Spirit Airlines inaugurates Miami service with first of what will soon be a whopping 31 routes
Welcome to Miami, Spirit Airlines.
America's largest ultra-low-cost carrier inaugurated service Wednesday at Miami International Airport (MIA), with Flight 3104 landing at 8:54 a.m. local time from Atlantic City, New Jersey (ACY). Spirit Flight 3105 was the first yellow Airbus to depart the airport at 10:20 a.m., bound for Port-au-Prince, Haiti (PAP).
The inaugural is the first of 31 Miami routes that will launch by January 2022, in what's arguably the single-largest network expansion we've seen during the pandemic. It'll make Spirit the second-biggest airline in the city after American Airlines as measured by number of flights.
To celebrate the occasion, the airline — along with airport officials — hosted a media event in the arrivals level of the airline's new Concourse J home. In attendance were a slew of dignitaries, high-ranking executives, including the airline and airport CEO, as well as a group of local media.
The crowd — the largest I've seen at a media event since before the pandemic — was visibly excited. The airline's new Miami-based employees were gathered together for a photoshoot, while others mingled in the check-in area to enjoy some live music and catch up with colleagues and friends.
Spirit pulled out all the stops for the celebration — Juan Valdez coffee, a local favorite, was on offer, in addition to gift bags with Spirit-branded mugs and face masks.
At the event, Spirit CEO Ted Christie remarked that "we are Florida's hometown airline. The only one. We are the only major airline headquartered in South Florida, and we've called South Florida our home for 20 years."
To underscore the importance of the day, Christie continued, "this is a big milestone moment for Spirit. We pulled out all the stops for our arrival in Miami."
Spirit's Miami operation is based in the airport's Concourse J. The airline currently has ten check-in counters, with eight more opening by Thanksgiving. At the outset, the airline will exclusively use one gate at the airport J4, though it'll expand to four more in Concourse G as more routes launch in the coming weeks.
In addition to the celebration for invited guests, all Spirit flyers nationwide can partake in a new "Free Spirit Flyaway" promotion in which the airline will give away 31 pairs of round-trip tickets in honor of each of its new Miami routes. Any Free Spirit loyalty member can enter at spirit.com/flyaway from Oct. 6 through Nov. 3.
The day ushers in a new era for competitive landscape in Miami.
For one, it's an interesting — and perhaps somewhat surprising — move on Spirit's part. The airline's main South Florida operating base is located just 30 miles north along the Interstate 95 corridor, in Fort Lauderdale.
Despite the proximity, Spirit isn't adding just a handful of flights. Rather, the airline will serve 31 routes by January 2022 (three were delayed at the last minute due to getting access to gates) — a quick expansion that will make Spirit the second-largest carrier in Miami after American Airlines.
To support the growth, Spirit is staffing more than 200 new employees at the airport, and it'll deploy some of its 16 new Airbus A320neos on the routes.
As such, this isn't just any other pin on Spirit's route map. Though it's not yet a hub according to John Kirby, Spirit's vice president of network planning, it's certainly beginning to look like one to an outsider. "It's really complementary," Kirby explained to TPG about serving both Miami and Fort Lauderdale with many overlapping routes.
Spirit's move to enter Miami is a major competitive shake-up for an airport that's long been dominated by American. Until the pandemic, the Fort Worth-based carrier operated many of its domestic and international routes without any head-to-head competition.
However, during the pandemic, both Southwest and JetBlue made headlines for starting service to Miami, a city they’ve long avoided in favor of nearby Fort Lauderdale due to its historically lower operating costs.
One of Spirit’s biggest ultra-low-cost competitors, Frontier Airlines, already has a sizeable presence in Miami. The Denver-based carrier added Miami to its route map in 2014 and has since classified the city as one of its hubs. Frontier opened a new crew base there last year and will fly to 35 destinations in January 2022, according to Cirium schedule data.
Finally, Spirit’s splashy entrance brings competitive headwinds to Delta’s planned Miami expansion.
In July 2020, the Atlanta-based carrier doubled down on its proposed pan-American partnership with LATAM that includes a new “gateway hub” in Miami. Delta unveiled plans to add at least 20 new U.S. domestic departures under its proposed joint venture with LATAM, though the timeline remains unclear.
Delta took a 20% stake in LATAM in September 2019, wooing the carrier away from the Oneworld alliance and its former partner, American Airlines.
As for Spirit, the airline is clearly jazzed about the service launch. "We know the South Florida marketplace very well. It's a big win for us and for Miami, " Christie concluded.
You'll find a full list of Spirit's Miami routes below
| Destination | Flights Available | Start Date |
|---|---|---|
Atlanta (ATL) | Daily | Oct. 6 |
Atlantic City (ACY) | Daily | Oct. 6 |
Baltimore (BWI) | Daily | Oct. 6 |
Medellin (MDE) | Daily | Oct. 6 |
Newark (EWR) | Daily | Oct. 6 |
Port-au-Prince (PAP) | 4x per week | Oct. 6 |
Santo Domingo (SDQ) | 3x per week | Oct. 6 |
Bogota (BOG) | Daily | Oct. 7 |
Guatemala City (GUA) | 4x per week | Oct. 7 |
Barranquilla (BAQ) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Boston (BOS) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Cali (CLO) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Cleveland (CLE) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Denver (DEN) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Detroit (DTW) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Hartford-Bradley (BDL) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Houston Intercontinental (IAH) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Las Vegas (LAS) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Myrtle Beach (MYR) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
New York LaGuardia (LGA) | 2x daily | Nov. 17 |
Orlando (MCO) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Philadelphia (PHL) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Raleigh-Durham (RDU) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
San Juan (SJU) | Daily | Nov. 17 |
Tegucigalpa-Palmerola (XPL) | 4x per week | Nov. 17 |
San Pedro Sula (SAP) | 3x per week | Nov. 18 |
San José, C.R. (SJO) | 4x per week | Jan. 6 |
San Salvador (SAL) | 3x per week | Jan. 6 |
St. Thomas (STT) | 3x per week | Jan. 6 |
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- 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.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 $6,000 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.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.