As summer break approaches, airlines and planes have encountered numerous issues in the past couple of weeks, including the shutdown of Spirit Airlines, plane crashes, mergers and drastic price increases. Flying is vital to people’s summer vacations, however as safety and quality wavers, travelers wonder whether flying is the same anymore, or if it is even worth it.
Spirit Airlines was once the face of cheap, affordable travel; however, they were forced to shut down in early May after filing for bankruptcy twice and struggling with debt for years. Due to the rise of fuel prices, engine problems and staffing issues the airline was stuck in a cycle of debt. In 2022, in an attempt to stay afloat, JetBlue offered to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion, however the government blocked the merger in 2024, arguing that it would reduce competition and raise ticket prices. After losing their only opportunity to stay alive, Spirit was forced to shut down on May 2, and over 17,000 employees to lose their jobs, according to an NBC News article.
Without a warning, Spirit canceled flights for thousands of customers leaving them stranded at airports. They began immediately refunding passengers for their cancelled flights, however people that bought their tickets through third party websites were referred to the website’s customer service and many didn’t receive refunds. Passengers also did not receive compensation for hotels and excursions booked on their vacations.
After Spirit’s collapse, other airlines such as Delta, United and Southwest stepped in, offering reduced prices for stranded passengers and recruiting former Spirit employees. However, passengers are still wary due to recent crashes and unsafety during flights. Aviation fatalities have increased 35 percent from 2024 to 2025, striking concern within passengers, according to a Jan. 26, Forbes article.
To the public, it seems that planes and flying has gotten less and less safe over the years. A prime example of this occurred on May 3, when a United Airlines plane flying into Newark from Venice crashed into a light pole and slammed into a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike. While the plane still landed safely, the truck driver was injured with glass penetrating his hands and arms, however he is expected to make a full recovery. The incident was caught through dash-cam video footage according to an NBC news report.
A plane from Frontier Airlines struck a person who entered the runway area during takeoff on May 8, according to an article by The Guardian. A trespasser had breached airport security and hopped a permit fence, allowing them to run out onto the runway at night. Due to the darkness, the pilots did not notice the pedestrian in time and the plane took off, striking the trespasser at high speed. The collision caused smoke to accumulate in the cabin, forcing passengers on board to evacuate through emergency slides. This resulted in five passengers being hospitalized and 12 more sustaining minor injuries.
Manufacturing and technology issues have also caused major issues in aviation recently. An hour into a flight from Albuquerque to Baltimore, the windshield of a Southwest Airlines plane cracked mid-air. Over 37,000 feet in the air, the flight crew found a thin crack in the glass of the 19-year-old plane, forcing the flight to take an emergency landing. The plane landed safely in Tulsa, Nebraska a couple hours later where passengers were transferred over to another flight, landing them in Baltimore around four hours later than they initially planned to. While the situation was well-handled and remained harmless, it still causes passanger according to Business Insider.
Additionally, due to overseas conflicts in Iran, fuel prices have increased drastically. According to CBS News, jet fuel prices have increased an extra $2 per gallon, making it difficult for airlines to keep up with inflated prices while maintaining customer satisfaction. To compensate, many airlines have cut back on snack and beverage options during flights that passengers grew to expect. Airlines have also increased ticket prices in response to the growing expenses, with the average domestic round-trip flight costing around $55 more than they did last year. International flights have gotten even more expensive, increasing by over $115, bringing the total average up to over a thousand dollars.
As expenses increase and safety grows more and more questionable, passengers wonder what this means for the upcoming vacation season. Many struggle to rely on airlines as their prices continue to fluctuate and quality begins to dim. Aviation issues reflect the inconsistency and uncertain state of the world currently. As the rest of the world remains unstable, so will flights, leading passengers to rethink their summer plans.
