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Spirit Airlines said early Saturday morning it was ceasing operations, leaving travelers at Kansas City International Airport to find alternative arrangements after the airline announced the shutdown online.
At KCI, customers were met with empty customer service desks and screens reading "all flights had been canceled and customer service was no longer available," followed by a prompt to scan a QR code.
While some travelers said the news was unexpected, many said they were not entirely surprised.
Traveler Ray said he learned about the closure while at the airport.
"I just found out just now. We're trying to buy tickets to go out of town here in a couple of weeks, and walking down here to see the prices to Spirit. Asked where they were because I didn't see the sign, and the guy said they're done," Ray said.
Another traveler, Danielle, said the news caught her off guard.
"I am shocked about it. I'm shocked that they are no longer," Danielle said.
The airline had struggled to maintain profit since the pandemic. With the rising cost of jet fuel due to the war in Iran, it added $15 million more to its weekly expenses.
American, United and Frontier airlines are among the carriers who said they will help Spirit customers impacted by the shutdown.
Ray said he welcomed the gesture.
"I think that's cool, somebody needs to make up for the loss," Ray said.
Spirit Airlines said it will automatically process refunds for any flights purchased through the carrier with a credit or debit card.
Passengers who did not book directly with the airline will need to request a refund through their travel agent.
For some travelers, the abrupt shutdown served as a reminder of past negative experiences with the airline.
Danielle recalled a previous incident with the carrier.
"They broke my luggage. I didn't get no money for that. I had to pay more money for the compress bag. Yeah, it was horrible. Sorry, it was horrible," Danielle said.
Ray says the airline's reputation for low fares came at a cost.
"The ride was rough and your stuff got took and lost. So, for cheap prices you know, they were killing spirits," Ray said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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