Spirit Adds More Nonstop Flights to Standard Routes

Spirit Airlines continues its expansion within the airline industry by adding more nonstop flights to its standard travel routes.

A spokesperson for the airline told FOX 5 that five new stops will be added to its route map from San Diego International Airport starting this summer. These include daily nonstop flights to Baltimore, Houston, Portland, Sacramento, and Salt Lake City.

Flights to Baltimore, Maryland, will occur thrice daily, beginning May 9 and May 21. Houston, Texas, flights are daily beginning May 8. Portland begins daily flights on June 5, and Sacramento, California, is also daily starting April 10. Salt Lake City, Utah, begins daily service on June 20.

Spirit is adding new routes between other cities as well. Travel + Leisure reports that Spirit is the first low-cost carrier to fly between Portland and Chicago. On May 8, the airline is introducing six flights a week between the two cities. It is in direct competition with routes that Alaska, American, and United Airlines already offer.

In June, Spirit will also be launching new services once a day in the following cities:

• Boston to and from Detroit and Pittsburgh
• Portland to and from Burbank
• Columbus to and from Newark and Boston
• Salt Lake City to and from Fort Lauderdale

These new routes are big news for the carrier, which recently terminated its merger agreement with another low-cost carrier, JetBlue. This dissolution occurred on March 4, 2024.

The merger between Jet Blue and Spirit was a mutual agreement between the two companies. Their partnership would have helped them become a low-cost powerhouse in the industry.

“After discussing our options with our advisors and JetBlue, we concluded that current regulatory obstacles will not permit us to close this transaction in a timely fashion under the merger agreement,” said Ted Christie, Spirit’s president and CEO.

Christie continued that the company was “disappointed” that the deal was not moving forward. He estimated it would have saved “hundreds of millions for consumers.” He believed that a merger between JetBlue and Spirit would have created a presence that would have gone up successfully against the big four: American, Delta, United, and Southwest Airlines.

Spirit calls itself a leader in customizable travel options. It begins with an unbundled fare. This customizable option allows guests to pay only for their chosen options, such as seat assignments, refreshments, and Wi-Fi.