Airlines in the United States have been adding routes and adjusting their flight schedules following news that low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is struggling to stay in business.
Last week, Frontier Airlines announced 20 new routes in markets where Spirit operates—a move that many airline analysts saw as Frontier preparing for Spirit to soon exit those cities.
Now, United Airlines is also adding new flights in 15 Spirit markets, just in case the low-cost carrier folds. “If Spirit suddenly goes out of business, it will be incredibly disruptive, so we’re adding these flights to give their customers other options if they want or need them,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances. Among United’s new flights are two new routes from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Columbia, South Carolina (CAE), and Chattanooga, Tennessee (CHA).
Along with the new routes, the airline is adding daily flights on several existing routes, including:
Houston and Orlando, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Miami
Chicago and Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans, and Las Vegas
Newark/New York and Orlando and Fort Lauderdale
Los Angeles and Las Vegas
United says it will also launch three new weekly flights between Houston and Guatemala City, Guatemala, and San Salvador, El Salvador, and one new weekly flight between Houston and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The Chicago-based carrier also noted it’s adding extra flight frequencies between Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and it will fly larger aircraft between Chicago and New York LaGuardia “to help customers outside of United’s hubs connect to these added flights.”
Credit: travelpulse
