Airfares Rise on Jamaica-US Routes After Spirit Airlines Shutdown

Airfares on Jamaica-United States routes have increased following the shutdown of Spirit Airlines on 2 May 2026, leaving passengers with fewer low-cost travel options and higher ticket prices on key routes.

When Spirit Airline was operational the one way ticket from Fort Lauderdale to Kingston cost around US$107, which was one of the cheapest tickets available. Currently, the same route costs about US$157, for one way. This raise accounts for nearly 50% based on current fares on online aggregators.

This gap started after Spirit Airline shutdown and this also illustrates what aviation economists call the ‘Spirit effect’. This effect refers to the removal of the competitive pressure that kept every other carrier’s fares in check on the same route.

After Spirit Airlines shutdown the US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Department of Transportation had gotten into an agreement with United, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and American to cap the ticket prices for displaced Spirit customers.

The earlier passengers of Spirit customers are required to show their Spirit confirmation number along with a proof of payment.

2 other Airlines which includes Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air also pitched in independently. Frontier Airlines offered up to 50 percent off base fares across its entire network through 10th May which is open to any traveller, while Allegiant froze its fares on overlapping routes.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett addressed this situation by saying that the volume of passengers (of which the number revolves around 30,000 to 40,000 summer seats) managed by Spirit Airlines can be managed by Fort Lauderdale as they have competing carriers. His concerns revolved around how the passengers will be able to pay for such a high priced seat.

Ticket prices on routes between Jamaica and Fort Lauderdale have already increased significantly. For example, a round trip flight from Fort Lauderdale to Montego Bay that previously cost US$ 324 on Spirit was later priced at US$ 430 on JetBlue, which makes for a 33% increase. Similar increases were seen on flights to Kingston.

According to reports it is witnessed that when Spirit exited routes in other areas, airfares often rose because the airline was offering some of the cheapest tickets. It has been found that the airfares rose on an average of about 14% across roughly 90 routes after Spirit exited in 2024 and 2025.

JetBlue has announced its plans to expand operations in Fort Lauderdale with more flights, which will operate on a daily basis along with new routes to begin in July 2026. Still some concerns remain about whether the added flights will keep ticket prices affordable as summer travel demand increases.

Tourism is Jamaica’s biggest industry, and affordable air travel is important for keeping visitors coming to hotels, attractions, and local businesses. This adds to a problem for Jamaica’s tourism because Spirit previously handled a notable share of passenger traffic on routes linking Jamaica with Florida destinations such as Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando.