After Spirit pulls the plug, American, Frontier, United, Southwest move in

Other airlines moved quickly Saturday after Spirit Airlines said it began an “orderly wind-down” of operations, canceling all flights effective immediately and ending customer service.

American Airlines said it has been in touch with federal authorities, including the Department of Transportation, and has put “rescue fares” in place on routes where it offers nonstop service that overlaps with Spirit. The carrier said it serves 70 of the 72 airports Spirit currently serves and 67 of the routes Spirit currently operates. American said it is also reviewing options to add capacity, including larger aircraft and additional flights on key routes, and told disrupted travelers to book through its app or website.

American also said it is working to provide transportation for Spirit employees displaced on work trips. The airline said it plans to recruit qualified Spirit employees, including launching a jobs microsite and holding recruiting events in coming weeks.

Frontier Airlines announced systemwide rescue fare discounts and said it will offer a $199 GoWild All-You-Can-Fly Summer Pass. Frontier said it currently serves more than 100 routes Spirit previously flew and plans to expand further this summer, including nine additional routes and 15 more daily flights across 18 former Spirit markets.

United Airlines said it is capping fares on most one-way flights in markets where Spirit also flew for customers who had Spirit tickets for travel between May 2 and May 16.

Southwest Airlines said it will offer special fares to Spirit customers, but only at Southwest ticket counters at the customer’s departure airport for eligible routes through 11:59 p.m. CDT on May 6. For domestic travel, Southwest said the discounted fares will be set by distance: $200 for 1 to 500 miles, $300 for 501 to 1,000 miles, and $400 for trips over 1,000 miles. Southwest also said it will offer discounted rates for international flights and that Spirit Silver or Gold status holders can access A-List benefits through a status match program.