JetBlue Offers $99 Rescue Fares for Stranded Spirit Customers, Adds Routes from Fort Lauderdale

JetBlue is moving quickly to absorb the shock of Spirit Airlines’ shutdown, offering $99 one-way rescue fares to stranded Spirit customers and using the carrier’s collapse to deepen its own grip on South Florida. The airline said travelers need proof of a valid Spirit itinerary on the same route, and the rescue fares are good for travel through Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

The support comes with clear limits. JetBlue also capped Blue Basic fares at $299 on select JetBlue-operated nonstop routes to and from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport that Spirit had also flown as of April. That cap applies to new bookings made through May 8, 2026, for travel between May 2 and May 8, 2026. JetBlue told affected customers to call 1-800-JETBLUE to discuss their situation.

JetBlue’s response goes beyond passengers. The airline said it would extend its jumpseat agreement for Spirit pilots and flight attendants trying to get home, and it will offer interview opportunities for open roles at JetBlue to Spirit team members. Chief executive Joanna Geraghty said the goal was to help fill the void left by Spirit’s shutdown and to support thousands of affected customers and workers.

The timing underscores how abruptly the low-cost market shifted. Spirit ceased operations around 3 a.m. ET on May 2 after 34 years in business, following failed rescue talks and the collapse of a proposed $500 million federal bailout. The shutdown left about 17,000 workers affected and roughly 1.8 million passengers with May travel plans looking for alternatives. Frontier Airlines also announced discounted rescue fares, while Delta Air Lines said it would support Spirit travelers and team members.

JetBlue is using the opening in Fort Lauderdale to lock in travelers who would otherwise have gone to Spirit. On May 4, the airline announced 11 new destinations from Fort Lauderdale: Barranquilla, Baltimore, Cali, Charlotte, Columbus, Indianapolis, Nashville, Detroit, Houston, Chicago and Ponce. It also added more daily flights on existing routes to Austin, Aguadilla, Dallas/Fort Worth, Raleigh-Durham, Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros, plus Baltimore/Washington service from San Juan.

The expansion gives JetBlue its largest-ever schedule from Fort Lauderdale, with nearly 130 daily departures this summer, more than 75% above 2025 levels. JetBlue had already been building at the airport before Spirit’s collapse, including Cleveland service announced March 26 and 21 cities launched from Fort Lauderdale over the past year. With Spirit gone, JetBlue is positioning itself as the carrier that can quickly catch the orphaned demand across South Florida and the Caribbean.