Spirit Airlines is considering filing for bankruptcy protection amid mounting financial losses following its failed merger with JetBlue, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The airline is in discussions with creditors about restructuring the company, the Journal reported, citing multiple unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Spirit has been exploring multiple options, including an out-of-court sale or transaction, as well as a possible chapter 11 filing. Agreeing with bondholders and other creditors on a restructuring could support the airline’s bankruptcy case, which has been the focus of the most recent discussions.
Notably, nothing is happening right away. While the timing of a potential bankruptcy filing was not clear, it is not imminent, according to the Journal’s sources.
The report specified that the bankruptcy would focus on restructuring the airline through a possible chapter 11 process, suggesting that liquidation — a possibility that some industry analysts noted earlier this year — was not under consideration.
“We recognize this sounds alarmist and harsh, but the reality is we believe there are limited scenarios that enable Spirit to restructure,” TD Cowen Helane Becker wrote in a research note in January after the airline’s merger with JetBlue was blocked.
When reached for comment on Thursday, a Spirit spokesperson pointed to remarks from CEO Ted Christie during the airline’s second-quarter earnings call in August.
“Before we get into the results, I want to note that we are engaged in productive conversations with the advisors of our bondholders to address the upcoming debt maturities. Because those conversations are ongoing, we are not going to go into detail or take any questions on this topic or speculate on potential outcomes. Needless to say, it is a priority, and we are focused on securing the best outcome for the business as quickly as possible, while staying focused on driving performance and implementing our new travel options and elevated guest experience.”
Spirit has found itself unable to become profitable since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, and has racked up $3.3 billion in debt, some of which comes due soon, including $1.1 billion in bonds.
U.S. airlines have become more reliant on premium revenue since the pandemic began, while traditional carriers also have learned to master the “basic economy” concept, somewhat neutralizing the competitive advantage that ultra-low-cost airlines like Spirit previously enjoyed.
Spirit has also been hit particularly hard by an issue with certain Pratt & Whitney engines, which has forced it to ground parts of its fleet throughout the past year.
The airline has tried to stem the losses by shrinking its operational footprint, as well as changing its fare product structure and introducing several tiers of premium seating options.
An acquisition seemed to be the airline’s best path forward, and possibly its only option to avoid a restructuring. During a month-long antitrust trial in Boston that closed in December of last year, Spirit CEO Ted Christie and others testified that due to the changing market, Spirit could not continue operating in its current form as an ultra-low-cost carrier.
JetBlue, meanwhile, argued that by absorbing Spirit, it could double its size and compete more effectively with the four major U.S. airlines — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines — that together control about 80% of the U.S. air travel market.
The merger, which would have seen JetBlue acquire Spirit and absorb its assets under its own brand, was ultimately blocked.
“This misguided narrative has been advanced by an assortment of pundits,” Christie said at the top of the airline’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Feb. 8, during which Spirit reported a loss of $184 million for the period. “However, back in the real world, we are focused on facts.”
“You can rest assured that the Spirit team is 100% clear and focused on the adjustments we are currently deploying and will continue to make throughout 2024 to drive us back to cash flow generation and profitability,” Christie added.
The holidays are an expensive time of year — especially if you’re hoping to travel to visit loved ones or head out on a peak-season vacation.
As you’ve probably noticed, airlines often raise their airfare prices during periods of peak demand, including around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Thankfully, as savvy travelers know, you can leverage credit card rewards and airline loyalty programs to help offset these higher costs even during the pricey holiday travel season.
However, being able to use your miles for these peak-season holiday flights doesn’t mean it’s always when you’ll get the best value for those miles.
Most U.S. frequent flyer programs no longer use fixed award charts to price flights and instead price their award flights more dynamically (meaning the price varies). This means you probably can use your miles for virtually any flight they have for sale with cash — but it may cost you more miles than you wish sometimes.
Since we are The Points Guy, we don’t just want to tell you how much it’ll cost you to buy your ticket with cash during the holidays, but also how far your points and miles are going to take you this year.
LORI ZAINO/THE POINTS GUY
For the first time ever, we enlisted the help of our friends at Points Path to collaborate on a special holiday airfare report that examines both cash and award prices.
