Spirit Airlines adds 1 new city, 6 new routes in latest expansion spree
Spirit Airlines keeps adding new dots to its route map. The latest: Rochester, New York.
The new destination – revealed Tuesday – was followed by a broader expansion Spirit announced Wednesday for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. From its base there, Spirit will add five new destinations – including previously announced Rochester – and resume service on four others. All nine of the Myrtle Beach (MYR) routes will be seasonal.
“Lots of people are looking to head out to great leisure destinations like the South Carolina beaches this summer, and we’re excited to launch some new routes and resume others to help our Guests get their fun in the sun,” John Kirby, Spirit’s vice president of network planning, said in a statement. “These new routes, in addition to our existing schedule, makes Spirit the leading carrier to Myrtle Beach.”
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In total, that gives Spirit six new routes that have been announced since Tuesday.
As for Rochester (ROC), Spirit's first flights there will begin June 24, when the airline starts service on two routes. Year-round service to Orlando (MCO) will be daily while seasonal flights to Myrtle Beach will operate four days a week.
News of Rochester and the Myrtle Beach expansion comes just a week after Spirit and Frontier announced their plans to merge. The blockbuster deal would create an ultra-low-cost behemoth that would become the nation’s fifth-largest airline. Before that can happen, however, regulators must approve the deal – a process that could take as long as a year. Until then, Spirit and Frontier will continue to operate separately and compete in markets where they overlap.
Merger mania: Frontier, Spirit announce blockbuster merger that would create giant ultra-low-cost airline
Will the Big Front Seat survive? Are fares going to get higher? Making sense of the Spirit-Frontier merger
Spirit has been on an expansion tear, adding dozens of new destinations and routes during the past two years.
The Miramar, Florida-based company kicked off 2022 by announcing new service from Salt Lake City (SLC), where it will take on Delta and its fortress hub there.
Spirit has aggressively expanded elsewhere in 2021, adding new cities like Milwaukee (MKE), St. Louis (STL) and Louisville, Kentucky (SDF). One of the carrier's splashiest announcements came in October, when Spirit announced it would begin flying from Miami with plans for a whopping 31 routes — taking on American at hub it has long dominated.
Wish list: 3 things I hope will stick around with the merged Frontier, Spirit
As for its latest additions, details of Spirit’s new flights are below.
New flights from Rochester, New York
- Orlando: Daily service begins June 24
- Myrtle Beach: Four weekly flights begin June 24 (seasonal)
New flights from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Louisville (SDF): Service begins May 26, with up to three flights a week (seasonal)
- Manchester, Hew Hampshire (MHT): Daily service begins April 20 (seasonal)
- Milwaukee (MKE): Service begins May 27, with up to three flights a week (seasonal)
- Rochester, New York (ROC): Service begins June, with four flights a week (seasonal)
- St. Louis (STL): Service begins May 26, with up to three flights a week (seasonal)
Resuming flights from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH): Resumes May 26, with up to three flights a week (seasonal)
- Indianapolis (IND): Resumes May 25, with four flights a week (seasonal)
- Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP): Resumes May 26, with up to three flights a week (seasonal) Niagara Falls, New York (IAG): Resumes April 22, with up to four flights a week (seasonal)
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There's a lot to love about the Amex Gold card. It's been a fan favorite during the pandemic because of its fantastic rewards rate on restaurants (that includes takeout and delivery in the U.S.!) and U.S. supermarkets. If you're hitting the skies soon, you'll also earn bonus points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders) and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits at eligible partners, there's no reason that the foodie shouldn't add this card to their wallet. Enrollment required.Pros
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- Welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months
Cons
- Weak on travel outside of flights and everyday spending bonus categories
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
- Few travel perks and protections
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees