United Airlines Says It Is Adding Extra Flights in Case Spirit 'Suddenly Goes Out of Business' Rival airlines, including United and Frontier, are adding new routes as Spirit cuts 12 cities from its schedule.
By Erin Davis
Key Takeaways
- Spirit Airlines is ending service in 12 U.S. cities beginning next month.
- Rival airlines, including United and Frontier, are capitalizing on the news as they see it as an opportunity for growth.
- Spirit said in a statement that it will continue "making low fares available to consumers" for "many years to come."
Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than a year last week and announced that it's ending service to a dozen cities in October. Now, rival airlines are swooping in.
On the heels of the bankruptcy news last week, Frontier Airlines, which has a 35% overlap with Spirit on routes, per CNBC, announced it is adding 20 new routes this winter. And on Thursday, United Airlines launched ticket sales for 15 new flights beginning January 6 for Spirit-heavy hubs, such as Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando.
Related: Spirit Airlines Issues New Dress Code After Last Year's Viral Crop Top Incident
"If Spirit suddenly goes out of business, it will be incredibly disruptive, so we're adding these flights to give their customers other options if they want or need them," said Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, in a press release.
In response to United and Quayle's quip, Spirit's Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Duncan Dee, told Entrepreneur in a statement that it is "wishful thinking on the part of a high-cost airline looking to eliminate a low-cost competitor" and the company is "focused on competing and running a great operation," though it appreciates "the obsession certain airline executives have with us."
"Spirit is responsible for making low fares available to consumers for more than 30 years, whether they fly with us or not," the statement says. "We have every expectation to continue doing so for many years to come."
The cities Spirit is exiting in October include: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Birmingham, Alabama; Boise, Idaho; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Columbia, South Carolina; Macon, Georgia; Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City, Utah; and four California cities (Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, and San Jose).
"We apologize to our Guests for any inconvenience this may cause and will reach out to those with affected reservations to notify them of their options, including a refund," Spirit said in a statement about the cancellations.
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