Spirit Airlines

In short

Spirit stopped flying on May 2, 2026, during its second Chapter 11 case, and cancelled all flights. Tickets bought from Spirit with a credit or debit card were to be refunded automatically. If that refund never arrived, the practical route is a dispute with your card issuer, then a DOT complaint. Bookings made through a travel agent are refunded by the agent. Vouchers, credits and Free Spirit points are handled in the bankruptcy case, not by the airline. Do not expect a working Spirit phone line or complaint form.

How complaints actually go

• Spirit announced an orderly wind-down on May 2, 2026, saying "All Spirit flights have been cancelled" and that it "will automatically process refunds for any flights purchased through Spirit with a credit or debit card" to the original form of payment. Spirit press release, May 2, 2026
• Spirit said guests who booked through a travel agent should ask the agent for the refund, and that compensation for vouchers, credits and Free Spirit points would be decided later in the bankruptcy process. It named spiritrestructuring.com for wind-down information. Spirit press release, May 2, 2026
• Spirit Aviation Holdings, Spirit Airlines and affiliates filed Chapter 11 petitions on August 29, 2025 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Spirit Aviation Holdings FY2025 Form 10-K
• DOT's advisory on Spirit (May 1, 2026) told passengers whose flight is permanently cancelled to ask their credit card company for a chargeback for services not rendered under the Fair Credit Billing Act, and to check travel insurance for insolvency coverage. DOT Aviation Consumer Protection: What's New

What tends to work

• Card dispute: a charge for a flight that was not provided is a billing error if the card issuer receives your written notice within 60 days after the first statement that shows it (rule fcba-billing-error). Give the issuer the May 2, 2026 cancellation date and Spirit's refund statement. 12 CFR 1026.13
• If the ticket was bought through an online travel agency, DOT says the agent that is merchant of record must refund airfare for a cancelled flight; the merchant of record is the company shown on your card statement. DOT: Refunds
• DOT still accepts complaints about Spirit; in July 2026 it logged 26 complaint cases about Spirit, 23 of them about refunds. DOT Air Travel Consumer Report, September 2026 (July 2026 data)

Traps and fine print

• Card disputes have deadlines that start from the statement date; waiting for an automatic refund can use up the 60-day billing-error window (rule fcba-billing-error). 12 CFR 1026.13
• Vouchers, credits and Free Spirit points are not refunded automatically; their value depends on the bankruptcy process. Keep proof of every voucher, credit and points balance. Spirit press release, May 2, 2026

By the numbers

• July 2026: DOT logged 26 complaint cases about Spirit, 23 about refunds; Spirit no longer appears in DOT's on-time and baggage tables. DOT Air Travel Consumer Report, September 2026
• ACSI 2026: Spirit scored 66 out of 100, the lowest of the airlines measured. ACSI: Airlines

Scams that target customers

• When an airline shuts down, customers search for help lines. The FTC says not to assume a phone number in search results is real, to scroll past paid results and to type the company's address yourself. FTC consumer alert, April 3, 2025
• The FTC warns that scammers pose as airline customer service on social media during disruptions; report impersonators at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. FTC consumer alert, July 25, 2024
• The BBB reports fake airline phone numbers whose operators ask for card details and extra fees. Spirit said refunds for card purchases made through Spirit would be processed automatically. BBB scam alert, June 2024, Spirit press release, May 2, 2026