Points Path, which launched to the public in Jan. 2024, is a free browser extension that runs on top of Google Flights and adds the prices of flights in frequent flyer miles next to the cash prices produced by Google’s search results. The extension then indicates whether a user should use miles or cash on any particular flight to get the best deal, and it’s currently available for Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines — though we focused on the five domestic carriers in this analysis.
You can download the Points Path browser extension by clicking here.
Are any airline loyalty programs playing on the “nice list” and offering better mileage award options than others when booking holiday trips? And can you get even more value for your miles by traveling on certain dates?
With over 7.2 million pieces of real-world data at the ready, here’s what we found.
How far will your points and miles go this holiday season?
We’re not going to bury the lede here — when you look at the number of miles you’ll need for flights over Thanksgiving and Christmas, the amounts aren’t pretty.
Based on Points Path data, the average economy ticket across all five domestic carriers is 38,473 miles on nonholiday dates. During Thanksgiving week, that average climbs to 49,680 miles — an increase of 29.13%. And over Christmas, it jumps to 60,518 miles, a 57.3% jump.
The trend held true across all five airlines, too. Each one had higher average prices for economy award tickets over both holiday periods compared to nonholiday searches.
Now, this doesn’t account for differences in search criteria across time periods, so it’s worth considering how valuable your rewards are compared to paid rates.
As TPG highlights in our monthly airline mile valuations, the value of an airline mile varies greatly by program, so it’s normal for some types of miles to be worth more than others.
With that said, when you look at the average all-in value of airline miles for the nonholiday portion of the year based on the data used here from Points Path, the average value per mile is 1.39 cents.
Unfortunately, that overall value drops on flights operated during the holidays. Here’s how we defined these travel periods — and what happened to the redemption rates:
Holiday
Dates
Average redemption
Difference from the rest of 2024
Thanksgiving
Nov. 22 through Dec. 1
1.3 cents per point/mile
-6.47%
Christmas/New Years
Dec. 20 through Jan. 5
1.34 cents per point/mile
-3.6%
In other words, using your points or miles during Thanksgiving sacrifices 6.47% of their value compared to the rest of the year’s average. It’s slightly better (but still lower) over Christmas, as you’ll get 3.6% less value then.
But averages are just that, and the trends point to some common types of tickets actually trending at an even lower return for your miles, while some are better — significantly so, in some cases.
TPG / POINTS PATH 2024 HOLIDAY AIRFARE REPORT
Additionally, there’s one airline where your miles are actually worth more on average during these holiday weeks than during normal travel weeks.
Which airline programs offer the best mileage redemptions for holiday travel?
On average, the most valuable type of miles to use during the 2024 holiday season is the same type as the other months of the year: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles. Points Path’s data shows that they are worth an average of 1.68 cents each during 2024 as a whole, 1.52 cents apiece over Thanksgiving week and 1.57 cents apiece during Christmas week.
Unfortunately, that Christmas redemption value is still 6.55% lower than Alaska’s overall valuation, and during Thanksgiving, it’s 9.52% lower.
Interestingly, the data shows that JetBlue TrueBlue points are, on average, worth a little bit more during the busy holiday travel weeks than they are throughout the year.
JETBLUE
Overall 2024 data pegs JetBlue points at 1.36 cents apiece — but they climb to 1.38 cents per point over both holiday periods. While that’s only a 1.47% increase, it nevertheless bucks the trend of every other program out there.
Which airline programs offer the worst mileage redemptions for holiday travel?
Most airline loyalty programs’ rewards don’t go as far during the holidays as they do on other dates. Here’s a breakdown of the numbers for the big three domestic carriers:
Airline
2024 redemption value (nonholiday)
Thanksgiving value (difference)
Christmas value (difference)
American Airlines
1.55 cents per mile
1.39 (-10.32%)
1.4 (-9.68%)
Delta Air Lines
1.12 cents per mile
1.09 (-2.68%)
1.12 (no change)
United Airlines
1.39 cents per mile
1.26 (-9.35%)
1.36 (-2.16%)
As you can see, Thanksgiving is mathematically an even worse time to use your miles in these programs than Christmas. In some cases, your rewards are worth more than 10% less compared to the overall average. And while Delta’s redemption values over the holidays aren’t too far off 2024 numbers, SkyMiles are worth the least of all five currencies both during the holidays and on nonholiday dates, too.
