Spirit Airlines abruptly ended operations in the early morning on Saturday, May 2, following a failed government bailout for Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc. The company shutdown left customers stranded—the carrier flew more than 50,000 passengers the day before—and about 17,000 employees without a job, effective immediately.
Now, some of those employees have turned to GoFundMe for support during this tumultuous time.
Searching “Spirit Airlines” on the donation site leads to campaign after campaign from former captains, flight attendants, and ground staff. Many of the campaigns highlight that the person is looking for new employment but, until then, needs support to stay afloat financially.
Fast Company has reached out to GoFundMe for details on the site’s verification process for these campaigns. We will update this post if we hear back.
What did Spirit Airlines offer its employees?
In short: basically nothing. So it’s hardly surprising that former employees are turning to GoFundMe.
According to Spirit’s team members guide, the company will pay employees for their work through May 2 but is offering no severance package.
Spirit also ended benefits for employees enrolled in its medical, dental, and vision plans on Saturday. Individuals can opt to receive COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) coverage until May 31 by paying both the employee and employer premiums. After that, they have 60 days to enroll in insurance plans sold through Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces (sometimes called Obamacare).
The guide also includes the question, “If a family member has a serious/chronic illness/is about to deliver a baby, will the Company assist me financially until we can get on a new plan?” Spirit’s answer: No, it won’t.
According to reports, following the company’s collapse, Spirit did help former employees find a route back to their base airport if they were traveling for work.