Spirit adds 5 new flights, cuts international service from Houston ahead of schedule

Spirit Airlines is once again making numerous changes to its network.

This time, the updates focus primarily on the airline’s operating base in Houston, where Spirit is refocusing its flights on routes it hopes will be popular. The network changes were first noted in Cirium’s schedules and then confirmed by a spokesperson for the carrier.

Spirit will add a new flight and strengthen existing service on two routes from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Specifically, the carrier will add twice-daily service between IAH and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) starting August 14.

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This 224-mile commuter route is already well served by American Airlines and United Airlines, which together offer about 20 daily flights on average in the market. Last year, the average one-way ticket price from Houston to Dallas hovered around $155, according to Department of Transportation data analyzed by Cirium.

Frontier Airlines entered this market in April, so it will be interesting to see how Spirit – another ultra-low-cost carrier – performs in the market.

However, in addition to attracting travelers looking for the quickest way to get between two of Texas’ largest cities, this new route could also be part of Spirit’s efforts to increase the number of one-stop connections which she sells.

“We’re going to start looking at creating more intentional connectivity in certain cities. The reason for that is to be able to try new routes or bring back some routes that we’ve done in the past. If (the routes) have proper connectivity, that which helps generate more revenue,” said Matt Klein, Spirit’s chief commercial officer, in a recent interview with TPG.

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In addition to the new Houston-Dallas route, Spirit is expanding its portfolio from IAH with a third daily service to Orlando and a fourth daily flight to Las Vegas, both beginning August 14.

It’s not all good news for Houston, however. Spirit will end all international flights from Houston effective August 13. This includes service to four international destinations: Cancun, Mexico; Guatemala City; and San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa in Honduras.

The airline said in a statement that “in response to declining demand in Latin American markets, we are transitioning our international service from IAH to a seasonal service.” The airline has not yet announced a resumption date for international flights from Houston, beyond saying service would resume “later this year,” and we’ll be keeping an eye to make sure the airline keeps its word.

In addition to the shakeup in Houston, Spirit is adding two other new domestic routes. The airline will connect Fort Lauderdale to Rochester, New York, with once-daily service beginning August 14. Spirit will enjoy a monopoly on this route once launched. (Frontier operated flights to this market in 2022, but this service has since been removed.)

Shift in strategy: Spirit is considering more connecting flights and less reliance on Florida as it tries to turn around its business.

Additionally, Spirit will connect Los Angeles to Reno once daily starting August 14. Unlike the Fort Lauderdale route, this one is incredibly well served by other airlines. Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines all operate this 391-mile route, so Spirit will face some pretty stiff competition in this market.

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