Spirit, Frontier eliminate fees for passengers who cancel or change their flights
South Florida-based Spirit Airlines and rival discounter Frontier Airlines of Denver have swept away an array of fees for passengers who change or cancel their flights.
The two ultra-low-cost carriers, which came close to merging in 2022, made the moves effective last Friday.
“As we have said, Spirit has been evaluating changes to our product and strategy that will help us better compete, elevate the Guest experience and return to profitability,” the Dania Beach-based company said in a statement. “We are excited to roll out a no change and no cancel fee policy for all Guests effective May 17. This new policy is among the best in the industry because it applies to each and every Guest. We have many other enhancements in the works and look forward to sharing more soon.”
Previously, changing a Spirit flight could cost a traveler up to $119 in fees. Now, customers are entitled to full flexibility in changing their flight plans, though the modifications are subject to fare differences and travel credits.
Travelers visiting the airline’s website are now greeted with pronouncements of “Cancellation Fees Are Canceled for Everyone” and “Change Fees Are Gone for All.”
Spirit is the predominant airline in passengers carried at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which is also served by Frontier. Both carriers maintain significant operations at Miami International Airport, with nominal schedules out of Palm Beach International Airport.
Frontier created a new menu of fare classifications: Business, Premium, Economy and Basic. But its no-fee policy is available only to those customers who book trips in the top three fare classes, not Basic, according to a statement issued last Friday.
“We’ve changed, and now it’s free to change,” said Frontier Chairman Barry Biffle. “This enhancement is a key part of our promise to make travel with Frontier as flexible and worry-free as possible. We understand that plans can change, and we want to ensure that when they do, our passengers can adjust their bookings without the stress of additional fees.”
The airline said it has “increased the validity of flight credits issued on or after May 17 from three to twelve months, giving customers greater flexibility.”
It has also brought back live phone support for customers within 24 hours of their flights or for those with Elite status. A new callback service will soon be available for other inquiries.
Generally speaking, cancellations and flight changes have been third-rail issues for the airlines, their customers and federal regulators.
In the flight operations area, the U.S. Department of Transportation has vowed to hold the industry accountable for disrupting customer travel plans. Managements argued that the causes were often beyond their control, citing weather and air traffic control problems.
Late last month, the federal agency finalized a rule requiring carriers to give customers automatic cash refunds for canceled or delayed flights. The DOT also has kept close track of the airline industry’s on-time performance, publicizing results by individual carrier every month.