Frontier Airlines began flying eight routes formerly operated by Spirit Airlines starting the week of July 5, 2026, moving into gaps left across the country after Spirit’s collapse, according to Frontier’s own newsroom announcement.
- Boston (BOS) – Orlando (MCO): daily, from $69, started July 5
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) – New Orleans (MSY): daily, from $39, started July 5
- Detroit (DTW) – Fort Lauderdale (FLL): daily, from $49, started July 5
- Detroit (DTW) – Philadelphia (PHL): daily, from $79, started July 5
- Detroit (DTW) – Las Vegas (LAS): daily, from $79, started July 6
- Las Vegas (LAS) – Kansas City (MCI): 4x weekly, from $69, started July 5
- Orlando (MCO) – Memphis (MEM): 3x weekly, from $69, started July 5
- Orlando (MCO) – Richmond (RIC): 3x weekly, from $59, started July 5
“We are pleased to grow our service across the country to ensure low-cost flight options remain available to consumers,” said Josh Flyr, Frontier’s vice president of network and operations design, in the airline’s release.
The routes became available because Spirit Airlines ceased operations entirely on May 2, 2026, canceling all flights after two Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings in less than a year failed to stabilize the carrier, NPR reported at the time. Spirit had filed for bankruptcy protection a second time in August 2025, and its shutdown followed a blocked merger attempt with JetBlue and an unsuccessful push for a federal bailout.
Frontier is not the only airline absorbing former Spirit capacity, but its move on these eight specific routes gives budget-minded travelers a direct nonstop replacement on city pairs that otherwise lost their only ultra-low-cost option this year.
Travelers booking any of the eight routes should factor in Frontier’s standard ultra-low-cost fee structure before comparing the advertised fare to a legacy carrier’s ticket price. Carry-on bags, seat selection, and even printing a boarding pass at the airport typically carry separate charges on Frontier, so the true cost of a trip often lands closer to a legacy airline’s all-in fare than the headline price suggests, even with the lower base fare.
Key Points
- Frontier began service on eight ex-Spirit routes starting July 5-6, 2026, with introductory fares as low as $39
- Routes connect Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas and Orlando to cities including New Orleans, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Kansas City, Memphis and Richmond
- Spirit Airlines shut down completely on May 2, 2026, after a second bankruptcy filing in under a year
