Spirit Airlines adds its 7th city in California: San Jose
Spirit Airlines' yellow Airbus jets will soon land in Silicon Valley.
The Miramar, Florida-based carrier announced Thursday that it's adding a brand-new route map pin in San Jose, California, starting June 7.
At the outset, Spirit will fly three routes from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) to Las Vegas, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Diego.
Service to Vegas will operate twice daily, while the other two routes will fly once a day.
San Jose will become Spirit's seventh airport served in California, joining the six existing destinations listed below:
- Burbank.
- Los Angeles.
- Oakland.
- Orange County.
- Sacramento.
- San Diego.
Spirit's entrance in San Jose is exciting because it reflects a broader shift in the return of leisure travel to an aviation market that was hit hard by the pandemic.
The airport lost much of its international service at the outset of the pandemic, and Spirit's biggest no-frills competitor, Frontier Airlines, even pulled out of the city in September 2021.
Additionally, Delta Air Lines decided during the pandemic that it would drop San Jose as a focus city, which included cutting its key transcontinental flight to New York.
Now, Spirit's entrance will make it the only ultra-low-cost carrier serving San Jose, which should bring lower fares to the routes that the airline will serve.
"Today's announcement is a step forward for our Airport, our City, and for air travel in our region," John Aitken, director of aviation for SJC, said in a statement. "This new partnership reflects a return to leisure travel and demonstrates how aviation markets are shifting to expand toward new opportunities and approaches. We couldn't be more pleased to welcome the Spirit Airlines team to San Jose and to offer their unique and innovative brand at SJC," he added.
Notably, Spirit isn't adding any new "lines" to SJC's route map. Spirit will go up against Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines on its new intra-California route. Southwest also flies from San Jose to Las Vegas, while American Airlines has historically enjoyed a monopoly on the route between San Jose and Dallas-Fort Worth.
That said, the carrier is coming in with some attractive introductory fares, starting at $39 to Las Vegas, $59 to San Diego and $89 to Dallas-Fort Worth. It will be interesting to see how Spirit's competitors respond.
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees