If you're holding a ticket for a future flight on Spirit, it's important that you move quickly to start the refund process. In situations where a carrier in bankruptcy stops operations, consumers are usually last in line, after banks and other lenders, when it comes to getting money back.
Best scenario: You booked with a credit card and can therefore take advantage of the credit card's protections.
First, write an email to the airline asking for a refund, so you can show your credit card company that you've done so. Make sure to keep track of that email and any responses.
Then start the refund process with your credit card company. You'll usually have 120 days from the date of the last leg of your planned flights to request your money back.
Alas, debit cards do not carry these same protections.
You may also be covered if you bought travel insurance. Contact your insurance company, and look to see if your credit card includes travel insurance with purchases.
If you're stranded, you may be able to get "Rescue Fares" from other carriers
A number of carriers have stepped in to help Spirit passengers get home or rebook flights. Help isn't free, but fares are discounted, though by how much varies greatly carrier to carrier. Here's a run down:
American Airlines: Has started offering "Here to Help" fares, but they don't look particularly low to us.
Delta Airlines: Is offering reduced, non-refundable fares for flights through May 6. Prices are not being advertised.
JetBlue: Rescue fares of just $99 are being offered through May 6 for stranded Spirit passengers. It's also capping fares for travel through May 8 from Fort Lauderdale to $299.
Frontier Airlines: Is offering 50% off fares through November 19, and a $199 unlimited summer travel pass in the wake of the Spirit disaster. Since the carrier shared 100 gateways with Spirit, these promos could end up being among the most helpful ones.
Southwest Airlines is offering capped fares through May 6 depending on the distance traveled. See their chart here.
United Airlines, like Delta, is offering reduced, non-refundable fares through May 6, though the amount of that reduction is not being advertised.
And Avelo Airlines is NOT offering a discount on airfares, but it will offer a status match on their frequent flyer program.
Getting back money for other expenses on a canceled trip
Unless you prepaid for your hotel room, that should be fully refundable. Ditto for car rentals.
Do check to see if there's a date by which you must cancel, though, in order to receive a refund.
Getting money back on tours and cruises could be trickier, though you may still be able to buy insurance to cover those, depending on the original date of purchase.
Once Spirit officially announces it has stopped operations, insurance won't be offered, so this is a move-fast strategy.
There's a possibility that the credit card you used could have automatic travel insurance with it, providing another layer of protection. Check.
What to do if you hadn't yet bought airfares but plan to from a gateway Spirit used to fly?
Lately we've been advising travelers to purchase tickets sooner rather than later for any flights planned for the next 6 to 8 months due to the surging cost of jet fuel. That is pushing up ticket prices on a near-daily basis. In fact, airfares are currently about 15% more expensive than a year ago at this time.
Right before it went belly up, Spirit was still posting airfares for a reasonable price. That availability and those low prices are currently keeping other carriers in check, price-wise. With Spirit gone, prices are going to jump even higher.
Spirit served some 90 gateways in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The airline's key hubs are Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Detroit (DTW), Orlando (MCO), Las Vegas (LAS), Atlantic City (ACY), Atlanta (ATL), Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), and Chicago (ORD).
So if you're planning to fly to or from any of those places, I'd pull the trigger on a ticket sooner rather than later.
I have to say that I'm disappointed, if not surprised, that the Trump administration didn't throw a lifeline to Spirit. The monopolization of airlines in the United States has been very bad for consumers in myriad ways.
With Spirit gone, flyers will have even fewer choices—and the airlines that remain will have even greater power.