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Spirit Airlines snags more Orange County slots, adds another new route

Nov. 05, 2020
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3 min read
Spirit Airlines Airbus A319
Spirit Airlines snags more Orange County slots, adds another new route
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Spirit Airlines is making a bigger play for Southern California. The discount airline landed more slots at region's popular Orange County airport as the coronavirus pandemic opens some of the country's previously restricted airports to new competition.

Spirit will begin new daily service between John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County and Phoenix (PHX) on Jan. 6, the South Florida-based carrier said Thursday. It plans to add a second daily flight on the Orange County-Las Vegas route the same day.

The general opening of popular-but-restricted airports like Orange County has produced a glut of new flights. In addition to Spirit, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and Sun Country Airlines have all added flights in places like Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX) and Newark (EWR).

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Orange County is a unique case. While not slot-restricted in the traditional sense — where an airline can own a slot that allows them one takeoff or landing — the number of passengers annually is capped at John Wayne. That means the number of flights there can vary by year depending on airlines' planned schedules.

Flights at the Southern California airport are reallocated on a regular basis depending on airlines' schedules; priority is given to incumbents. That last point had effectively blocked Spirit from adding Orange County to its map until now.

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In November, seats in Orange County are due to be down 45% compared to the same month in 2019, according to Cirium schedules. Canada's WestJet has suspended service altogether while United Airlines will be down nearly 63% and Alaska Airlines by 59%.

Related: Budget airlines muscle into big airports as coronavirus creates new opportunities

Spirit will begin John Wayne flights on Nov. 17. Initially, it will connect the airport to Oakland (OAK) twice daily and Las Vegas once daily. It flies Airbus A320 family jets.

“I see a lot of opportunity," Spirit vice president of network planning John Kirby said of the new Orange County flights in September. “It’s not going to be a big market for us… [but] it’s a nice complement to our existing L.A. Basin portfolio.”

The new flights are just part of a multi-pronged strategy by Spirit to attract more flyers. The airline rolled out a new frequent flyer program, Free Spirit, in October and began installing new cabins and seats on its Airbus jets at the end of last year.

Related: Spirit Airlines has an all-new frequent flyer program

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • 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.
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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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  • $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.
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  • Annual Fee is $325.
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