Your Spirit flight was canceled. How do you get a refund?

Spirit Airlines is shutting down. All flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available, "effective immediately," the airline announced early Saturday, May 2.

Customers who had upcoming flights booked on the airline have been left scrambling for alternatives, but they may be able to recoup the cost of their tickets, depending on how they paid.

"If you bought a ticket and hadn't flown that ticket yet, the dollars that you used to buy the ticket, those are held in reserve by Spirit Airlines," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport. "That money is there, and so refunds will flow to the original form of payment for those who have booked a ticket. So yeah, we feel very comfortable that you will get a refund for the portion of the flight that you didn't fly."

• Spirit will automatically process refunds for customers who purchased tickets by credit card or debit card, the airline posted on X.

• Customers who booked through a travel agent are directed to contact their travel agent for refund requests.

• Customers who booked flights with vouchers, flight credit, Free Spirit miles or any other means will have to wait on the bankruptcy process to determine compensation, according to a news release on behalf of the airline.

The Department of Transportation notes bankruptcy claims take time and may result in only a partial refund.

The DOT encourages Spirit ticket holders with travel insurance to check if their policy covers “insolvency” or “service cessation."

In any case, Spirit customers are advised not to go to airports for help but instead direct questions to the airline's claims agent, Epiq, at [email protected] and (855) 952-6606 within the U.S. and Canada or (971) 715-2831 elsewhere abroad.

(This story was updated to add video and new information.)