South Florida air travelers flying Spirit, Frontier can change, cancel flights at no cost
In a move that could save South Florida travelers hundreds of dollars, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have announced they will allow passengers, for the most part, to change and cancel flights without incurring any fees.
Both airlines have a major presence in South Florida with Spirit accounting for nearly one-third of all passengers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. They also fly out of Palm Beach International Airport and Miami International Airport.
Spirit says its “no change fees for all” policy is among the best in the industry because it applies to everyone. Previously, it could cost as much as $119 to make a change, depending on the number of days before the flight. Spirit reported that it has "many other enhancements in the works and looks forward to sharing more soon.”
At Frontier, change fees are also no longer being levied to customers who buy economy, premium or business seats. Its no-fee change policy is not available for basic fares. Frontier is also offering 2,500 Frontier miles to customers who find a flight elsewhere at a lower price.
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The new policies for the two ultra-low-cost carriers, which came close to merging in 2022, became effective May 17. They appear to be in response to a recent federal Department of Transportation ruling mandating increased transparency regarding ancillary fees associated with air travel.
Major airlines, including American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Alaska and Hawaiian, filed a lawsuit this month to overturn the ruling. Frontier and Spirit are not part of the lawsuit.
“We’ve changed, and now it’s free to change,” Frontier Chairman Barry Biffle said in a prepared statement.
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“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.”
Both airlines have been struggling following their failed merger attempt. Spirit Airlines reported a net loss of $447.5 million in 2023 and a loss of $143 million in the first quarter of 2024. Frontier Airlines has not made a full-year profit since 2019 and has lost around $400 million since then. It reported a net loss of $26 million for the first quarter of 2024.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Flights savings: Spirit, Frontier waive change, cancellation fees