January 22, 2007

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spirit Airlines announces non-stop service between its Fort Lauderdale hub and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles beginning April 20, 2007. Service will be offered three times weekly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

In addition to non-stop service from its Fort Lauderdale hub, Spirit will also offer connecting service from its domestic network. Spirit serves all routes with its fleet of Airbus aircraft, the youngest in the Americas.

“We couldn’t be happier to have St. Maarten in our 2007 expansion plans,” said Barry Biffle, Chief Marketing Officer of Spirit Airlines. “This is a beautiful destination with no shortage of demand for travel. Whether it’s a vacation in one of the Caribbean’s most unique settings, or a shopping spree in South Florida, Spirit’s plan is to offer an affordable option for travel to great destinations.”

“Spirit Airlines is currently Fort Lauderdale’s largest international carrier so we weren’t surprised that they planned for yet another Caribbean destination,” said Interim Aviation Director, Bob Bielek. “Spirit’s continued expansion is reinforcing Fort Lauderdale’s position as the gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America. We are very pleased that Broward County will continue to benefit from Spirit’s expansion plans.”

“We look forward to welcoming Spirit to our airline product line and in a true ‘St. Maarten Spirit,’ we know that this is the beginning of a long term partnership with the Island Government of St. Maarten,” said Commissioner Roy Marlin, Acting Commissioner of Aviation.

“As Commissioner of Economic Affairs & Tourism it gives me great pleasure to welcome Spirit Airlines to our shores,” said Commissioner Theo Heyliger. “Spirit Airlines will be an asset to our local economy and the people of our beautiful island.”

“On behalf of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, we are delighted to have assisted in the negotiations with Spirit Airlines,” said Emil Lee, SHTA President. “Due to their lower cost structure, Spirit Airlines will be able to service our destination with very competitive air fares, which will be a tremendous boost for tourism as well as our resident population. Ultimately, tourism is the engine that drives our economy and anything that makes us more competitive is a blessing.”

“On behalf of The Little Caribbean Alliance; the Directors of Tourism of Anguilla, St. Barths, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and St. Martin, we knew that we wanted to ‘Catch the Spirit’ since our initial discussions,” said Regina M. La Bega, Director of Tourism St. Maarten and Chairperson of the Little Caribbean Alliance. “Attracting a Low Cost Carrier is an important objective in St. Maarten’s Tourism Master Plan, which will allow for cheaper air fares to the island, therefore allowing a higher per visitor expenditure on the islands that will assist with eliminating seasonal and increasing year round employment.”

Fares:

Introductory coach fares between Fort Lauderdale and St. Maarten start at 5 cents each way(1) when purchased at spiritair.com by January 23, 2007 for travel on select dates. Fares for all other markets are available at spiritair.com.

Schedule for nonstop service effective April 20, 2007(2):
To St. Maarten from:	Depart	Arrive	Flight Number	Stops	Frequency
Fort Lauderdale	11:00 am	1:50 pm	100	0	Fri/Sat/Sun
From St. Maarten to:	Depart	Arrive	Flight Number	Stops	Frequency
Fort Lauderdale	2:40 pm	5:55 pm	777	0	Fri/Sat/Sun
(2) Service subject to foreign government approval.

 

(1) 5 cent fares must be booked on spiritair.com by 11:59 PM ET on
January 23, 2007 for travel on the dates as specified by
individual market and by market direction. Fares are each way
based on roundtrip purchase, and roundtrip travel is required on
the dates specified to and from each origin and destination city,
but they may be combined with any other valid and applicable
Spirit Airlines fare. $99 fares must be purchased by 11:59 PM ET
on January 31, 2007. All fares are for coach class travel and
reflect the spiritair.com discount. A 7-day advanced purchase is
required on all fares. Fares do not include (a) a segment tax of
$3.30 per U.S. domestic flight segment of a passenger's itinerary:
a flight segment is defined as one takeoff and landing; (b) up to
$18 per roundtrip in local airport charges; and (c) September 11th
Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement originating at a U.S.
airport, up to $5 per one way or $10 per roundtrip. Virgin
Islands/Puerto Rico fares do not include government taxes and fees
of $14.50. International fares do not include government taxes and
fees up to $125 per roundtrip. Fares are subject to availability
and may not be available on all flights or on all days, and may
be severely restricted around certain holiday periods. Previously
purchased tickets may not be exchanged for these new sale fares.
Certain restrictions apply. For best results, please book early.