FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A strike by Spirit Airlines pilots has shut down the discount carrier, stranding thousands of travelers.
The walkout, which began Saturday, forced the airline to cancel its Saturday and Sunday flights. Its chief executive said no talks were scheduled with picketing pilots.
Spirit carries 16,680 passengers per day — about 1 percent of the U.S. total — mostly between the eastern U.S. and the Caribbean and Latin America. The carrier ended its flights to Denver in 2004.
The shutdown is causing major problems for its fliers. Spirit tickets are only good on a handful of other carriers, and only if there is space on the flight. The airline said it was refunding fares for Saturday flights plus a $100 credit toward future flights. It was trying to get its passengers booked onto other airlines.
People who needed to replace Spirit tickets found the cost of same-day fares on other airlines was two to three times more than their tickets.
That was out of the question for Junior Elliott, 67, from St. Ann’s parish in Jamaica, who was stranded in Fort Lauderdale while traveling to New York for a cousin’s funeral.
Elliott was unable to buy new tickets until his fare was refunded to his debit card. He had no cellphone, no U.S. currency and nowhere to sleep but the terminal’s seats.
“I can’t even buy a cup of coffee,” Elliott said.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is Spirit’s main hub, where it is the only airline to 14 international cities and five U.S. destinations, said airport spokesman Greg Meyer.
Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza said in an interview that he hoped to get some of Spirit’s 31 aircraft flying soon with management pilots or others who cross the picket line, but that no such flights took place Saturday.
Spirit pilots have said their pay lags competitors such as AirTran Airways and JetBlue. The airline and its pilots had been negotiating for more than three years.
A look at Spirit Airlines
Passengers each day: 16,681
Rank by passengers among U.S. carriers: 21st
Flights per day: Roughly 150
Pilots: 440
Aircraft: 31 Airbus A319-320-321s
Source: The company; Airline Forecasts LLC
