United Airlines has moved to mop up the disruption left by Spirit Airlines’ latest wave of flight cancellations, unveiling a fortnight-long package of price-capped fares, loyalty perks and recruitment incentives aimed at stranded passengers and displaced staff.
From today, travellers holding cancelled Spirit tickets can visit united.com/specialfares to book one-way journeys capped at $199, with longer routes priced no higher than $299. The offer covers the bulk of cities Spirit served, including Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, New Orleans and Orlando.
To unlock the discounted fares, passengers must supply their Spirit confirmation number, proof of purchase for travel between 2 and 16 May, and a United MileagePlus number. Those who are not already enrolled can sign up to the carrier’s loyalty programme free of charge at the point of booking.
The Chicago-based airline has also extended a hand to Spirit employees caught out by the disruption, offering complimentary pass travel on United services for the next two weeks via the ID90 portal so that staff can get home. Spirit workers eyeing a longer-term move can apply for vacancies through united.com/SpiritEmployees, where applications will be flagged for priority review by United’s recruitment team.
Pitching the wider proposition to new customers, United pointed to its award-winning mobile app, real-time flight notifications and refreshed fleet featuring seatback screens, larger overhead bins and Bluetooth connectivity. The carrier, which bills itself as the world’s largest airline, also talked up its long-haul reach, claiming more transatlantic and transpacific services than any rival.