As travelers affected bySpirit Airlines’ abrupt shutdowndeal with canceled flights and now-useless loyalty points, Papa John's is offering a consolation prize: free pizza.
The chain announced in anews releaseon Friday, May 8, a limited-time promotion called “Skies to Pies,” allowing former Spirit loyalty members to convert proof of their rewards status into a free large one-topping pizza following theairline’s sudden collapse.
“Loyalty points don’t mean much if you can’t use them,” said Shivram Vaideeswaran, SVP of brand marketing at Papa John's. “While we can’t fix cancelled flights or lost membership points, hopefully we can provide a smile and a delicious pizza to those impacted.”
How customers can claim the offer
To participate, customers must direct message @PapaJohns on Instagram with proof they were members of Spirit’s loyalty program and provide a screenshot showing they joined Papa Rewards.
The first 250 verified participants will receive a code for a free large one-topping pizza while supplies last.
Papa John's framed the promotion as a playful response to the turmoil in the airline industry, promising “no blackout dates” and “no middle seats.”
Spirit Airlines abruptly shut down operations
The campaign comes days after Spirit Airlines announced on May 2 that it was immediatelysuspending operations.
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The airline canceled all flights across its network and shut down customer service operations, leaving travelers stranded and unable to rebook directly through the carrier.
“For more than 30 years, Spirit Airlines has played a pioneering role in making travel more accessible,” Spirit CEO Dave Davis said in a statement announcing the closure. “The sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the Company.”
Passengers across the country were forced into expensive last-minute travel changes after flights were canceled overnight.
The airline’s collapse followed years of instability, bankruptcy filings, engine recall issues affecting its fleet and failed merger attempts with Frontier Airlines and JetBlue.
USA TODAY reporters Zach Wichter and Mike Snider contributed to this report.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on Twitter @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Spirit Airlines points can now score free Papa John's pizza
