:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-spirit-airlines-plane-in-flight-SPIRITONEWAYDEALS0824-545453197c5c4916a1b0fc2e7c267065.jpg "Spirit Airlines Trims Over 1 Million Seats Next Month—Here's What the Major Route Cuts Mean for Travelers")
- Spirit Airlines will operate more than one million fewer seats in May 2025.
- The airline previously cited business strategy as a reason for flight route cuts.
- The data was provided to Travel + Leisure from Cirium, an aviation analytics company.
Travelers may want to double-check their upcoming summer travel plans.
Spirit Airlines has cut its upcoming flight capacity by more than one million seats for May and June 2025.
Next month, the airline will operate maximum service with 3.7 million seats, versus the 4.9 million that it flew last year. The difference of 1.17 million seats is a 23.8 percent drop due to various route cuts across its network, aviation analytics company Cirium told Travel + Leisure.
The bulk of the cuts will occur in Boston (BOS), Chicago, (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), Myrtle Beach (MYR), and New York (LGA), according to media outlet SimplyFlying, which analyzed additional Cirium data. For context, Boston will see a 44 percent drop in Spirit Airlines flights, according to the SimplyFlying report.
Spirit Airlines did not reply to a request for comment from T+L about the reported canceled routes.
The discount carrier cut multiple routes in January 2025, including Atlanta to New York and Burbank to San Jose.
“We routinely evaluate our network and make adjustments to support the company’s business strategy based on current market and operating conditions,” a Spirit Airlines spokesperson shared with T+L at the time of the January route cuts.
The flight routes come just one month after Spirit Airlines announced a major leadership change, with new CEO Dave Davis taking the top job. Davis previously worked in leadership positions for Sun Country Airlines and Northwest Airlines.
Despite the lower volume of seats from route cuts, Spirit was recognized as the best in the United States and also top in safety, according to a recent WalletHub study. The analysis measured metrics such as baggage and departure incidents, in-flight comfort, and overall value.
Spirit is the latest airline to trim service in advance of the summer travel season. In February, discount carrier Avelo Airlines also trimmed several routes, including Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM), and Concord, North Carolina (USA).
Economists point out that the macro conditions, including tariffs, could place future headwinds on aviation.
“Much depends on how much the airlines are forced to cut back on service due to weak demand and escalating prices,” KPMG U.S. chief economist Diane Swonk said in a interview with T+L. “Everything from repair and maintenance costs to the planes and much of the service items will be affected by tariffs.”
Swonk adds that the rising costs would eventually be passed on to passengers through higher fares as well.
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