Anyone who travels regularly has heard the news by now: Spirit Airlines is no longer in operation. After 34 years, the South Florida-based carrier shut down over the weekend following ongoing financial struggles and rising oil prices.
But if you relied on Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) as your gateway to ultra affordable fares, don’t panic! JetBlue has announced it is expanding its operations and introducing a loyalty status match program to fill the gap left by Spirit.
New routes for South Florida travelers
In the announcement, JetBlue is launching 11 new nonstop routes from Fort Lauderdale while increasing flight frequencies on several existing routes. This includes entirely new connections to Baltimore, Charlotte, Indianapolis and even Cali and Barranquilla in Colombia.
They are also connecting FLL to existing JetBlue cities like Nashville, Detroit, Houston, Chicago and Ponce in PR. By summer, the low-cost carrier headquartered in New York will be running nearly 130 flights a day out of FLL — a 75% increase from last year.
Status match for displaced fliers
Because Spirit’s sudden shutdown left travelers scrambling to make other plans, JetBlue is offering a limited-time loyalty status match. Eligible Free Spirit Silver and Gold members can match their status to JetBlue’s TrueBlue Mosaic 1 and Mosaic 2 programs to retain travel perks and benefits.
“We’re stepping up for Fort Lauderdale to ensure the availability of air service in this market,” JetBlue President Marty St. George said in a release. “Our focus is simple: make it easier for customers to stay connected with the people and places that matter, while delivering the service, comfort and value they expect from JetBlue.”
More details regarding matching statuses can be found here.
