KEY TAKEAWAYS: Spirit Airlines customers are urged to immediately dispute charges if refunds have not appeared Credit card chargebacks and travel insurance are key protections for affected travelers The U.S. Department of Transportation advises filing bankruptcy claims if refunds fail Rival ai rlines including Delta, United, JetBlue, Southwest, and Frontier are offering discounted “rescue fares”   Travelers on Spirit Airlines who were left out in the cold and unable to fly after the budget airline shutdown Saturday, May 2, should check their credit card statements, pronto. Spirit Airlines said it would be automatically reimbursing most customers with tickets. But if you have not yet seen a refund hitting your credit card statement or bank statement, you should dispute the charge with your credit card or debit card issuer immediately, said Teresa Murray, who directs the Consumer Watchdog office for U.S. PIRG, a nonprofit advocacy group. “The clock is ticking!” she said. “Consumers have more protections with credit cards than debit cards, but both operate generally on a 60-day window from the date of the statement the charge appears on. It basically falls under the category of ‘I paid for this thing and I didn’t get it.’ ” At the same time, she said, travelers should reach out to Spirit. But you should not let any lack of response, she said, stop you at this point from disputing the charge on your credit or debit card. If the traveler doesn’t have success contacting Spirit or disputing the charge, she said, then they may need to consider filing a claim as a creditor. A spokesperson for Spirit indicated that travelers should be mindful that refunds can take time to appear as Monday was the first banking day since the shut down on Saturday. “The majority of guests who booked travel on a credit or debit card were refunded as of Saturday evening, with a small percentage continuing to process,” according to Rachel Chesley, senior managing director for FTI Consulting, which is handling communications since the shutdown. How to get a refund for Spirit airlines tickets The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends that Spirit ticketholders pursuing a refund should: First, contact your credit card company. If you bought your ticket with a credit card, you may be protected under the Fair Credit Billing Act. Contact your issuer to request a “chargeback” for services not rendered. Or check your travel insurance. If you have travel insurance, the DOT states, contact your provider to see if your policy covers “insolvency” or “service cessation.” If all else fails, you’d need to file a bankruptcy claim. “You may file a formal ‘proof of claim’ with the bankruptcy court,” the DOT states. “Please note that this process can take time and may only result in a partial refund.” What happens if you used ‘Free Spirit’ points? Spirit said on Saturday that consumers who booked flights via a travel agent should contact thetravel agent directly to request a refund. If you booked flights using any other methods, including a voucher, credit or Free Spirit points, Spirit said, your refund will be determined at a later date through the bankruptcy process. See SpiritRestructuring.com for more information. Most of Spirit’s competitors are offering what some call “rescue fares” with certain restrictions, limited caps and discounts for travelers who have proof that they had an upcoming flight with Spirit. What kind of relief is out there now? The U.S. Department of Transportation offers many details on its website regarding some types of relief. For consumers worried about higher prices, the DOT stated, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are offering reduced fares on high-volume Spirit routes. “Allegiant has also committed to freezing fare prices across routes that overlap with Spirit,” according to the DOT. “To support impacted travelers, Frontier is offering up to 50% off base fares across its network until May 10th.” In addition, the DOT stated that United, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest are all capping ticket prices specifically for Spirit customers who now need to rebook cancelled flights. “To access these special prices, individuals will need to provide at a minimum a Spirit flight confirmation number and proof of payment. Please refer to each individual airlines website for additional specifics.” These fares will only be available for a select time period. According to the DOT announcement Saturday, May 2, availability is as follows: JetBlue: Available for 72 hours. Southwest: Available for 72 hours only in person at an airport ticket counter. Delta: Available for five days. According to the Delta site, Delta is “offering reduced, nonrefundable fares in affected markets over the next five days to help travelers book last-minute travel, with availability even on flights that are close to full to provide more options even when space may be limited. These fares are available to all customers, not just those impacted by Spirit’s suspension of operations. Customers can access and book these fares via self-service in the Delta app or by visiting delta.com exactly as they would any other Delta ticket.” Fare availability will vary by market. United: Available for two weeks online. Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: [email protected]. Follow her on X @tompor. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How travelers can get refunds after Spirit Airlines shuts down Reporting by Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less