Spirit Airlines Is Gone. Alaska Just Flew to London. And This Is the Biggest Summer for Air Travel in US History.

Three things happened in US aviation this week that every traveler needs to understand before booking a single flight. Spirit Airlines — the budget carrier that fundamentally changed how Americans think about cheap fares — ceased all operations on May 2, 2026, after 34 years, leaving 17,000 workers jobless and removing nearly 2 percent of all domestic airline seats overnight. On May 21, Alaska Airlines flew from Seattle to London for the first time in its history. And today, May 22, American Airlines begins the busiest summer travel season in its 100-year history, expecting 75 million passengers before September ends.

If you are flying anywhere in the US this summer — especially through Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Las Vegas, Detroit, or Chicago — the landscape has changed. Here is the complete picture.

01Breaking News

Spirit Airlines Is Officially Gone — What Happened and Why

Early on the morning of Saturday, May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines announced it had started an immediate, orderly wind-down of all operations. Every flight was cancelled. Customer service lines went dark. The carrier's app stopped working. After 34 years of operations and over three billion passengers flown, Spirit was gone — not in a restructuring, not into a Chapter 11 holding pattern, but completely and permanently out of business.

The timing was brutal. Spirit Airlines' collapse removes nearly 2 percent of all US domestic airline seats overnight, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium, with the steepest impact in Las Vegas as well as Fort Lauderdale and Orlando — markets where Spirit Airlines was a major presence.

The airline cited oil prices driven sharply higher by the US-Israel conflict with Iran as the final blow, combined with the legacy of two prior bankruptcy filings that had left its balance sheet too fragile to absorb another fuel cost shock. Spirit Airlines said it had "started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately," adding: "We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come."

The final Spirit Airlines flight landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, arriving from Detroit Metropolitan Airport. A 34-year story ended quietly on a Saturday morning with no fanfare, no farewell flights, and no advance warning for the passengers left stranded.

02New Routes

Who Is Filling the Spirit Airlines Gap — And Where

The speed with which other carriers moved to absorb Spirit's network has been remarkable. Within hours of the shutdown announcement, JetBlue, Breeze Airways, Frontier Airlines, and Allegiant Air had all announced expansion plans targeting Spirit's former routes, passengers, and — critically — Spirit's airport slots and gate access at Fort Lauderdale, where Spirit had its largest base of operations.

JetBlue is adding 11 new destinations from Fort Lauderdale. Breeze Airways is adding eight new routes, and Frontier is adding nine. United Airlines has also added capacity on key former Spirit routes from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

"South Florida is a key market for JetBlue, and we recognize this is a challenging moment for many travelers," said Joanna Geraghty, CEO of JetBlue. "Our focus is on stepping up in the near term by adding service, maintaining connectivity, and keeping fares competitive, so customers can continue to travel with confidence."

For JetBlue specifically, Spirit's collapse opens the door to something the airline has wanted for years: a dominant connecting hub at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The expansion will give JetBlue its largest-ever operation at Fort Lauderdale, with nearly 130 daily departures projected this summer, 75 percent more than last year.

03Fare Watch

Will Airfares Rise Without Spirit? The Honest Answer.

Yes — in the short term, in specific markets. The honest answer is that Spirit's presence in any market had a measurable downward effect on all fares in that market. When an ultra-low-cost carrier offers $39 flights, legacy carriers and premium carriers are forced to respond with their own discounted tiers. Without Spirit, that competitive floor disappears.

Airfare is expected to rise in former Spirit markets as airlines rush to cover elevated fuel costs as a result of the US-Israel war in Iran. The markets most vulnerable to fare increases are Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Chicago O'Hare — all markets where Spirit held significant capacity share.

However, the rapid moves by JetBlue, Breeze, and Frontier to fill Spirit's routes provide meaningful competitive pressure that should limit how far fares rise in most markets. The travelers most affected will be those with no loyalty status and limited flexibility — the exact passengers Spirit was designed to serve.

04Historic First Flight

Alaska Airlines Just Made History — Seattle to London Heathrow, Nonstop

On the same day Spirit's shutdown was reverberating through the industry, Alaska Airlines quietly achieved something it had never done before in its entire history: it flew across the Atlantic Ocean. Flight AS100 departed Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 9:40pm on May 21, 2026, and successfully took to the skies on the carrier's highly anticipated inaugural nonstop service from Seattle to London Heathrow Airport, currently cruising over Canada and on track for an on-time arrival at Heathrow's Terminal 3, expected at 15:05 local time.

The route is operated daily, year-round on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner — Alaska's widebody international aircraft, featuring a brand new livery inspired by the Northern Lights. The flight time is 9 hours 25 minutes eastbound. The new Dreamliners feature upgraded business class cabins outfitted with 34 suites with lie-flat beds that are fully enclosed by sliding privacy doors.

This is not a minor route launch. This is Alaska Airlines completing a years-long transformation from a regional Pacific Northwest carrier into a genuine international airline, now flying to London, Rome, Reykjavik, Tokyo, and Seoul from its Seattle hub. By 2030, Alaska plans to serve at least 12 intercontinental destinations from Seattle.

