Spirit adds Memphis to its ever-growing route map with 3 new flights
Spirit Airlines continues to grow its route map with new pins throughout the country.
Beginning on April 20, Spirit will commence operations at its newest station in Memphis (MEM).
The carrier will start with three routes, including daily service to Las Vegas (LAS) and Orlando (MCO) launching on April 20, followed by daily service to Los Angeles (LAX) starting on June 8.
Memphis marks the carrier's second destination in Tennessee, following its entrance into Nashville (BNA) in 2019. Spirit has been growing throughout the region as well, with service to St. Louis (STL) and Louisville (SDF) both starting earlier this year in May.
In explaining the move to TPG, John Kirby, Spirit's vice president of network planning told TPG that "Memphis is one of the largest cities we're still not serving. Geographically, it's somewhat isolated. It's not really close to any place that we fly. The closest one is about 200 miles away, Nashville, which is still a 3-1/2 half, 4-hour drive," he said.
While the news is big for Spirit, it's perhaps even bigger for Memphis, which hasn't seen a new carrier in roughly four years, when Air Canada entered the market with service to Toronto in May 2017.
Spirit's entrance should help lower fares and bring increased competition to a market already filled with ultra-low-cost carriers, including two of Spirit's biggest competitors, Allegiant and Frontier.
Spirit will go head-to-head with Allegiant and Frontier on the Las Vegas route, while Allegiant, Frontier and Southwest all fly from Memphis to Orlando (though Allegiant's flight lands in Sanford, an alternate airport for the Orlando area).
When the airline commences flights to Los Angeles, it'll go up against Allegiant, as well as Delta.
Despite the presence of other ultra-low-cost carriers, the average fares in Spirit's three new markets are actually quite high. Even throughout the pandemic in 2020, the average gross fare to Orlando was $128, to Las Vegas was $137 and to Los Angeles was $187, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data via Cirium.
Spirit will likely try to lower the fares in the market to convince flyers to take to the skies. "In particular, we feel like Orlando is way underserved in the marketplace from Memphis," Kirby said.
"These three new daily routes indicate that Spirit sees Memphis as a promising market, and we look forward to their continued growth at MEM," said Pace Cooper, chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Board of Commissioners in a statement.
Memphis is the latest new dot for Spirit's route map. The carrier has been on an expansion spree throughout the pandemic, adding new domestic and international markets throughout the past two years.
Perhaps the biggest move from Spirit came earlier this year when the airline entered Miami with its first of 31 routes, bringing a major competitive shake-up to a city long dominated by American Airlines, the sole fortress hub carrier in the region.
Spirit isn't resting on its laurels, though. "Our model is you starting with Florida, you go to Vegas, maybe L.A. too, and if Memphis does well out of the gate, it's likely that we'll add more service come fall and build it up," Kirby added.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.