'Spirit was my home': Flight attendants left in Houston scramble to get home after airline shuts down

Spirit flight attendant stuck in Houston after airlines shuts down

A Spirit Airlines flight attendant was stranded in Houston for part of Saturday after the company ceased operations overnight.

HOUSTON - Aijah Smith was sound asleep in a Houston hotel room when her mother called with the news that changed her life: the airline she had called home for nearly four years was no more.

"I didn't register what she said," Smith said. "And then I had another trainer, a fellow colleague of mine call me. And she was like, 'Hey, are you OK? I know everything's probably canceled.' And I'm like, 'Canceled? What do you mean?'"

Smith, an Atlanta-based flight attendant for Spirit Airlines, is one of more than 17,000 employees left in professional limbo after the carrier officially ceased all operations at 3 a.m. ET Saturday. The shutdown, triggered by a collapse in federal rescue talks and soaring fuel costs, grounded hundreds of flights and left crews stranded across the country.

'A regular day' turned upside down

Timeline:

For Smith, the sudden closure came in the middle of a trip. She had worked a flight from Atlanta to Houston on Friday, expecting a "one and done" shift followed by a "deadhead" flight – riding as a passenger – back home Saturday.

"Yesterday was just a regular day," Smith said. "Met my crew. Everyone was like, 'Yeah, we've been here.' It was nice. It was an easy flight ... I didn't expect this, but we're here."

Despite the suddenness of the final announcement, Smith said the company maintained transparency during its final months of financial struggle.

"They definitely did their part as far as informing us," Smith said, noting that monthly and even daily updates were common. "It wasn't just like we were blindsided completely. They definitely kept us informed. 'Hey, this is what we're going through.'"

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A history of resilience

The backstory:

This isn't the first time Smith has faced uncertainty with the carrier. Just two months ago, she was part of a selective group of flight attendants brought back from furlough. Despite the clear financial risks, she chose to return to the yellow planes.

"I actually enjoy my job. I actually enjoyed being at Spirit," Smith said. "I know that sounds crazy from what people see, but on every flight I've ever had I've always had a passenger say, 'This has been my best flight I ever had.'"

She added that the airline's culture allowed her to be herself. 

"I have that as a home. That's my home," Smith said. "So, to be able to come back to do something that I actually love, it was Spirit that made me be able to be comfortable in being myself."

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Fast-track interviews for displaced Spirit staff

What's next:

As Spirit begins its wind-down process, other major carriers, including United, American, and Delta, have signaled they are ready to fast-track interviews for displaced Spirit staff. For Smith, who has seven years of experience in the industry, the outreach provides a much-needed "cushion."

"To see that they're like willing and like, 'Hey, we're here if you guys need us, we're going to accept you for how you come,' that really means a lot," she said.

Spirit’s management worked quickly to get their crews home. Smith noted that within five minutes of contacting the company Saturday morning, she was booked on a flight back to Atlanta.

While her time with Spirit has ended, Smith said she plans to continue her career in the skies. 

"Hopefully somebody can take a great flight (attendant) and that's looking forward to continuing this career," she said. "I hope they can take all of me, you know?"