MW Spirit's cheap flights kept long-distance relationships alive. Now these couples are scrambling to stay connected.
By Genna Contino
'There are probably countless weddings, funerals, reunions, weekend getaways and, yes - long distance relationships - that Spirit enabled' with its flights under $100.
With fares under $100, many long-distance couples relied on the now-defunct Spirit Airlines to see each other. "Spirit was a really great airline, and all those naysayers could go kick rocks," said one woman who relied on Spirit to visit her husband, who's in the military.
Amanda Turen met Will Mason on a dating app while visiting family in Florida two-and-a-half years ago, and the pair fell in love instantly. But they had a 1,000-mile problem: Turen lived in New York City.
The now-engaged couple didn't want the distance to get in the way of their budding romance, so Mason suggested looking into Spirit Airlines $(FLYYQ)$ flights. They were elated to discover fares between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for just $39 - cheaper than the Uber $(UBER)$ from Turen's Upper East Side home to LaGuardia Airport. They started flying to see each other every weekend.
During their first year of dating, they would also take Spirit flights to visit Mason's mother in Charlotte, N.C. She had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and Turen likely wouldn't have gotten the chance to get to know Mason's mom if they hadn't had this cheap travel option.
So when Spirit announced it was shutting down, the couple reflected on the airline's role in the beginning of their relationship.
Now engaged, Amanda Turen and Will Mason flew Spirit Airlines every weekend when they lived apart early in their relationship.
"We really felt a weirdly personal relationship with Spirit because of just how much of our life it enabled over that period of time. And so I felt emotionally affected by [its closure]," Mason said. "It feels like ... a lifeline is being yanked out from underneath a lot of people."
Read more: Spirit Airlines made this critical mistake that drove its demise
With Spirit gone, travel experts expect the cost of airfare to rise even more than it already has due to soaring jet-fuel costs. Now, customers of the defunct budget carrier are mourning the sub-$100 plane ticket that has virtually disappeared.
"There are probably countless weddings, funerals, reunions, weekend getaways and, yes - long distance relationships - that Spirit enabled, because there were a lot of years that, for under $100, you and your backpack could be airborne to get you where your heart wanted to be without your wallet chaining you back home," Summer Hull, senior director of content at the Points Guy travel website, told MarketWatch.
Even those who never flew Spirit benefited from its competitive fares, which helped push down costs at other airlines, Hull noted in an "Ode to Spirit" she wrote honoring the scrappy budget airline.
Hull's homage to Spirit was seen by more than 1 million people on the Points Guy's Instagram account - and hundreds of commenters shared their own impromptu eulogies. One person said they owed their marriage to Spirit. A single mom said she was able to travel with her kids for as little as $41 each. Another person said she was able to book a flight last minute through Spirit to attend her grandfather's funeral.
While many are grieving Spirit now, the airline didn't have the best reputation. It was often the butt of jokes due to its low-cost model, lemon-colored planes and lack of amenities. A basic Spirit fare included the seat - and only the seat. If you wanted to choose the location of your seat or bring a carry-on bag, you had to pay up.
From private suites to $20,000 seats: Luxury travelers have more ways to splurge while many passengers can't afford economy
Some of the jokes seemed to write themselves - like when a raccoon fell through the ceiling at a Spirit gate at LaGuardia. But as Hull wrote: "Spirit Airlines wasn't perfect. But it was safe, and it never pretended to be something it wasn't."
Jeannine Souza, a self-described bougie traveler, used to avoid Spirit because of its no-frills reputation. But when she finally tried out the carrier, she "was convinced Spirit was a really great airline, and all those naysayers could go kick rocks."
Souza's husband is in the military and has been stationed all over the U.S. Spirit's cheap fares meant she could visit him more than anticipated. She has a service dog and was able to book first-class tickets - a significantly more modest experience than most major airlines' premium cabins - to have some more legroom for a reasonable cost. She even became good friends with a Spirit flight attendant.
"I cannot explain to you why I have a heavy heart with this sudden shuttering of Spirit Airlines, but I truly feel that this a great loss to the aviation industry for the U.S. and the competitiveness of lower-cost flying," Souza said.
In a post-Spirit world, long-distance couples are preparing for turbulence - at least for their wallets.
Giuliana Calia, a Ph.D. student in New York, and her partner, a medical student in Michigan, had to cancel a hangout they had planned for this weekend after Spirit's closure. Her partner's scheduled Spirit flight to New York this weekend was refunded, and flights from other airlines were around $300 - significantly more expensive than the $50 to $80 the couple usually paid in airfare to visit each other.
Read more: Your Spirit loyalty points are probably worthless now - but these other airlines may match your rewards
Now, they aren't sure how often they'll see each other over their next two years in school. "I looked ahead - the flights are more in the $250 range," Calia said. "So we're trying to cut back for the next two years at least and try to manage."
Though Spirit's collapse is pushing Calia and her partner to scale back on travel, Michael Taylor, a senior managing director with JD Power who tracks the travel industry, expects overall demand to persist in the cities Spirit was servicing. Still, he acknowledged that fares will rise.
"People will still want to travel," Taylor said. "Now, it might cost them a little bit more. They might have to make different arrangements or maybe they'll have to connect - things like that. But that demand will still be there, whether Spirit is there or not."
Turen and Mason haven't relied on Spirit as much since they moved in together in Florida, but they'll always remember it as the airline that made their love story possible.
"From Thursday to Sunday, we were using Spirit Airlines to build our relationship," Turen said. "It's so crazy."
Read next: Spirit Airlines is no more, but discount plane tickets are here to stay
-Genna Contino
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May 06, 2026 13:03 ET (17:03 GMT)
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