However, the data isn’t all doom and gloom for those looking to travel more for less using their points and miles. There are still some ways to stretch the value of your rewards this holiday season, so keep reading for that.
Get more value for your miles by flying first class during the holidays
Flying economy usually requires the fewest number of miles, but booking premium economy, business class or first class typically offers greater value on a cents-per-point or cents-per-mile basis — and that’s true even during the holidays.
In fact, since traditional business travel drops off during those holiday weeks, we’ve even seen rare situations where the mileage cost to fly in domestic first class is actually less than economy. That is unusual, but what is common across almost every airline with premium cabins is that you get more bang for your (mileage) buck there compared to economy.
For example, Points Path data shows that miles used to book business- and first-class awards during the Thanksgiving travel week are worth 1.54 cents each, as compared to 1.26 cents each for booking economy. That’s 22.22% more value from your miles by splurging for the front of the plane.
TPG / POINTS PATH 2024 HOLIDAY AIRFARE REPORT
There’s a gap (albeit a smaller one) over Christmas as well, with premium-cabin awards clocking in at a value of 1.53 cents apiece, compared to 1.31 cents in economy — an increase of 16.79%.
In fact, four of the five airlines offer better redemption values for premium-cabin flights than economy ones.
The sole holdout? JetBlue, where redemptions for its well regarded Mint business class fall to 1.17 cents per point over Thanksgiving and 1.11 cents per point over Christmas (economy redemptions on the carrier during both holiday periods average out at 1.4 cents apiece).
Unfortunately, these numbers are still down from nonholiday 2024 averages in almost all cases.
Airline
Premium cabin redemption value in 2024 (nonholiday)
Premium cabin over Thanksgiving (difference)
Premium cabin over Christmas (difference)
Alaska Airlines
2.29 cents per mile
1.92 (-16.16%)
2.05 (-10.48%)
American Airlines
1.82 cents per mile
1.57 (-13.74%)
1.53 (-15.93%)
Delta Air Lines
1.21 cents per mile
1.19 (-1.65%)
1.19 (-1.65%)
JetBlue Airways
1.14 cents per point
1.17 (+2.63%)
1.11 (-2.63%)
United Airlines
1.83 cents per mile
1.7 (-7.1%)
1.69 (-7.65%)
Just a single holiday dataset — JetBlue flights over Thanksgiving week — offers marginally more value in premium cabins compared to the rest of 2024. Every other one falls lower.
Are specific travel dates better for using miles during the holidays?
Just like there are some more or less expensive days around the holidays to fly when paying with cash, the same is true with miles.
When looking at the Thanksgiving travel week across all airlines, your rewards are currently, on average, worth the least on Sunday, Nov. 24, and Tuesday, Nov. 26, clocking in at just 1.27 cents each. On the flip side, they are worth the most on the day after Thanksgiving (1.34 cents each). So consider eating that turkey and then turning around and flying home the next day if you want to stretch your miles (and potentially beat the rush at the airport, too).
When looking at the Christmas/New Year’s week, your miles will go the furthest if you can start your trip early or extend it a bit right up until many schools start back up. Specifically, at the front end of the holiday, your miles go the furthest on Friday, Dec. 20 (1.38 cents each). If you’re returning home after the holidays, the best redemption values are Saturday, Jan. 4, and Sunday, Jan. 5 (1.4 cents each).
DANIEL SLIM/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
At the other end of the spectrum, Dec. 23 is currently the day that miles are worth the least during that winter break time frame, at 1.29 cents each on average. That’s down 7.2% vs. the average for the rest of 2024.
Is it better to fly domestically or internationally using your miles?
For many travelers, taking to the skies over the holidays means a domestic flight (or multiple flights) to visit family across the U.S. For others, it’s an excuse to plan a vacation to far-flung destinations around the world. But is there a notable difference in mileage redemption values for domestic itineraries vs. international ones?
For starters, the same trend as above appears to hold. Both domestic redemptions and international award tickets see lower values over the holidays than they do over the rest of 2024. For all airlines included in this report, the Points Path data shows an average value of 1.33 cents per point/mile across the rest of the year for domestic redemptions — which drops to 1.25 cents (down 6%) over Thanksgiving and 1.28 cents (down 3.76%) during Christmas.
