Spirit Airlines is once again making major changes to its network.
This time, the Denia Beach, Florida-based carrier is dropping 24 routes. This was first seen in Cerium schedules and later confirmed by an airline spokesperson.
The cuts are far-reaching, and you’ll find a full list of affected routes below. Some of the hardest hit cities are Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles, all of which are seeing at least three routes cut.
From Charlotte, Spirit will stop flying to Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Los Angeles. Without these flights, there would be less competition in these markets, which would likely allow major network carriers that already operate these routes to raise their fares.
Spirit’s cuts will have a particularly big impact in the hub-to-hub market (as mentioned above), where network airlines often charge a hefty premium for their nonstop flights because there isn’t much competition. For example, American Airlines will be the only airline flying from Charlotte to Los Angeles.
Other Dallas-Fort Worth routes affected include service to Houston, San Antonio and Tampa. Both American and Frontier Airlines operate these three routes.
Perhaps one of the most interesting cuts is service from Boston to Newark, which Spirit just resumed in May. (It was last operated in 2021.) This short 200-mile shuttle route is already well-served by multiple daily frequencies on Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, so Spirit’s twice-daily flights were up against some stiff competition from the start. .
Spirit’s cuts have already been updated in the airline’s schedule, and affected customers will be eligible for full refunds or rerouting on other Spirit flights.
However, it’s not all bad news. Spirit is adding seven new routes, four of which are limited-time runs for the Mardi Gras season in New Orleans. On February 20, 2025, the airline will begin flights from New Orleans to Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Memphis; and San Antonio.
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These flights are specifically timed for peak demand from travelers heading to Mardi Gras. Unless they outperform expectations, I don’t expect this route to continue beyond this limited-time run.
Later next year, Spirit will add three new routes from Atlanta, all of which will compete with Delta. (Delta operates a megahub in the city.) Southwest Airlines also operates all three routes.
Spirit will begin flying to Columbus and San Antonio on April 9, 2025. It will then follow with its third new Atlanta route to Indianapolis on May 7, 2025.
The changes follow another major network shake-up from Spirit. At the end of September, the airline dropped 32 routes; Many of the cuts were effective immediately.
The airline explained to TPG why it was making these changes: “We regularly evaluate our network and make adjustments to support the company’s business strategy based on current market and operating conditions. As part of this process, we updated our upcoming schedule. is so focused on our strongest-performing routes.”
In recent months, Spirit has been aggressive in returning to profitability, and one way for the carrier to do that is to shrink its network to focus on its best-performing markets. After all, the airline has accumulated more than $2 billion in net losses since 2020.
In addition to the network shake-ups, the airline has also restructured its business strategy, ditching many elements of the bare-bones business model in exchange for fares including bags, seats and ancillary items such as snacks and beverages.
The jury is still out on whether these changes will solve the airline’s woes.
24 Root Cuts of Spirit
| original | destination | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville | Los Angeles | November 6, 2024 |
| Boston | Newark | January 8, 2025 |
| Burbank, California | Sacramento | November 6, 2024 |
| Cleveland | Orlando | November 4, 2024 |
| Charlotte | Dallas-Fort Worth | January 8, 2025 |
| Charlotte | Houston | December 3, 2024 |
| Charlotte | Los Angeles | January 8, 2025 |
| Columbus | Los Angeles | January 8, 2025 |
| Columbus | Tampa | Effective immediately |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Houston | December 3, 2024 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | San Antonio | November 5, 2024 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Tampa | December 2, 2024 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Chicago | November 6, 2024 |
| Newark | San Antonio | November 4, 2024 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Managua, Nicaragua | February 11, 2025 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Phoenix | November 4, 2024 |
| Fort Lauderdale | San Salvador, El Salvador | February 10, 2025 |
| Las Vegas | Richmond, Virginia | November 4, 2024 |
| Los Angeles | Oakland, California | November 6, 2024 |
| Los Angeles | Pittsburgh | November 4, 2024 |
| Los Angeles | San Antonio | March 3, 2025 |
| Los Angeles | Salt Lake City | March 4, 2025 |
| San Diego | Sacramento | December 3, 2024 |
| San Antonio | Tampa | Effective immediately |
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