After American Airlines closed its hub at Philadelphia International Airport, Spirit is making a big push to take over. The airline has never really been able to compete in the Philly market before because of its higher fares and reduced service levels. However, it now sees an opportunity with no competition as they make their move on takeoff day.
Spirit Airlines has been making a run at Philadelphia after American left its hub undefended. Spirit has already begun flying to the city, and it is expected that more airlines will soon follow.
After American Airlines leaves its hub undefended, Spirit Airlines makes a dash for Philadelphia.
on December 7, 2021 by Gary Leff
Spirit Airlines announced a major expansion in Miami, an American Airlines hub, in the middle of the year, becoming the city’s second biggest carrier. Previously, they had relied on the lower-cost city of Fort Lauderdale.
They’re now aiming for American Airlines’ hub in Philadelphia. They’ve recently announced the addition of seven more routes:
| Destination | Frequency | Commencement Date |
| New Orleans is a city in the United States (MSY) | Daily | Feb 16 |
| Aguadilla is a kind of guadilla (BQN) | 4x/week | April 20 |
| Nashville is a city in Tennessee (BNA) | Daily | May 11 |
| Houston is a city in Texas (IAH) | Daily | May 11 |
| Punta Cana is a resort town in the Caribbean (PUJ) | 4x/week | May 18 |
| Montego Bay is a popular tourist destination in Jamaica. | 3x/week | May 18 |
| Oakland is a city in California (OAK) | Daily | May 18 |
Starting April 20, 2022, they’ll increase service between Philadelphia and Cancun. This is in addition to service to Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, San Juan, and Tampa, which is already available. Spirit will fly to a total of 20 locations from Philadelphia.
Spirit Airlines is now the third biggest airline in Philadelphia, after American Airlines and Frontier Airlines. This move strengthens the airport’s position for ultra-low-cost airlines.
Philadelphia has long served as the United States’ principal transatlantic gateway. With fewer transatlantic flights available during the epidemic, Philadelphia hasn’t only been a hub for cross-British travel. Many of American’s domestic flights out of Philadelphia functioned as connections for these no longer feasible European excursions. Even when Europe reopened this summer, American was sluggish to resume service, opting instead to fly widebodies domestically and to close-in Latin America.
- American Airlines planned 10.376 flights to 197 locations in December 2019.
- According to scheduling data from Cirium Diio Mi, American Airlines has 7154 flights booked to 153 destinations in December 2021.
That’s a 31% reduction in flights and a 44 percent reduction in destinations. The role of American’s more peripheral hub in Philadelphia will be an intriguing question mark to monitor, with a terminal already suited to ultra-low cost airlines and the attractiveness of its connection with JetBlue over New York.
They now plan to add additional Airbus A321XLRs to the fleet, which will operate year-round to Europe.
Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines had enhanced their operations before to the pandemic, including their frequent flyer program, the addition of internet to flights, and their Big Front Seat, which remains one of the greatest travel discounts. In other words, despite their summer catastrophe, they’ve become a lot more flyable, and this expansion is a gain for Philadelphia.
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American Airlines announced that it would be leaving Philadelphia’s airport, and Spirit Airlines made a run at the opportunity to take over. The airline has been aggressive with its marketing tactics, but will it be able to compete? Reference: american airlines customer service.
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