Spirit Airlines is scheduled to close. What travelers need to know

Spirit Airlines could suspend flights as early as 3 a.m. Eastern time Saturday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The airline has not been able to secure a financial lifeline to continue operating, but has not commented on possible closures or plans.

According to aviation site Flightradar24, about 290 Spirit flights are scheduled for Saturday. Another 381 are scheduled for Sunday.

No wonder travelers with Spirit tickets are upset. While some U.S. airlines have been forced to close in recent years, the low-cost airline is bigger than most recent airline failures, with its Airbus planes connecting major cities such as New York, Miami, Detroit and Los Angeles, and many others in between.

Here’s what travelers need to know:

immediately? there is nothing.

Travelers like this CNBC reporter who booked a Spirit flight are likely to receive a refund if they purchased their ticket with a credit card.

But Henry Harteveldt, founder of travel consulting firm Atmosphere Research Group, said if the ticket was purchased with a debit card or loyalty points, the chances of getting your money back are slim to none.

“If you have a flight booked on Spirit, don’t proactively cancel. Wait for the airline to announce a grounding,” he said.

Don’t count on it.

Spirit declined to comment on the possible closure. If the end of operations is confirmed, the airline will likely post information on its website about next steps for travelers.

Harteveldt said travelers should not go to the airport expecting to find Spirit staff if the airline suspends operations. Call centers can become crowded when staff are still available.

That could lead to fewer answers than passengers would like, but other airlines may step in to help affected customers.

Airlines offering last-minute fares will likely have some kind of discount available to travelers at the airport ticket counter.

united airlines, jet blue airlines, frontier airlines and american airlines That includes airlines that said they stand ready to help Spirit customers and crew if the airline closes.

That could mean scheduling additional flights to transport stranded passengers, as is the case during hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Spirit, known for its bright yellow planes and low fares and fees, has enjoyed years of success, but this week it was on the brink of liquidation after failing to reach an agreement with bondholders for a $500 million government bailout from the Trump administration.

Spirit filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year last year, but it has had a number of problems even before that.

JetBlue’s takeover plan was thwarted. Rising costs have completely changed the business model. Dozens of planes were grounded due to engine defects. And more broadly, luxury travel has become more popular with consumers, boosting airline profits.

At the same time, major traditional airlines were selling their own basic economy fares with larger networks, similar to what Spirit was offering.

Since Spirit filed for bankruptcy last year, airlines have continued to increase flights on some routes and major airports. They will probably continue to do so.

Experts said they expected fares to rise in at least some markets once discounters are eliminated, even though airlines have shrunk significantly.