Meanwhile, the average international redemption across all carriers during the rest of the year gives you a value of 1.53 cents. However, it’s 1.38 cents over Thanksgiving (down nearly 10%) and 1.41 cents during Christmas (down nearly 8%).
However, international redemptions still tend to offer better redemptions during the holidays than domestic ones — 10.4% more value on average over Thanksgiving week and 10.16% more value during Christmas.
The carrier with the most notable swings is United Airlines, as your MileagePlus miles get significantly more valuable on international flights over the holidays than for a domestic trip.
Time period
Domestic redemption value
International redemption value
Difference
Thanksgiving week
1.11 cents per mile
1.47
+32.43%
Christmas/New Years
1.16 cents per mile
1.6
+37.93%
American shows a similar pattern, though not nearly to this level.
Interestingly enough, Alaska, Delta and JetBlue have little variation between domestic and international redemptions. In other words, holiday redemptions using Mileage Plan miles, SkyMiles and TrueBlue points are largely a coin toss when comparing domestic to international award ticket values.
Where are travelers looking to fly this holiday season?
They say there’s no place like home for the holidays — but getting away can be pretty great, too. So whether to head home or use the days off to squeeze in a vacation, there are some trends that Points Path spotted for where flyers are looking to head this holiday season.
Most popular travel destinations during Thanksgiving
New York
Los Angeles
London
Tokyo
Miami
San Francisco
Cancun
Paris
Chicago
Boston
Most popular travel destinations during the winter break
New York
Miami
Tokyo
London
Los Angeles
Cancun
Paris
San Francisco
Honolulu
Chicago
It’s noteworthy that New York City was the clear winner in both, as there were nearly 50% more travelers searching for the Big Apple than the next-highest city over both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
JOHN LAMPARSKI/GETTY IMAGES
In addition, there’s a lot of overlap here, as nine of the top 10 cities — New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Miami, San Francisco, Cancun, Paris and Chicago — are on the list for both holiday periods. Of course, many of these are large metropolitan areas, so there’s clearly a certain amount of default volume there. However, Cancun serves as a preview of some interesting, leisure-focused data points in spots 11 through 20.
Orlando just missed out on making both lists (coming in at No. 11 over Christmas and No. 12 over Thanksgiving). In addition, Lisbon was the 13th most popular search over Thanksgiving, while Singapore was 12th and Sydney was 16th over Christmas. And Bangkok was within striking distance of both top 10 lists — 18th over Thanksgiving and 15th over Christmas.
In other words, you’re not alone if you’re searching for a true vacation over the holidays!
Tips to get the most from your miles this holiday travel season
While the data shows that your miles aren’t worth quite as much during the peak holiday travel season as during some less busy times of the year, there are still ways to get the most out of your miles, and we’re here with some tips.
If you aren’t getting the value that you are hoping for from your miles via the U.S. frequent flyer programs, keep in mind that multiple international programs that are transfer partners with popular rewards cards you might have in your wallet still use award charts that have more fixed redemption costs. That also means that the inventory you are after may not be available on peak dates, but it can make sense to check.
Check the airline award prices for both economy and premium cabins. As the data shows, your miles may go further when you fly at the front of the plane and — most importantly — you’ll get to beat the holiday stress with an upgraded flying experience.
Finally, while it’s important to be aware of the value you’re getting from your miles during the holidays (and any other time) so that you can make informed booking choices, if your miles get you where you want to be when you want to be there, then it’s a great use of miles.
When a Points Path user does a search and gets both the cash and points results for a set of flights, Points Path stores those results for valuation analysis, analytics purposes and to assist in future user searches. Data is anonymized or deidentified, and aggregated for analysis so that no personal user information can be connected to the results.
In compiling this report, TPG utilized data from all searches conducted using the Points Path browser extension from Jan. 1, 2024, through 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. This consisted of 7,215,830 individual sets of search results — a cash price and an award price — which were then classified into one of three categories based on the date(s) of the flight(s), regardless of when the search actually took place:
Thanksgiving: A one-way or round-trip flight departing between Friday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024
Christmas/New Years: A one-way or round-trip flight departing between Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025
2024: A one-way or round-trip flight departing on any other date in 2024
We then calculated the redemption value for each data pair on a cents-per-point or cents-per-mile basis by subtracting the taxes and fees from the cash price and dividing that result by the award price.
