Airfares on former Spirit Airlines routes could rise as much as 15% to 20%

Spirit Airlines’ demise could mean pricier flights.

Spirit officially shut down on Saturday after grappling with high fuel costs and issues that date back over a decade, including increasing competition from the major airlines that ate into their ultra low-cost model.

You can expect airfares to rise between 15% to 20% for routes that Spirit used to fly if they're no longer served by other ultra low-cost carriers like Frontier or Breeze, according to a spokesperson for Going, a site that helps customers find airline deals.

But fares are already up due to jet fuel costs and continued demand, so it would be difficult to determine whether any price increases right now are a direct result of the Spirit shutdown, the Going spokesperson said.

And while airfare will likely rise, other ultra low-cost or budget-friendly airlines could take over some of Spirit’s routes, improving competition, said Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group.

Frontier, Breeze and JetBlue have already announced plans to take on additional routes, while Frontier has announced it will temporarily offer discounts for people traveling through November.

What can you do amid rising airfare?

For travelers having to grapple with higher airfare, regardless of the Spirit shutdown, try to be flexible, experts say.

“Take an earlier flight, a later flight, a midday flight — whatever is cheaper,” said David Slotnick, contributing aviation editor at The Points Guy, a website that offers travel advice to consumers.

You should also look as far as six months in advance for flights and use credit card points if you have them, Slotnick said.

But it’s tough as we head into the summer travel season, because with rising fuel prices, airfare is going to be higher than it normally is regardless of the tricks you use, Slotnick said.