Baltimore airport travelers concerned about rising flight prices after Spirit ends operations

Frequent flyers are concerned but not surprised if airfare increases soon. Some travelers at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport said they are already noticing ticket changes.

"We checked prices the day that the shutdown happened on Spirit," traveler Nicole Mariona said. "The next day, they were already up $100, $200."

Mariona returned to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport on Tuesday, not to travel, but to rebook an upcoming flight after Spirit Airlines cancelled her plans over the weekend.

"Two weeks ago, we booked tickets," she said. "So, they knew this was happening two weeks ago. They still let people buy tickets."

Finding alternate flight options after Spirit shuts down

Now, Mariona is scouting the competition, searching for an affordable ticket, and is coming up short.

"We're paying the cost of all the things that are going on," Mariona said. "Especially if you're young, you can't even travel for cheap anymore."

Some travelers said nothing will impact their summer travel. Some have started budgeting to prevent any further cancellations.

"If it's doing something less to still be able to travel," Chantre Phillips said.

Travel impact on rising jet fuel prices

The potential price increase comes after the ongoing war with Iran, which is driving jet fuel prices.

"There's a lot of research on what happens when a low-cost carrier enters the marketplace. Especially for leisure travelers, that entry tends to lower fares for everybody. The exit may, in fact, have the opposite effect," said Loyola University professor JP Krahel. "If you're trying to cut costs, which is what Spirit is known for, that makes you more sensitive to increases in fuel costs."

Krahel said Spirit spent roughly a quarter of their revenue on jet fuel prices.

"There's only so much magic a low-cost carrier can do before having to take losses and that's why I think we see what we see now," Krahel said.

Krahel said some families may re-think their summer travel plans due rising costs.

"I don't see how a family that could just barely justify, say $500 in plane tickets, is going to be able to justify $800," he said. "If it's a discretionary trip, they may say, 'You know what, instead of flying across the country, let's just drive down to the beach.'"

Krahel added that rising jet fuel prices are impacting not just air travel but gas and food prices as well.