Spirit Airlines to add nonstop flight from MSP to Detroit

Travelers flying between the Twin Cities and Detroit will soon have a new nonstop option from Spirit Airlines.

Known for its bare-bones amenities and pricing, Spirit will provide one daily round-trip flight between the two markets from May to November.

Both markets include hub airports for Delta Airlines, which captures about 80 percent of the travelers on the route and has offered the only nonstop service. Its one-way fares on the route averaged nearly $350 in the spring of last year.

Spirit is offering introductory fares as low as $30 and is expected to keep fares down. That likely will put pressure on their larger competitor, said Terry Tripper, founder of the travel site, The Plane Rules.

"I can guarantee you that the Delta fares will come down, at least on Delta flights that are near the time of departure that the Spirit flights will be," Tripper said. "If this is as big a hit as it probably will be, we'll probably see it extended beyond seasonal service and we'll have more flights a day."

With the Detroit service, Spirit will serve 13 destinations non-stop from Minneapolis-St. Paul. Last year, Spirit carried more than a half million passengers to or from the Twin Cities.

Some travelers complain about the fees Spirit charges for various optional services, including carry-on bags. But last year, Spirit carried about 600,000 passengers to or from the Twin Cities.