For Alaska, American, JetBlue and United, we added a small markup of roughly 0.2 cents to each value. This accounts for the fact that award rates are shown for regular economy while paid rates are shown for basic economy; this markup was validated by Points Path across thousands of searches.
Finally, we averaged all individual data points and used specific criteria to filter the results for each of the above sections.
For the list of most-searched destinations, we based our analysis on the number of unique users who searched for flights to a given city. One traveler could do multiple searches for a destination, but that’s still just one travel party looking to go there.
However, while this data provides an interesting look at millions of data points, there are a few important limitations:
This analysis is based on actual searches, and since it’s a sampling, it doesn’t guarantee the conclusions hold true for every individual route/date combination.
It doesn’t include award travel discounts for elite travelers or those with select airline credit cards.
It doesn’t include the fact that you earn miles on tickets paid in cash.
Thankfully, if you’re looking to use your points and miles for holiday travel, you can download the Points Path browser extension, which will flag for you whether a specific redemption is a good deal or not.
Using points and miles during peak travel times can be a great way to offset high flight prices and keep money in your pocket for other purchases. Unfortunately, in almost all cases, these redemptions offer lower value during Thanksgiving and Christmas than during other dates across 2024.
But you’re not totally out of luck if you want to put your rewards to use over the holidays. Based on data from our partners at Points Path, first- and business-class flights tend to offer a higher value per mile than economy award tickets, and some carriers — namely Delta and JetBlue — have relatively stable values throughout the entire year, regardless of your travel date. You can also expect to get slightly more value from your points and miles during the holidays when traveling internationally compared to domestically.
And even if you’re not happy with the points or miles you need to use for a flight, remember that the vast majority of award tickets offer free changes and cancellations, allowing you to lock in a trip now and monitor for price drops in the future.
Nevertheless, it’s disheartening to see that many major airlines are delivering worse value for redeeming miles over the holidays compared to the rest of the year. And if that’s not a recipe for coal in their stockings, we don’t know what is.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the latest information.
Since 2013, TSA PreCheck has allowed users to avoid the hassle of waiting in a long airport security line, plus the annoying process of taking off their shoes and removing laptops, liquids and other items from their carry-on bags.
Thanks to the dedicated TSA PreCheck security checkpoints at many airports, you don’t have to worry about doing any of that; instead, you can simply load your luggage onto the conveyer belt and pass through the metal detector.
For just a small fee of $78-$85 for a five-year membership, TSA PreCheck allows preapproved, low-risk travelers to expedite their way through airport security at more than 250 U.S. airports — though there are several ways to get TSA PreCheck without paying out of pocket.
Also, double-check this guide to verify your airport and airline both participate before entering your Known Traveler Number at the time of booking. This will ensure the green TSA PreCheck symbol appears on your boarding pass.
Which airports have TSA PreCheck?
Travelers pass through a security checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). PATRICK T. FALLON/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES
As of October, TSA PreCheck is available at more than 250 U.S. airports. Given its scope, it’s likely that TSA PreCheck will be available at the airport you are traveling from.
Below is a full list, outlined by region and state (or country).
