The bright yellow planes will not be landing at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport anymore. And airport officials are telling passengers not to bother showing up.
BWI — as the airport is commonly known — is advising Spirit Airlines passengers not to come to the airport after the airline ceased operations at their location. On Saturday, it was announced that Spirit Airlines was going out of business after 34 years. The airline said it had “started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately.”
For passengers who had booked flights out of BWI on Spirit, the message is simple and brutal: stay home.
No Help at the Airport
BWI posted on social media that travelers should contact their booking providers and credit card companies about getting refunds and other options. The airport added that there are no Spirit Airlines workers on-site to assist travelers. None. The ticket counters are empty. The gates are closed. The employees are gone.
Spirit Airlines advised customers that they could expect refunds but that there would be no help in booking travel on other airlines. Passengers are on their own to find alternative flights, rebook with other carriers, or abandon their travel plans entirely.
Spirit once booked hundreds of daily flights on its distinctive bright yellow planes and employed about 17,000 people nationwide. The airline’s collapse marks the first major US carrier to liquidate since the 2008 recession. For passengers at BWI and airports across the country, the end came with almost no warning.
What Passengers Should Do
Travelers who had booked Spirit flights out of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) are urged to:
· Contact their booking provider, credit card company, or travel insurance provider immediately to request refunds.
· Check the airline’s restructuring website at spiritrestructuring.com/guests for more information.
· Do not go to BWI expecting assistance. There are no Spirit workers on-site.
The airport’s social media post was blunt. There is no point in showing up. The counters are closed. The flights are canceled. The airline is winding down after 34 years in business.
The Bottom Line
Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is advising Spirit Airlines passengers not to come to the airport after the airline ceased operations. Spirit announced Saturday that it was going out of business after 34 years, stating it had “started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately.” There are no Spirit workers on-site to assist travelers. Passengers should contact booking providers and credit card companies for refunds. More information is available at spiritrestructuring.com/guests.
