Spirit adds 3 new routes, cuts 1 in latest network adjustment

Spirit Airlines is making more changes to its route network.

The Miramar, Florida-based carrier is adding three new domestic routes, as first seen in Cirium Diio schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.

Beginning June 5, Spirit will add a new daily flight from Houston to Pittsburgh. Then, in early July, the airline will add daily service from Los Angeles to Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

"Spirit is always looking for opportunities to introduce low fares and new routes that provide our Guests with high-value options to great destinations. We're looking forward to the start of our new daily, nonstop service between Houston (IAH) and Pittsburgh (PIT) and connecting Los Angeles (LAX) with Portland (PDX) and Seattle (SEA) this summer," John Kirby, vice president of network planning, said in a statement shared with TPG.

However, it's not all good news for Spirit's route map. The carrier will scrap flights between Houston and San Jose, Costa Rica, effective June 5, the airline confirmed to TPG. Spirit explained that this cut is due to lower-than-expected demand on this route that just launched in March.

These adjustments come as ultra-low-cost carriers, including Spirit, have been shifting capacity to reduce their exposure to prime leisure markets like Orlando that have seen plummeting fares with all the extra seats that have flooded the market since the coronavirus pandemic.

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Spirit's bread-and-butter routes used to be those appealing to leisure travelers headed to cities such as Orlando and Las Vegas, but now that those markets aren't producing high enough yields, the carrier has been searching for other routes that will produce better results.

Over the last few months, this has included boosting service in well-established markets, especially those entrenched by a major network carrier like Delta Air Lines or United Airlines.

In this case, Spirit's two new routes from Los Angeles are all already served by American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Delta. United also flies between Los Angeles and Seattle and between Houston and Pittsburgh. In fact, all four of these carriers already operate major hubs in LA.

Meanwhile, this growth is also part of a larger expansion planned for Spirit's outstations in Pittsburgh, Portland and Seattle. The airline is adding roughly 60%, 205% and 60% more flights, respectively, in July 2024 when compared to last year, according to Cirium schedules.

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