Traveler slams 'awful' experience of canceled flights as budget airline announces creditor agreement

Passengers of Spirit Airlines, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice, have faced cancellations, delays and headaches this month as the budget airline has struggled to retain crews and flight attendants. 

The company axed more than 250 flights, creating havoc for South Florida residents, USA Today and other outlets reported. The cancellations were unrelated to recent snowstorms. 

"Spirit Airlines has been suffering crew shortages for months now," Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View from the Wing," told Fox News Digital. 

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"They've been acknowledging a lack of crew in many of their cancellation announcements.

"The troubled carrier has cut pay," he added. "Given uncertainty around the carrier's future, it's likely some employees are taking unannounced time off for a job search."

The flight disruptions, as reported by FlightAware, affected passengers in particular at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Palm Beach International Airport and Orlando International Airport.

"I loved flying Spirit," a longtime passenger, Ira Mendelsohn, told The Palm Beach Post. 

"The fares are reasonable, they were dependable and with homes in both the Palm Beach and Atlantic City areas, I rarely had to bring extra luggage with me."

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In 2026, however, loyal customers like Mendelsohn have suffered as a result of the staffing shortages.

Mendelsohn recently had two Spirit Airlines flights canceled in one weekend, he said.

"It has been awful," Mendelsohn told the publication. "And it can take hours now to reach customer service."

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"It didn't surprise me this was a significant problem over the recent three-day holiday weekend," Leff of "View from the Wing" added. 

"The airline's challenges are continuing."

The budget airline announced Tuesday it reached an agreement with creditors that will enable it to emerge from bankruptcy in the spring or early summer.

"Spirit will align its network and capacity to routes and periods of strongest consumer demand. This includes higher aircraft utilization during peak days while reducing off-peak flying, as well as the flexibility to adjust to seasonal demand across markets," the company said in a news release.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spirit Airlines for more information and comment.

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Before this news, though, one booked passenger took to r/spiritair.on Reddit to complain, saying, "What is going on? … Why are there still so many cancellations in mid-February?"

Another traveler said, "I was supposed to fly home and no flights out for the next three days after that. ... Not booking Spirit anymore."

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The airline moved to recall 500 of more than 1,300 flight attendants who were furloughed in December, Fox Business previously reported.

"This is good news for 500 flight attendants and their families," said the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the union that represents Spirit flight attendants. 

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Spirit is also issuing full refunds for unused tickets if passengers choose not to travel.