Spirit Airlines canceled over 40 Orlando flights Friday to inspect planes

Kim Luciani, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Updated ·3 min read

Many Spirit Airlines customers hoping to fly into or out of Orlando International Airport Friday were in for a rude awakening.

Over 40 scheduled MCO departures and arrivals were scrapped by the airline, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

In a statement to the Sentinel, Spirit said it needed to conduct necessary inspections on "a small section of 25 of our aircraft" out of "an abundance of caution."

"While this action is being taken out of an abundance of caution, the impact to our network is expected to last several days as we complete the inspections and work to return to normal operations," the statement read.

"We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to take care of affected Guests. Our Guests are advised to monitor their email and check their flight status on spirit.com or the Spirit Airlines App before heading to the airport."

What was wrong with Spirit Airlines at Orlando International Airport?

Spirit Airlines canceled dozens of flights Friday to conduct inspections it said were necessary. The company said it will take several days before the impact on the airline's network is resolved and advised flyers to check their email, the Spirit Airlines website or its app for flight status information.

What will Spirit do if my flight is canceled? What's the cancellation policy?

According to NerdWallet, Spirit will try to book you on the next flight to your destination, depending on seat availability. However, your itinerary could change.

Another option is to rebook a flight from the same departure and arrival destinations within the next seven days.

Lastly, you may be able to request a refund.

"If the airline can't rebook you or the next available flight will delay you more than two hours, you can choose to be refunded instead of rebooking your ticket," NerdWallet said on its website.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation website:

  • If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook you for free on their next flight to your destination as long as the flight has available seats.

  • If your flight is canceled and you choose to cancel your trip as a result, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation – even for non-refundable tickets. You are also entitled to a refund for any bag fee that you paid, and any extras you may have purchased, such as a seat assignment.

  • If the airline offers you a voucher for future travel instead of a refund, you should ask the airline about any restrictions that may apply, such as blackout and expiration dates, advanced booking requirements, and limits on number of seats.

While airlines have their own policies on how they accommodate customers in case of flight cancellations, passengers are not entitled to money or other compensation for costs outside of the canceled tickets and directly associated fees like seat upgrades and baggage fees. DOT suggests you ask the airline if they'll pay for hotel rooms or meals.

Spirit Airlines telephone number

You can reach Spirit via text message at 48763 or WhatsApp at 855-728-3555 by sending the message "Hello."

For assistance with a confirmed Spirit Vacations package, you can call 1-833-962-0984.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Spirit cancels dozens of flights at Orlando International Airport