National Consumers League Urges Travelers to Act Quickly to Recover Funds Following Spirit Airlines Shutdown

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – In the wake of Spirit Airlines abruptly ceasing operations and canceling all flights, the National Consumers League (NCL) is advising affected travelers to take immediate steps to secure refunds and protect their financial interests. 

The sudden shutdown has left millions of passengers with unusable tickets and limited customer service options, while refunds for some purchases may be delayed or uncertain due to bankruptcy proceedings. Travelers who paid with vouchers, points, or cash may face longer recovery timelines, and frequent flyer miles may ultimately lose their value.  

“Not all Spirit customers should assume a refund will automatically appear,” said John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at the National Consumers League. “When an airline shuts down this suddenly, it’s up to travelers to take proactive steps to have the best chance of getting their money back.” 

What Consumers Should Do Now 

NCL recommends that impacted travelers: 

  • Review your credit or debit card accounts
    According to Spirit, refunds for any flights purchased through Spirit with a credit or debit card will be automatically refunded to the original form of payment. Flyers with unused tickets purchased with a credit or debit card should monitor their accounts to ensure the refund is processed expeditiously. 
  • For tickets purchased via travel agents, contact the agent
    If you purchased your ticket through a travel agent (including online travel agents), they are responsible for providing you with a refund.  
  • Contact your credit card issuer
    If your refund is not processed in a timely manner, you should request a chargeback for services not rendered. Federal protections may allow you to dispute the charge.
  • Take advantage of capped and reduced ticket prices for rebooking flights
    The Department of Transportation has announced that United, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest have agreed to temporarily cap ticket prices for impacted Spirit customers who need to rebook cancelled flights. Customers wishing to take advantage of these offers will need to provide their Spirit flight confirmation number and proof of payment. Some airlines are also offering discounted fares on certain former Spirit routes. Time periods to take advantage of these vary by airline, so passengers should act quickly. Additional details on what each airline is doing to support impacted Spirit customers are available here.
  • Check your travel insurance policy
    Some policies include coverage for airline insolvency or service cessation. Customers should review their policies and contact the insurance provider to file a claim. 
  • File a claim in bankruptcy proceedings if necessary
    Consumers who paid using any other method, including a voucher, credit, or Free Spirit points, may need to submit claims through the airline’s bankruptcy process, which can take significant time and may not result in full reimbursement.
  • Keep all documentation
    Save receipts, booking confirmations, cancellation notices, and any correspondence with the airline.
  • Act quickly
    Chargeback windows and insurance claim deadlines may be time sensitive. 

The shutdown also highlights broader challenges in the airline industry, where rising fuel costs, financial instability, and a lack of competition can leave travelers stranded with little warning. “The failure of Spirit Exhibit A for how difficult it is to break the Big 4 U.S. airlines’ stranglehold on the marketplace,” said Breyault. “As Congress looks to the next FAA reauthorization cycle, how to create real competition in this industry should be at the forefront of legislators’ minds.” 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. 

NCL CEO Sally Greenberg Honored at Girls Inc. DC Champion for Girls Luncheon 

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829  

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL) is proud to announce that CEO Sally Greenberg will be recognized at the 3rd Annual Champion for Girls Luncheon hosted by Girls Inc. DC. The event, held on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at The Ritz-Carlton West End, celebrates leaders who champion the rights, opportunities, and futures of girls and young women.    

“I am deeply honored to receive the Bold Award from Girls Inc. DC,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Girls Inc. has been a beacon of empowerment and hope for generations, and I am inspired by the incredible work they do to uplift and support young women. Our girls hold the promise of tomorrow, and ensuring they have every opportunity to thrive is one of the most important investments we can make as a nation.” 

“For more than 150 years, Girls Inc. has inspired girls to be strong, smart, and bold—providing mentorship, advocacy, and life-changing programs that empower the next generation of leaders,” said Joi Cheney, GIDC Board Member, Immediate Past Chair Founder & Principal, J.O.I. Strategies. “Sally Greenberg exemplifies those values through her fearless advocacy for consumers, women, and families. Her leadership, integrity, and bold voice for equity make her a natural choice for this honor.”  

