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Spirit Announces Huge Orlando Expansion With Flights to Caribbean, Central and South America

June 15, 2018
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3 min read
LaGuardia Airport, New York City
Spirit Announces Huge Orlando Expansion With Flights to Caribbean, Central and South America
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Ultra-low cost carrier Spirit Airlines announced Friday a major expansion at its hub in Orlando (MCO). The airline is adding 11 new routes this fall to destinations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America in what the airline says is one of its biggest spurts of growth ever.

This has been a year of growth for Spirit and brings the operator to 49 daily flights from Orlando. The airline has a large presence in Florida, with Fort Lauderdale (FLL) being its busiest hub. Spirit executives said the expansion in Orlando will put the city on par with its second-biggest hub in Las Vegas (LAS).

The 11 new routes are:

  • Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN): Daily flights launch October 4
  • Bogota, Colombia (BOG): Daily service launches November 8
  • Cartagena, Colombia (CTG): 2x weekly flights launch November 10
  • Guatemala City (GUA): 2x weekly flight launch October 4
  • Medellin, Colombia (MDE): 1x weekly flights launch November 9
  • Panama City, Panama (PTY): 4x weekly flights launch October 4
  • Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ): 4x weekly flights launch October 4, then daily flights commence on November 8
  • San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO): 4x weekly flights launch October 5, then daily flights commence on November 8
  • San Pedro Sula, Honduras (SAP): 2x weekly flights launch October 5
  • San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL): 2x weekly flights launch October 6
  • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT): 3x weekly flights launch November 8

“Orlando has always been a key component of our network,” Spirit President Ted Christie told USA Today. “It fits very well into what is core about Spirit. It’s a big leisure destination with plenty of origin and destination demand.”

"Orlando is now one of our largest markets, and we have no plans on stopping our growth," Spirit CEO Bob Fornaro said in a statement. The executives said that they expect strong traffic from both the destination and origin cities. Spirit already serves all of the destinations from Fort Lauderdale.

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Earlier this week, the carrier announced three new domestic flights from Orlando:

  • Asheville, North Carolina (AVL): 3x weekly flights launch September 7, then 4x weekly flight commence on November 8
  • Greensboro, North Carolina (GSO): 3x weekly flights launch September 7, then 4x weekly flight commence on November 8
  • Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR): 2x weekly flights launch November 10

Spirit operates a fleet of all Airbus aircraft, flying only narrow-body A319s, A320s, A320neos, and A321s. It operates a single-cabin configuration, but with four to 10 "Big Front Seats" on all its aircraft featuring 36 inches of legroom in a 2-2 layout.

Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat on its A321. Image by Brian Biros / The Points Guy.

Economy seats are tight, with only 28 inches of pitch. That's the least amount of legroom among US airlines. Seats are "pre-reclined," i.e. you won't be able to adjust the seats angle at all during your flight.

Spirit Airlines coach class on its A321. Image by Brian Biros / The Points Guy.

Although Spirit has a pretty crummy reputation among flyers, TPG himself flew it last year and surprisingly enjoyed his experience. TPG contributor Chris Sloan recently sat down with Spirit's CEO and President for a far-ranging interview covering everything from the airline's excessive fees and how it wants to expand in a more competitive marketplace.

H/T: USA Today

Featured image by Getty Images

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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

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  • 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.