- Spirit Airlines could stop flying this week and sell off assets, per a Bloomberg report; Spirit has not denied the rumors and says only they don’t comment on market rumors. - Liquidation would affect competition and potential buyers; Fort Lauderdale accounts for 27% of 2025 capacity with 14 gates (10 preferential use) and LaGuardia has 22 slots; JetBlue previously blocked a deal, Frontier could benefit. - Travelers: chargebacks may be possible under the Fair Credit Billing Act if a flight is canceled; 60-day window from first statement; debit protections vary; if flights operate with no major changes, tickets may be nonrefundable; avoid proactively canceling.

Spirit Airlines Could Stop Flying This Week And Sell Off Its Assets by Gary Leff on April 16, 2026 Spirit Airlines could be liquidated as soon as this week, ceasing all flying and selling off assets, according to a Bloomberg report. Discussions with creditors could still change that outcome. However, this report alone makes the outcome more likely, because it makes purchases of their tickets seem even riskier than they already were. That chases away business that could have helped keep them in business. And Spirit is not denying the reports, saying only “We don’t comment on market rumors and speculation.” I had already told you that Spirit’s bankruptcy trustee was asking the court to delay its exit, and now that’s being widely reported. What’s not well understood is that this was, A technical issue, easily cured, regarding the airline’s disclosure statement. And all the investors involved are sophisticated enough to make that immaterial to their decision-making. So it was a tactic – more important was the underlying focus on what wasn’t well enough fleshed out: why bankruptcy emergence was better than selling the airline or just liquidating? A liquidation would potentially help JetBlue in Fort Lauderdale. It would create an opportunity for United to bid for assets there. They represented 27% of 2025 capacity at the airport. And they have access to 14 gates, 10 of which...