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)       

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.     

Purging Science from Federal Agencies is Endangering the Health of Every American 

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829  

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is greatly concerned about the recent upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including the abrupt ousting of CDC Director Susan Monarez less than a month after she was sworn in. 

“These departures are a warning about the state of science and our public health agencies in America. Government public health experts do not seek high salaries; they are driven by an unwavering commitment to advancing public health, fostering research and development, and ensuring safe, effective, and affordable medicine grounded in science and evidence,” says Lisa Bercu, NCL’s Senior Director of Health Policy.  

“By forcing out these dedicated professionals, this administration and RFK Jr. have significantly weakened our healthcare infrastructure,” Bercu continued. “RFK Jr. is leading one of the most hostile efforts in modern U.S. history against credible science and good medicine—actions that are deeply dangerous to the health and well-being of all Americans.”   

Director Monarez was confirmed on July 29, 2025, through a narrow Senate vote and assumed leadership on July 31. Only weeks later, on or around August 27, she was removed from her position amid accusations of refusing to implement politically motivated directives.   

Additionally, at least four senior CDC officials—Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Dr. Daniel Jernigan, and Dr. Jennifer Layden resigned in protest, decrying the “weaponization of public health” and politicization of agency leadership. These events signal a grave erosion of science-first governance at one of our nation’s foremost public health institutions. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

NCL Report Finds Largest Sports Betting Apps Overwhelmingly Use Push Notifications to Advertise

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The National Consumers League urges policymakers: stop sports betting apps from pushing 24/7 gambling ads

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

In a first-of-its-kind report, NCL has found that 93% of smartphone notifications sent by the three biggest sports betting companies during a 4-week period contained advertising material. The findings are based on the collection of more than 100 notifications. To stop the flood of marketing, NCL is advocating for a prohibition on sports betting advertising, especially the use of push notifications for this purpose. NCL is not advocating for a ban on sports betting.

“Sports betting companies have 24/7 access to consumers through their phones, from the minute they wake up to the second they fall asleep. The use of app notifications for advertisements is an extremely invasive marketing practice that should not be normalized,” said NCL Senior Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. “The government regulates advertising on television, email, and text messages. But when it comes to push notifications, something that’s arguably more effective than each of those older mediums, there are no protections.”

From the notifications collected by NCL, 62% contained language urging the user to place a bet, often explicitly with words like “bet now.” 50% contained promotional offers, including bonuses, bonus bets, “no sweat” bets, and odds boosts. 28% advertised betting odds and 15% marketed parlays, a risky type of bet with little chance of payout for the bettor. (These rates varied among the three companies.)

To better protect the public from these practices, NCL is endorsing three legislative proposals currently under consideration:

  • The SAFE Bet Act in the U.S. Congress—a proposal that includes a prohibition on sports betting ads containing promotions. The bill would also ban the use of AI to create individualized offers or promotions, and it would significantly restrict the hours that sports betting companies can advertise. NCL found that the apps sent 91% of their advertising notifications outside of the hours that would be permissible under the SAFE Bet Act.
  • The Regulating Addictive Notifications Act in the New York State Senate—a proposal that would prohibit the use of push notifications or text messages for the solicitation of sports wagers.
  • A5207 in the New Jersey General Assembly—a proposal that would prohibit the advertising of sports betting via the internet, including mobile apps.

NCL is also urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the aggressive use of push notifications for marketing, which may violate the federal prohibition on unfair and deceptive acts or practices. A blog post outlining how the FTC should consider these advertisements can be found here.

NCL’s full report on sports betting companies’ use of push notifications can be found here.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

Wisconsin High School team wins the 2025 Varsity LifeSmarts National Championship  

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829  

Washington, DC – Today, Wisconsin’s Pewaukee High School students were crowned the 2025 Varsity LifeSmarts National Champions in Chicago, Illinois. Coached by Shawn Prell, the winning team consisted of Logan Nguyen, Max Smith, Ben Varner, Texas Maki, and Landon Pungarcher.   

