Ted Christie travel tips

Spirit Airlines is calling it quits out of Denver — an airport the low-cost carrier has served for more than a decade. 

Spirit Airlines announced its first-quarter earnings on Monday, but the focus was on the second quarter. And it wasn’t good news.

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Spirit CEO Ted Christie criticized the current state of the airline industry, saying that profits have been “concentrated around two companies,” during a call with analysts on Monday. 

Spirit Airlines and Airbus have agreed to defer all its aircraft expected to be delivered in 2025 and 2026 to 2030-2031 as the airline seeks to improve its financial position following its failed merger with JetBlue. 

Spirit Airlines said on Monday that it would delay delivery of new Airbus planes and furlough pilots to save money as it seeks to overcome several setbacks, including a blocked merger, engine problems and a lackluster recovery from the pandemic.

Spirit Airlines has announced two major changes to help shore up its balance sheet. 

Spirit Airlines is expecting to receive anywhere from $150 million to $200 million in compensation for grounding some of its planes due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines. 

JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines announced the companies have agreed to terminate their July 2022 merger agreement.

JetBlue and Spirit Airlines officially ended their merger plans on Monday, weeks after a federal judge blocked the effort. 

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JetBlue announced Monday it reached an agreement with Spirit Airlines to terminate its merger. 

With just weeks away until the first scheduled departure, Spirit Airlines is postponing flights to the brand new airport in Tulum, Mexico.  In October, the airline announced new routes to Tulum’s new Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport but confirmed with Travel + Leisure on Friday thatSpirit will be postponing the start date of the flights indefinitely due to ongoing mechanical issues with engine parts.  “We are postponing the start date of our Tulum (TQO) service as we continue to manage operational constraints related to Pratt & Whitney GTF engine availability,” a representative from Spirit Airlines said in a statement to T+L.  The flights were originally set to takeoff from both Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport on March 28. “We apologize to our guests for any inconvenience, and we’re reaching out to those with impacted travel plans to offer alternate flight options or a refund,” a representative from Spirit shared with T+L. “We look forward to the opportunity to serve Tulum in the future and will share more once we have an updated schedule.” Spirit Airlines has faced headwinds with the repair and availability of the engine parts since August 2023.  «This new issue is yet another frustrating and disappointing development,» Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie said to investors, according to Reuters.  Spirit Airlines didn’t provide a timetable for when the Tulum flights could be restored, however company executives have discussed the engine service timeline during a recent earnings call.  “The timing of engine removals and aircraft being pulled through service is fluid,” Spirit Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President Matthew Klein said during the airline’s most recent earnings call.  Tulum's airport opened to domestic flights on December 1, 2023 when a Viva Aerobus flight landed to a special water cannon salute.

It’s been a rough few years for Spirit Airlines. 

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Don't listen to the naysayers; Spirit Airlines is here to stay.

Maybe the analysts were wrong.

New details about JetBlue and Spirit Airlines continue to emerge as the airlines face off with the Department of Justice in antitrust court.

New details are coming to light surrounding Spirit Airlines' initial resistance to a merger offer from JetBlue Airways — and what led the ultra-low-cost-carrier to change its mind and sign on with the New York-based JetBlue.

Joining forces to take on the big players? Or cutting out competition at the lower levels?

As the opening of Tulum’s new airport is on the horizon, Spirit Airlines is the latest to announce its service to the new hub from the U.S.