Northeast
Pennsylvania: Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO), Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (LBE), Bradford Regional Airport (BFD), DuBois Regional Airport (DUJ), Erie International Airport (ERI), Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport (JST), Lancaster Airport (LNS), Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), State College Regional Airport (UNV), Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport (AVP) and Williamsport Regional Airport (IPT)
New Jersey: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Rhode Island: Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)
New York: Albany International Airport (ALB), Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP), New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) and Westchester County Airport (HPN)
Connecticut: Bradley International Airport (BDL) and Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN)
Massachusetts: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Vermont: Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV)
New Hampshire: Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
Maine: Portland International Jetport (PWM)
Mid-Atlantic and South
Oklahoma: Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport (LAW), Tulsa International Airport (TUL) and Will Rogers World Airport (OKC)
Texas: Abilene Regional Airport (ABI), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), East Texas Regional Airport (GGG), Easterwood Airport (CLL), El Paso International Airport (ELP), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Jack Brooks Regional Airport (BPT), Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport (GRK), Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB), McAllen International Airport (MFE), Midland International Air & Space Port (MAF), Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA), San Angelo Regional Airport (SJT), San Antonio International Airport (SAT), Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR), Valley International Airport (HRL), Waco Regional Airport (ACT), Wichita Falls Regional Airport (SPS) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
Arkansas: Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT), Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM), Jonesboro Municipal Airport (JBR), Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) and Texarkana Regional Airport (TXK)
Louisiana: Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR), Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV)
Mississippi: Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR), Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT), Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport (PIB), Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) and Meridian Regional Airport (MEI)
Alabama: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), Huntsville International Airport (HSV), Mobile Regional Airport (MOB), Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) and Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL)
Georgia: Augusta Regional Airport (AGS), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV)
Tennessee: McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL), Memphis International Airport (MEM), Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Tri-Cities Airport (TRI)
Kentucky: Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)
South Carolina: Charleston International Airport (CHS), Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), Florence Regional Airport (FLO), Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), Hilton Head Island Airport (HXD) and Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)
Florida: Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV), Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), Key West International Airport (EYW), Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami Seaplane Base (MPB), Northeast Florida Regional Airport (SGJ), Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), Orlando International Airport (MCO), Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB), Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), Pensacola International Airport (PNS), Punta Gorda Airport (PGD), Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), Tallahassee International Airport (TLH), Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB)
North Carolina: Albert J. Ellis Airport (OAJ), Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Wilmington International Airport (ILM)
Virginia: Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO), Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH), Newport News Williamsburg Airport (PHF), Norfolk International Airport (ORF), Richmond International Airport (RIC), Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) and Dulles International Airport (IAD)
West Virginia: Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport (PKB), Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW), North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB), Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW) and West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW)
Maryland: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Travelers go through the TSA PreCheck line at Miami International Airport (MIA). JOE RADELLE/GETTY IMAGES
Midwest
North Dakota: Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS), Devils Lake Regional Airport (DVL), Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK), Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), Hector International Airport (FAR), Jamestown Regional Airport (JMS), Minot International Airport (MOT) and Williston Basin International Airport (XWA)
South Dakota: Aberdeen Regional Airport (ABR), Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) and Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)
Nebraska: Eppley Airfield (OMA)
Kansas: Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)
Minnesota: Bemidji Regional Airport (BJI), Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport (BRD), Duluth International Airport (DLH), Falls International Airport (INL), Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Rochester International Airport (RST) and Thief River Falls Regional Airport (TVF)
Iowa: Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) and Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL)
Missouri: Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) and St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
Wisconsin: Appleton International Airport (ATW), Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA), Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (EAU), Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE), Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB), La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) and Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (RHI)
Illinois: Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI), Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA), MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV), Midway International Airport (MDW), O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) and University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI)
Indiana: Evansville Regional Airport (EVV), Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA), Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and South Bend International Airport (SBN)
Michigan: Flint Bishop Airport (FNT), Capital Region International Airport (LAN), Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO) and MBS International Airport (MBS)
Ohio: Akron-Canton Airport (CAK), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Dayton International Airport (DAY), John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) and Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK)
Western US
Washington: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Spokane International Airport (GEG) and Tri-Cities Airport (PSC)
Oregon: Eugene Airport (EUG), Portland International Airport (PDX), Redmond Municipal Airport-Roberts Field (RDM) and Rogue Valley International Medford Airport (MFR)
California: Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (STS), Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), Humboldt County Airport (ACV), Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), John Wayne Airport (SNA), Long Beach Airport (LGB), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK), Ontario International Airport (ONT), Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), Redding Regional Airport (RDD), Sacramento International Airport (SMF), San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Santa Barbara Airport (SBA)
Arizona: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) and Tucson International Airport (TUS)
Idaho: Boise Airport (BOI)
Nevada: Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
Utah: Ogden Airport (OGD), St. George Regional Airport (SGU) and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Montana: Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), Glacier Park International Airport (GPI) and Missoula Montana Airport (MSO)
Wyoming: Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
Colorado: Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), Colorado Springs Airport (COS), Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ), Denver International Airport (DEN), Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT), Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC), Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL), Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB), San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) and Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN)
New Mexico: Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) and Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF)
Alaska and Hawaii
Alaska: Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
Hawaii: Hilo International Airport (ITO), Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Kahului Airport (OGG), Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) and Lihue Airport (LIH)
International
Bahamas: Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS)
Which airlines have TSA PreCheck?
