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Spirit Airlines is gone: 6 budget airlines US travelers should know about instead
Airlines are already moving to fill the gap, adding routes and competing for travellers who are looking for value and would have otherwise chosen Spirit.
Spirit wasn’t some niche budget carrier knocking around the edges. It was a major player in cheap US travel, shifting huge numbers of passengers around the country and keeping fares low on busy routes.
Spirit’s shutdown has definitely changed the landscape, but it doesn’t necessarily mean bargain travel has gone with it. Airlines are already moving to fill the gap, adding routes and competing for travelers who are looking for value and would have otherwise chosen Spirit.
Why Spirit’s collapse actually matters for your wallet
Even if you never booked a Spirit flight in your life, there’s a decent chance you still benefited from their business model.
Spirit had a habit of forcing everyone else to play ball. Once it launched a route, rival airlines often dropped prices to stay competitive. It acted like a pressure valve to keep fares low.
Take that away, and things can get pricey fairly quickly. Timing your flights is now more important than ever.
The biggest impact looks to be hitting routes that leaned heavily into holiday traffic and places where Spirit had a strong foothold, including:
- Florida routes
- Holiday destinations
- Mid-sized city connections
- Airports where Spirit ran a big schedule
The effect varies depending on where you’re flying, but less competition and rising fares tend to go hand in hand. That said, budget airlines move fast when there’s demand, and several carriers are already expanding into routes Spirit once dominated
Six airlines worth having on your radar
If you’re looking for an identical experience, then you’re probably out of luck because no airline ticks every Spirit box. What suits you depends on what matters most: absolute bargain fares, flexibility, or just avoiding a three-hour layover in some random city.
Below, we go through six other options that are out there, touching on what they do best, but also where they fall down.
| Airline | Best for | Key routes | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier | Domestic budget fares | Mid-size US cities | High add-on fees |
| Avelo | Underserved regional routes | Secondary airports | Limited network |
| Breeze | New city pairs, no hubs | East and West Coast | Newer, still expanding |
| Southwest | No change/cancel fees | Most major US cities | No seat selection |
| Sun Country | Leisure and resort routes | Minneapolis hub, Sun Belt | Seasonal schedules |
| Allegiant | Drive-to-fly travelers | Small regional airports | Few daily flights |
Frontier
Frontier is probably the nearest thing to a straight Spirit replacement, offering dirt-cheap fares to popular destinations.
The catch? The fare you see at the start isn’t always the fare you pay at the end.
Add a bag, pick a seat, breathe near the check-in desk, and suddenly the price of that “cheap” flight starts creeping up.
Avelo
Avelo has carved out a lane flying from smaller airports that bigger airlines often ignore.
The downside is that the route map is still fairly limited, and if flights get disrupted, you don’t always have loads of backup options.
Breeze
Breeze has gone after city pairings that other airlines seem to have forgotten exist. This allows you to skip connections and long waits to visit less-popular destinations. That said, the airline is still growing, so coverage isn’t massive yet.
Southwest
Southwest has always appealed to people who’d rather avoid getting stung with endless add-ons.
- No change fees
- Two checked bags are included on many fares
- Big domestic network
Worth noting, though: Southwest has moved away from its old free-for-all seating setup. Assigned seating is now in the mix, and what you get depends on your fare.
Sun Country
Sun Country leans heavily into sunshine and holiday routes. It’s a great choice for leisure trips and seasonal escapes
The catch is that schedules can shift a lot throughout the year, so routes aren’t always consistent.
Allegiant
Allegiant works best if you’re willing to drive a bit further and use smaller regional airports.
The issue is frequency. Some flights only run a couple of times a week, so flexibility matters.
Planning a US weekend break? Here’s where these airlines fly.
The fee trap: what budget actually means on each airline
Travelers often get caught by low flight fares, but then the extras start arriving.
Frontier charges for carry-ons, seats, and various add-ons. Allegiant loves bundles that suddenly turn your bargain fare into something less bargain-y.
Avelo keeps fares low, but extras can build. Breeze has different bundles depending on how much flexibility you want.
Sun Country can quietly rack up baggage and seating costs, too.
Southwest still feels easier to understand overall. Fewer hidden surprises and less maths involved.
Frontier and Allegiant, meanwhile, still live firmly in the “we’ll charge separately for absolutely everything” camp.
If you’re traveling no frills, with just a backpack, then which budget airline is actually cheapest for you differs.
Which cities lost the most when Spirit shut down?
Some airports leaned heavily on Spirit and could end up seeing bigger changes than others.
Places to watch include:
- Orlando
- Fort Lauderdale
- Atlantic City
- Las Vegas
- Airports where Spirit previously ran major schedules
Airlines are still shifting routes around, so this could all change again over the next while.
If you’re rerouting through Orlando, here’s what’s around the airport while you wait.
Is now actually a good time to book a US domestic flight?
Some former Spirit routes are still noticeably dearer. Others have started settling down as rival airlines add flights and try to fill the gap.
If you’re chasing value:
- Set fare alerts
- Compare nearby airports
- Check if driving to another city helps
- Stay flexible with dates
And one thing that gets repeated endlessly online is booking flights in incognito mode, but this probably isn’t doing nearly as much as people think.
Most travel experts reckon competition, timing, and flexibility matter far more than browser cookies.
The good news? Airlines like Frontier, Breeze, and Avelo are still expanding, which means more routes and, hopefully, more fare wars.
For travelers, that’s usually where the bargains live.
One thing budget travelers always forget to sort before they fly
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Hi, I'm Mika, a South Korean writer living in the US. I cover travel and live events, focusing on the practical stuff that makes your trip smoother, whether you're navigating a new city or heading to a major international event.I'm also the founder of <a href="https://search-seoul.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Search SEOul</a>, South Korea's leading SEO conference, bringing together search marketing experts and speakers from around the world. <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">안녕하세요, 미국에 거주 중인 여행 콘텐츠 라이터 미카입니다. Holafly에서 여행과 이벤트에 관련된 글을 쓰고 있어요. 여러분이 낯선 도시를 여행하든 대규모 국제 이벤트에 가든, 여러분의 일정이 좀 더 매끄러워질 수 있도록 실용적인 정보를 다루고 있습니다. 그리고 저는 한국을 대표하는 SEO(검색엔진최적화) 컨퍼런스 <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://search-seoul.com/">Search SEOul</a>을 만들었고, 해당 컨퍼런스의 호스트이기도 합니다. 서치 서울은 전 세계 검색 마케팅 전문가와 연사들이 모이는 자리입니다.</p>
