”
The cost-savings airline has lost more than $2.5 billion since 2020, while racking up debt.
“It’s just a very uncertain time at a time when passengers emotionally want some certainty,” said Robert Mark, a former pilot and business travel journalist. “There could not be a worse time of the year to be up against this wall.”
In a statement, Spirit said it will operate normally throughout the bankruptcy process, saying customers will be able to book and fly, use tickets, credits and loyalty points.
Jenkins said she’s sticking with what she likes: an airline she says she knows she can count on.
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“It’s a red flag with it being bankrupt,” she said. “Something isn’t going right probably, and I would not trust that airline.”