Although the airport you are traveling through may offer a TSA PreCheck line, you must also ensure that the airline you are traveling on participates in the program.
If you are flying with one of the carriers on the list below, don’t forget to enter your Known Traveler Number when booking your reservation to ensure the green TSA PreCheck checkmark shows up on your boarding pass.
Most major carriers, domestic and foreign, participate; some smaller airlines you may have never heard of also participate. Although some low-cost airlines, such as Breeze Airways and Spirit Airlines, offer TSA PreCheck, others, like Play Airlines, do not.
Here are the more than 100 airlines currently offering TSA PreCheck:
Remember, TSA PreCheck is only helpful at airports throughout the U.S. and select overseas locations since it allows members expedited entry to TSA security checkpoints.
Even so, the $78 investment for new members every five years (and $70 for renewals thereafter) is well worth it. This is especially true because you can use TSA PreCheck at more than 250 airports when flying with any of more than 100 airlines.
Be sure to reference this guide for any updates on where you can use TSA PreCheck.
Even as Frontier Airlines executives say they’re seeing the budget carrier’s finances improve, the airline is making another sweeping network adjustment as the winter months approach.
The Denver-based low-cost airline announced nearly two dozen routes Tuesday, each of which will launch in mid-December.
As part of the changes, Frontier will launch a handful of new flights between New England and Florida. It’ll also double down on its fast growth in cities like Chicago, Houston, Cleveland and Cincinnati.
And it’ll begin all-new service to one of Colorado’s most popular skiing destinations: Just ahead of the holiday season, the carrier will launch three new routes from major U.S. cities to Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) near Vail.
Pool at the Grand Hyatt Vail. JENNIFER YELLIN/THE POINTS GUY
In all, Frontier is launching 22 new routes between Dec. 17 and Dec. 20. Among those routes, the carrier has previously flown about half within the past decade. The rest are entirely new to the airline.
The biggest winner? It’s a tie between Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which each get four new pins on Frontier’s route map.
The new service adds to already-fast growth for Frontier at both airports. This year, the airline’s total number of seats departing O’Hare will rise 125% over 2023, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Meanwhile, Frontier will operate more than 4,300 flights from LAX this year after not serving the airport in 2023.
Another winner in Frontier’s latest update: California’s Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), which returns to the carrier’s route map for the first time since 2021 with flights to both Denver and San Francisco.
After consecutive quarters of lackluster financial performance, CEO Barry Biffle recently noted the carrier is starting to see some more promising results — which coincides with numerous U.S. carriers trimming their schedules to better meet demand from customers.
“We’re seeing, over the last six weeks, a pretty good improvement versus where we expected,” Biffle told Wall Street analysts at the Sept. 11 Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference.
To date in 2024, Frontier had announced 114 new routes as of early August — and the shakeup has continued since then.
The airline did not specify what, if any, route cuts might coincide with this latest tranche of changes by Frontier. The carrier has routinely slashed scores of routes so far this year as part of its larger network shakeup.
On any given day, about a third of passengers who pass through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints use the TSA PreCheck lanes.
The agency’s top leader hopes it’ll someday be three-quarters of passengers.
“We have said publicly, and I’ll say it again here: We want more people in PreCheck,” TSA administrator David Pekoske said last week during remarks at the 2024 Regional Airline Association Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C.
To be clear, he doesn’t mean three-quarters of all travelers; PreCheck passengers tend to fly more than the average American — so on a particular day, make up an outsized portion of passengers at an airport.
Still, it’s an ambitious goal.
TSA administrator David Pekoske speaks at the 2024 Regional Airline Association Leaders Conference in Washington. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
After all, the TSA recently surpassed 20 million active TSA PreCheck members, a record and a milestone that itself represented astonishing growth from even just 18 months earlier, in 2023.
Altogether, some 40 million travelers are currently approved to use the expedited lanes. This accounts for frequent flyers who get their TSA PreCheck access through Global Entry, plus federal employees whose security clearance qualifies them for the fast-tracked security screening.
A TSA PreCheck entrance at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)’s Terminal A. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
But the thought of a majority of travelers on a given day using the TSA PreCheck lanes might spark apprehension from some current members.
