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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Tragedy
Will your credit card reimburse you for Spirit Airlines tickets?
Summer Hull has been covering (and using) travel tips, rewards credit cards and loyalty programs for over a decade. She has flown close to a million miles, often on points and miles and with her family in tow.
Stephanie Stevens is an associate writer with TPG's credit cards team. She focuses on creating timely credit cards content for TPG readers.
May 1, 2026 • 7 min read
Editorial note: Spirit Airlines is winding down operations and this article has been updated with some additional information.
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Quick summary
Spirit Airlines has ceased operations as of May 2, leaving many travelers with canceled flights and questions about refunds.
The airline states it will automatically refund tickets purchased directly with a credit or debit card, while other forms of payment may require further action or be addressed through bankruptcy proceedings.
Typical built-in travel protections from payment cards generally do not cover airline shutdowns, but consumer purchase protections may allow for a chargeback if services were not delivered.
Travelers should act quickly to document their bookings and initiate refund or dispute processes, as outcomes and timelines can vary.
What to consider
Refunds for tickets purchased through travel agents must be requested via the agent, not the airline.
Chargeback requests under consumer purchase protections typically must be filed within 60 days of the statement date for the charge.
Passengers filing claims through bankruptcy proceedings are considered unsecured creditors and may recover little, if anything.
What you'll miss from the article
Step-by-step guidance on filing a chargeback and tips for maximizing your chances of recovering funds after an airline shutdown.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Spirit Airlines ceased operations in the early morning of May 2 and is the largest U.S. carrier to do so in quite some time.
Understandably, many questions are swirling among travelers who had booked flights with the airline.
While there won't be cut-and-dried answers to every situation at this point, here are some things to know if you had tickets to fly Spirit Airlines and are hoping for some kind of protection or reimbursement for that purchase.
Will Spirit Airlines reimburse you for your tickets if they cease operations?
Typically, when an airline ceases operations, the likelihood of individual travelers receiving a refund from that airline is low.
"While we are not able to help rebook your flight on another airline, we will automatically process refunds for any flights purchased through Spirit with a credit or debit card to the original form of payment. Guests who booked flights via a travel agent should contact the travel agent directly to request a refund. Compensation for Guests who booked flights using any other methods, including a voucher, credit or Free Spirit points, will be determined at a later date through the bankruptcy court process."
SPIRIT
Will your credit card refund you if Spirit Airlines stops flying?
If the airline is unable to process a refund for you, your credit card might seem like a fallback, but the protections may not work exactly as you might expect in this scenario.
At TPG, we talk a lot about built-in travel protections when you use certain credit cards to purchase your airfare and how your credit card's built-in benefits will sometimes reimburse you for expenses the airlines won't in the event of long delays and even cancellations.
Unfortunately, that type of trip protection is unlikely to help, as these benefits typically exclude situations where an airline stops flying altogether.
But fortunately, it doesn’t mean your credit card can’t help at all.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
When a chargeback could help you get your money back
If Spirit, or any other airline, were to shut down and cancel your flight without issuing a refund, your credit card may still offer a path to getting your money back.
That’s because most credit cards offer consumer purchase protections under the Fair Credit Billing Act that allow you to dispute charges for goods or services that were never delivered, which would potentially apply if an airline ceases operations and cannot provide your scheduled flight.
To take advantage of these protections, you typically need to act quickly — often within 60 days of the statement on which the charge appears.
While your credit card can assist with charges made outside that timeframe, that's not guaranteed. Once you file a dispute with your credit card company, the credit card issuer must acknowledge your claim and investigate it.
During that time, you generally won’t be required to pay the disputed amount, and it cannot negatively impact your credit score while the investigation is ongoing.
“This is likely your best recourse … but there’s no guarantee the refund will be made,” Henry Harteveldt, president and travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, warned TPG in a prior interview.
How to file a dispute (and what you’ll need)
The Department of Transportation shares that in the event of a chargeback claim in scenarios like this, you should be prepared to provide your credit card company with:
Your account number
Copy of the airline ticket, itinerary, or receipt
If the transportation was partially used, identify the used and unused segments
State that your airline is in bankruptcy and ceased all operations, you did not receive the service that you charged to your card, and you are requesting a credit pursuant to the Fair Credit Billing Act.
This means you'll want to screenshot your ticket information and any flight cancellation information as it's posted. And since there is no guarantee of how long a shuttered airline will keep individual flight information available on its website, we would recommend doing that all in short order.
Often, you can start this process in your credit card account next to the individual charges by clicking "dispute this charge" or "problem with this purchase".
AMEX
You'll then be prompted through a series of choices and questions to start the process.
CHASE
Ultimately, the credit card issuer decides whether your claim qualifies, and outcomes can vary.
It’s also worth noting that these protections are stronger when you pay with a credit card. Debit card protections can differ by issuer and may not offer the same dispute rights if the airline fails to deliver your flight.
Filing a claim through bankruptcy proceedings is another option, but it’s generally a long shot. Passengers are typically considered unsecured creditors and may recover only a small fraction of what they’re owed, if anything.
Will your credit card cover new flights if Spirit cancels yours?
In most cases, no — your credit card is unlikely to cover the cost of booking a new flight if an airline ceases operations.
While some premium credit cards offer trip interruption or cancellation coverage, those benefits typically exclude situations in which an airline ceases operations altogether.
Usually, when an airline shuts down, you likely need to book a new ticket out of pocket, and last-minute fares could be more expensive than the ones you originally purchased. That said, some airlines, such as American Airlines, have already announced that they have placed a cap on Main Cabin fares on routes shared by American Airlines and Spirit.
With Spirit Airlines now ceasing operations, the credit card you used can help you recover the cost of your ticket if the airline refund does not go through, but only if you act quickly and follow the dispute (chargeback) process.
Even then, reimbursement is not guaranteed. You should be ready to provide documentation and make alternate travel plans at your own expense. Paying with a credit card, having a backup plan and moving quickly can make a meaningful difference in how much you recover.
For now, your first step is to request a refund directly through Spirit’s website if it hasn't been processed automatically. If that effort is unsuccessful, your next option is to file a chargeback with your credit card issuer.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
