Spirit Airlines adds small Georgia airport with first route in new airline pact
Spirit Airlines will fly to Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) in Macon, Georgia, as the first destination under its new partnership with regional carrier Contour Airlines.
The airline will offer twice-weekly flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and MCN on an Airbus A320-family aircraft beginning Oct. 16, Spirit said Thursday. Introductory airfares begin at $49.99 one-way.
As part of the pact, Contour will handle ground services for Spirit at MCN.
Best airlines report 2025: Delta tops TPG's rankings for seventh straight year
Contour already serves MCN twice daily from Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., subsidized under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Essential Air Service program, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
MCN will become Spirit's third city in Georgia, joining Atlanta and Savannah. The new MCN-FLL route is also the first under the partnership with Contour, unveiled in May. The airlines touted the pact as a way to expand air connectivity to "underserved communities across the country." Spirit will add flights to Contour's EAS markets across the U.S. from "major leisure destinations," and Contour will provide ground services and cross-market the new flights.
The tie-up is Spirit's first since it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. The airline slashed debt and shrank its fleet through the restructuring that followed its failed attempt to merge with JetBlue.
Spirit is a significantly smaller airline following its restructuring. The airline flew nearly a fifth fewer seats during the first six months of 2025 than it did last year, according to Cirium.
Contour serves 23 EAS and small communities across the U.S., including MCN, Cirium schedules show. Others include Barkley Regional Airport (PAH) in Paducah, Kentucky; Canyonlands Regional Airport (CNY) in Moab, Utah; and Shenandoah Valley Airport (SHD) in Weyers Cave, Virginia.
However, the Spirit-Contour pact does not include any tie-up between the airlines and Spirit's Free Spirit loyalty program.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | Earn 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere |
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- Simple earning structure
- Bonus categories
- Annual credits
- No foreign transaction fees
- Flexible redemption options, including transfer partners
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- Fewer bonus categories than some competitors
- Lacks premium perks
- Limited-time offer: Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles—75,000 miles once you spend $7,500 in the first 3 months, and an additional 75,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app