After all, for its 11-year existence, the program has largely been something of a “travel hack” — a shortcut through airport security and among the best tools travelers have to make their airport experience more seamless.
In the TSA chief’s eyes, though, more TSA PreCheck-approved passengers mean more prevetted passengers passing through airports. This is helpful for security and in clearing a larger portion of the traveling public to pass through checkpoints with the efficiency TSA PreCheck offers.
Won’t TSA PreCheck get slower if more and more people enroll?
“We will put whatever effort we need to ensure that wait time for PreCheck stays at 10 minutes or less,” Pekoske said.
Look no further, he pointed out, than wait times officers kept manageable during a summer travel rush that saw each of the agency’s 10 busiest days of all time.
A TSA checkpoint at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)’s Terminal 1. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Exactly how will the agency accommodate half (or more) of passengers on any given day using the TSA PreCheck lanes in the future? It’s simple, according to Pekoske.
“We’ll open up more PreCheck lanes and close standard lanes,” he said.
A TSA checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). KEVIN DIETSCH/GETTY IMAGES
Are the CT scanners really slower?
Speaking to TPG in a wide-ranging interview last week in Washington, D.C., Pekoske also offered clarity regarding criticism of the agency’s new computed tomography scanners (more commonly known as CT scanners). They’re the large, white machines with blue lights rolling out to checkpoints nationwide as part of a massive investment by the agency.
The TSA is clear on the security advantage these higher-tech devices offer over their predecessors: The machines generate a 360-degree scan of travelers’ bags, providing officers with three-dimensional images of what’s inside. It’s a critical advancement for catching potential security threats.
JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
But since the scanners started appearing at airports earlier this decade, there’s been no shortage of travelers bemoaning their speed.
I asked Pekoske if this was a fair complaint.
“There’s partial truth to it,” he said. “When you see [your bag] go on the belt, it pauses in the tunnel. Then, an antenna array goes all the way around the bag. That gives you the 360-degree view. That takes a couple of seconds longer. It’s a small amount.”
But that slight delay, Pekoske said, is more than erased by other time savings these machines offer. For instance, even in non-TSA PreCheck lanes with the technology, travelers can leave liquids and large electronics in their bags, eliminating the time it takes to unload those items.
JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
Plus, the far more accurate scans these machines generate trigger fewer secondary searches due to false alarms. That saves time, too.
A recent software upgrade to the agency’s body scanners has also reduced the need for patdowns by 50%.
Add it all up, Pekoske said, and travelers are spending less time, in total, at checkpoints with the technology — though a larger portion of that may be spent on the secure side waiting for bags to emerge.
“People are thinking it’s taking longer, but when you look at it, end-to-end, it’s not,” Pekoske said. “We’re going to look for ways where we can make it more of an even flow. That’s something we’re working on.”
Future of 3-1-1
Even travelers thus far unconvinced about the benefits of the CT machines might change their tune, though, upon hearing about another capability they should someday unlock.
Eventually, with the help of technology, the TSA hopes to end its decades-long ban on liquids in carry-on bags over 3.1 ounces — spelled out as part of the “3-1-1 rule.”
Indeed, that means someday in the future, travelers should be able to bring a full-size shampoo or sunscreen bottle in their carry-on bag. Overseas, the United Kingdom has already begun experimenting with loosening its similar policy, though a government-ordered outright end to its liquids rules hit a recent (albeit temporary) snafu.
For now, though, don’t expect relaxed liquids policies in the U.S. anytime soon. Among other factors, the CT machines that would enable such a move aren’t slated to be fully deployed across the country until 2042, based on the agency’s current funding levels. A prolonged budget process this year, Pekoske said, puts even that 2042 target in jeopardy.
TSA administrator David Pekoske. ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES
With that in mind, when might U.S. travelers notice a softening of the carry-on liquids rules?
“I’m hoping it will be earlier rather than later. But it’s not around the corner,” Pekoske said, noting he’d prefer not to wait 18 years — or more — to start making changes.
“I don’t think it’s fair to travelers to wait until the 2040s to do this when some European airports will be completely outfitted with CT technology and will be doing it way before us,” he said. “I’m hoping we can get to a point where we make some partial changes along the way.”
