Spirit Airlines Follows Frontier: Goodbye to Change and Cancellation Fees

Spirit Airlines announced that it will immediately eliminate its flight change and cancellation fees for all tickets it sells.

The news comes just days after Frontier announced it would adopt the same policy, marking a strategic shift for long-established airlines in the United States.

“This new policy is among the best in the industry because it applies to each and every passenger,”

Spirit

Spirit said in a statement, adding that they can’t wait to share more good news. Previously, Spirit’s policy required passengers to pay between $69 and $119 for changes or cancellations, with the cost largely depending on the date of the flight, according to KFOR.

Additionally, Telemundo 52 reported that during the COVID-19 pandemic, competing companies like Delta and American Airlines eliminated change fees for most of their tickets.

The decision by the two low-cost airlines may be influenced by the stance of the Biden administration, which issued a rule requiring airlines to offer automatic cash refunds for cancellations instead of waiting for a customer’s request.

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) established new rules to ensure airlines promptly provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when applicable.

Spirit Airlines follows a low-cost business model, offering very affordable airfares but charging for additional services such as checked baggage and seat selection. Currently, the company is seeking short-term revenue initiatives to return to profitability.

Last year, a senior executive of the company stated that Spirit could face economic losses until 2025 due to higher fuel costs and the impact of the pandemic on aviation.

This year, it was revealed that Spirit and JetBlue had mutually agreed to cancel their merger after losing a federal lawsuit that challenged the $800 million deal.