Joining them in the final match was the North Dakota Sweepstakes 2 team. Coached by Dave Handt and Alesha Knudson, the team consisted of Charlie Enger, Andrian Davilov, Gracie Enger, Dakota Severance, and Rhea Haakenson.   

The 2025 Varsity LifeSmarts National Championship competition featured 46 teams from 35 states vying for the national title. LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League (NCL), continues to provide students with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate today’s complex, global marketplace.    

“Congratulations to the Pewaukee High School students on their victory,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Your energy, brainpower, and teamwork truly blew everyone away. We are beyond proud of you and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll accomplish next. Way to make Wisconsin shine!”   

LifeSmarts has empowered teens for 31 years, teaching vital skills like financial literacy to create savvy, market-ready consumers. High schools often miss these life lessons, but LifeSmarts ensures students are ready for college, careers, and independence.  

LifeSmarts sponsors include Amazon, Kenvue, Meta, AARP, American Express, Comcast NBCUniversal, FICO, Melaleuca – The Wellness Company, CBM Credit Education Foundation, Inc., SmartNews, and several state and local sponsors.       

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LifeSmarts: Learn it. Live it.   

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit https://LifeSmarts.org or email lifesmarts@nclnet.org.  

LifeSmarts National Championship Coming to Chicago April 24 through 27

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications,202-207-2829  

Chicago, IL – The 2025 LifeSmarts National Championship will be held in Chicago from April 24-27. Located at the Chicago Marriott Downtown, Magnificent Mile, the competition will feature 46 teams from a total of 35 states vying for the national title. LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League, continues to provide students with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate today’s complex, global marketplace.  

Students compete in six competition rounds, culminating in four teams competing on Sunday, April 27, to become the National Champions.

The quiz show format has students answering tough questions, such as:

A. What is the most common way to reduce radon levels in a home? (Environment) 

B. CERCLA is the name of the federal law that established which program? (Consumer Rights) 

C. How many calories are in one gram of fat? (Health) 

D. Because clipboard data is stored in RAM, what happens to it when you shut down your computer? (Technology) 

E. What does the “Rule of 72” calculate? (Personal Finance) 

“We are thrilled to bring the LifeSmarts National Championship to Chicago,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “LifeSmarts has empowered teens for over 30 years, teaching vital skills like financial literacy to create savvy, market-ready consumers. High schools often miss these life lessons, but LifeSmarts ensures students are ready for college, careers, and independence.”  

LifeSmarts contributors include Amazon, Kenvue, Meta, AARP, American Express, Comcast NBCUniversal, FICO, Melaleuca – The Wellness Company, CBM Credit Education Foundation, Inc., SmartNews, and several state and local sponsors.     

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LifeSmarts: Learn it. Live it.  

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit https://LifeSmarts.org or email lifesmarts@nclnet.org.    

Answer key: 

  • A) Vent it outside B) Superfund C) Nine D) It is deleted E) How long it will take an investment to double in value, based on its rate of return 

NCL opposes effort to shutter ED and defund education 

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

Last night, the Trump Administration began firing almost half of the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) staff and kicked employees out of the DC office. President Trump and Education Secretary McMahon have made clear that this is only the beginning of their efforts to shut down ED entirely. With these most recent firings, ED is down to approximately 2,000 employees to handle a massive portfolio that includes administering billions of dollars in funding for rural and low-income public schools across the nation.

“The Education Department plays a critical role in our public education system despite being the smallest of the cabinet agencies,” said Eden Iscil, NCL Senior Public Policy Manager. “Weakening—or eliminating—the Department serves no purpose other than to defund our schools, allow for greater discrimination in education, and eliminate oversight of the private companies we pay to manage trillions of dollars in student loans. Leaders in Congress and the states must stand up and support the agency.”

With its already strained resources, ED enforces civil rights law, distributes billions of dollars to rural and low-income schools, and oversees trillions of dollars in aid and loans for higher education. The agency’s funding makes up less than 3% of the federal budget.

ED’s resources disproportionately go to states that largely voted for Republicans over Democrats in the last election. Mississippi, South Dakota, and Arkansas have some of the highest dependency on federal funding for their public schools, while states like New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut rely the least on ED.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)   

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. 

