This Popular Southern US Destination Will No Longer Host Spirit Airlines Flights

Big news if you were thinking of flying with Spirit soon to or from Birmingham–Shuttlesworth (BHM): Spirit is pulling out. All flights to and from Birmingham, Alabama's "cultural capital," will be canceled effective October 3, 2025. The low-cost airline recently filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, and due to its ongoing financial struggles, it's discontinuing service to 11 U.S. cities, including Birmingham. Via a Birmingham–Shuttlesworth news release, a statement from Spirit Airlines noted that this change was a "difficult decision" but that it's necessary to "transform our business and position Spirit for long-term success." The airline also said it will notify affected customers by email and provide instructions on how to get a refund. So, if you already booked a Spirit flight to or from BHM after October 3, checking your email (and spam folder) is mission-critical right now. Found nothing in your inbox? Then head to Spirit's website, click on the "Contact Us" page, and find the option to cancel or request a refund.

Follow the same instructions if you have an upcoming Spirit flight to or from any of these airports, which are also saying goodbye to Spirit: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boise, Idaho; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Columbia, South Carolina; Oakland, California; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Diego, California; and San Jose, California. If you need to travel anyway, start looking into other airlines flying to or from these airports and nearby ones as well. And if you're in a time crunch, there are ways to get cheap, last-minute flights.

Spirit Airlines started flying to BHM pretty recently (October 2024), with nonstops to Fort Lauderdale, and later to Newark and Detroit. But BHM just doesn't make the cut in Spirit's new, leaner network, consisting of the airports and routes that consistently make money. Spirit expects to fly roughly 25% fewer seats year-over-year as it pares back service. Fewer seats means fewer flights, and in many places, no Spirit flights at all.

Behind the scenes, Spirit is also "rightsizing" its fleet—trimming the number of aircraft it operates so it's not paying for planes it can't keep full. Alongside that come cost-cutting measures, like renegotiating aircraft leases and looking for ways to lower labor and operational expenses. That naturally means staff reductions, too: In September, 2025, Spirit announced it was planning furloughs to match the smaller operation. "We have evaluated every corner of our business and are proceeding with a comprehensive approach in which we will be far more strategic about our fleet, markets and opportunities in order to best serve our Guests, Team Members and other stakeholders," Spirit President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Davis said in a statement (via ABC).

If your booking is impacted by the changes and you're awaiting a refund, make sure you document everything. Save emails, take screenshots, and note dates and times you contact customer service. If Spirit is slow in processing your refund, you can escalate via regulatory agencies, mainly the U.S. Department of Transportation. You can also dispute with your credit card issuer to ensure your money is returned.