For Pacific Northwest travelers — particularly those based in Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and Northern California — this route is transformational. Before May 21, 2026, flying nonstop from Seattle to London meant booking with British Airways, Delta, or Virgin Atlantic, all of which are now competing directly with Alaska on the same route. Alaska's entry provides meaningful fare competition on a route that has historically been expensive.

With London flights now available for booking, guests can purchase Alaska-operated flights to five intercontinental destinations in Europe and Asia from the expanding global gateway in Seattle: London Heathrow (daily, year-round), Rome (daily summer seasonal, since April 28), Reykjavik (daily summer seasonal, from May 28), Tokyo Narita (daily year-round), and Seoul Incheon (five-times-weekly year-round).

05Record Summer

American Airlines Is Having the Biggest Summer in Its 100-Year History — Starting Today

Today — May 22, 2026 — is the official start of what American Airlines is projecting to be the busiest summer travel season in the airline's entire 100-year history. American expects to fly 75 million passengers on 750,000 flights during its summer travel period, which runs from May 21 through September 8. That would eclipse the airline's previous summer record set in 2019. The season begins with Memorial Day weekend, when the airline expects more than 4.2 million customers across more than 40,000 flights from May 21–26. The busiest travel day during that stretch is expected to be Friday, May 22.

The scale is extraordinary. On peak days, the carrier will operate upwards of 6,000 daily departures. The airline's busiest day of the summer is projected to be July 17, with 6,995 flights, followed closely by July 10 with 6,991 flights.

American has invested heavily in preparation. The carrier is offering more than 10 percent more seats compared to last year. It has also gone on a significant hiring push, adding thousands of new flight attendants, pilots, and gate agents over the past 18 months.

06Route Guide

Every Major New US Airline Route Launching This Summer

Beyond the Spirit collapse and Alaska's London launch, summer 2026 brings an extraordinary number of new nonstop routes from US carriers. Here are the most significant ones for leisure travelers:

American Airlines — New International Routes

The 2026 schedule includes several high-profile additions: Philadelphia (PHL) to Nice (NCE), catering to the French Riviera, which has seen a surge in demand from premium travelers. American has also launched Philadelphia to Prague (Czech Republic) starting May 21, 2026 — a route that opens Central Europe direct access to the entire US East Coast for the first time from American's PHL hub.

Alaska Airlines — European Expansion

Alongside the London launch, Alaska Airlines has officially launched daily nonstop flights between Seattle and London Heathrow, further strengthening its international expansion strategy. The year-round service becomes the airline's second European destination introduced in 2026, following the recent launch of nonstop flights to Rome. Later this month, Alaska Airlines will also inaugurate seasonal service between Seattle and Reykjavík, Iceland.

Southwest Airlines — Las Vegas & Orlando Expansion

Southwest Airlines will expand its service for Las Vegas and Orlando. Between May 2026 and March 2027, Southwest plans to add new nonstop service between Las Vegas and Anchorage; Boston; Hilo; Knoxville; Miami; Philadelphia; San José, Costa Rica; and Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and San Jose del Cabo in Mexico. Southwest also will add frequencies on 15 existing Las Vegas routes.

JetBlue — Fort Lauderdale Hub Build

JetBlue's 11 new Fort Lauderdale routes launching July 9 include Baltimore, Charlotte, Nashville, Detroit, Houston, Chicago O'Hare, Columbus, and Indianapolis — directly replacing the most important Spirit routes in Spirit's home market. JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty has made clear this is not just a rescue move but a long-term strategic commitment to making Fort Lauderdale JetBlue's largest operation.

07Action Plan

What You Should Do Right Now — Your Complete Summer 2026 Flight Playbook

If you flew Spirit regularly: Your first move is to check JetBlue, Frontier, and Breeze for replacement routes. JetBlue's 11 new Fort Lauderdale routes launching July 9 are bookable now and currently priced at introductory rates that will rise as the routes mature. Frontier and Breeze are both adding capacity aggressively and will be competitive on price.

If you are flying to Europe from the Pacific Northwest: Alaska Airlines' new London route from Seattle is genuinely exciting for this region. Economy fares start from $699 roundtrip — competitive with British Airways and Delta on the same route. If you are considering a business class upgrade, the 34 lie-flat suites with enclosed sliding doors on Alaska's 787-9 represent an excellent premium product at a price point well below the legacy carriers. Read our full upgrade guide to decide if it is worth it for your specific journey.

If you are booking any domestic summer flight: Do it now. American Airlines expects more than 4.2 million customers across more than 40,000 flights for Memorial Day weekend alone. The scale of summer 2026 demand is unprecedented. Prices will not go down from here — and Spirit's removal from the market has eliminated the competitive pressure that kept budget fares artificially low.

If you are considering a transatlantic upgrade: Use our Upgrade Worth It Guide to compare every transatlantic business class product — including Alaska's new 787-9 suites, JetBlue Mint on the JFK–London route, and Delta One — with honest editor verdicts on which cabin is worth the premium for your trip length and budget.

For all summer travel: Check our Deal Room daily for the latest flight sale alerts, hotel flash deals, and cruise cabin offers. Current live deals include NYC to Paris from $479 roundtrip, Miami to London from $389 roundtrip, and Seattle to London from $699 roundtrip on Alaska's new route.