The power of polling: how data shapes campaigns and elections

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February 6, 2025: On this episode of NCL’s “We Can Do this” podcast, National Consumers League CEO Sally Greenberg speaks with Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg, PhD, a senior partner at the polling firm GQR. Sally and Anna discuss polling techniques and polling results leading up to the election of President Donald Trump in 2024.

Read more

NCL urges timely action to require standardized alcohol content, nutrition and allergen labeling on beer, wine, and distilled spirits products

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, (202) 207-2829

Washington, DC – Having pressed the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) for over two decades to require alcohol labeling on beer, wine, and distilled spirits products, the National Consumers League today called for an expedited process to finalize and implement a new TTB rulemaking that will give consumers the same important facts about the content of an alcoholic beverage that is now is readily available on all other beverages, food products, and dietary supplements.

TTB’s rulemaking, published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2025, includes two proposed rules, both of which are necessary for the 62 percent of adult Americans who drink to make responsible drinking decisions. The first rule would require a standardized label, similar to the Nutrition Facts label commonplace on food and beverage products, that tells consumers the percentage of alcohol per volume, the alcohol content in fluid ounces, and the calories, carbohydrates, fat, and protein per serving. The second rule requires listing allergens in the alcoholic beverage, which is important to the 33 million people in the US who have at least one food allergy. Currently, manufacturers of TTB-regulated beer, wine, and distilled spirits are not required to declare the presence of major allergens which are used as ingredients or processing agents.

Noting that overconsumption of alcohol is a costly public health problem that has become much worse in recent years, as alcohol-related deaths have risen substantially, NCL stated that the proposed labeling rules are long overdue to protect the health and safety of the public. According to the latest estimates, alcohol accounts for 30 percent of all traffic crash fatalities in the US, is a source of empty calories that contribute to obesity, and excessive drinking increases the risk of liver disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, alcohol use disorders, certain cancers, and severe injuries.

“While NCL is pleased that TTB published these labeling rules, the agency has a long history of asking for public comments, holding listening sessions, and publishing proposed alcohol labeling rules that are never finalized,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s CEO. “This is why we are pressing for an expedited process, because the health and safety of the public is at stake.”

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

Making consumers smarter through financial education

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Growing up, I had my own personal consumer advocate, my grandmother, Big Mama. She taught me to be a skeptical consumer and to watch out for the tricks and traps used to separate me from my hard-earned money.

Big Mama modeled the importance of saving and being a savvy shopper. She instilled in me the critical skills that I needed, which I have, in turn, passed on to readers of the personal finance column I’ve written for The Washington Post for nearly three decades.

However, not everyone has a Big Mama, and filling that role of protector has had to come down to organizations such as the National Consumers League (NCL). With the care and compassion of a loving grandmother or parent, NCL has developed many programs and educational tools to teach people to be smart consumers.

For example, NCL’s LifeSmarts program, which is aimed at teenagers, provides unbiased information to help them navigate an increasingly complicated and often financially treacherous world. All too often, people accumulate massive credit card debt or find themselves unable to manage their monthly expenses because they were never taught how to make smart financial decisions. NCL has filled that critical void.

As a consumer rights champion, NCL has been at the forefront of identifying and fighting the avalanche of sophisticated scams stealing billions of dollars from consumers. Fraud.org is an NCL project I’ve frequently relied on to inform readers of the latest scams and provide them with tips to protect themselves.

I couldn’t do what I do—inform the public— without the tireless efforts of NCL, which has been an ally for those who have been victimized, exploited, and treated unfairly.

The amount of false, inappropriate, and reckless personal finance information online makes it more difficult for consumers to know who to trust. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will make it harder for people to know the truth. This means that strong consumer advocacy is needed more than ever.

I celebrate and congratulate NCL for 125 years of being a Big Mama to the millions of people who need a champion. The financial well-being of so many people is infinitely better because of the work of NCL.

Team Pennsylvania from Dallas High School who won the 30th National LifeSmarts Championship in 2024

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Michelle Singletary has been a journalist and columnist for The Washington Post since 1992. She is the author of four books on personal finance and has won numerous awards for her work, including the Trumpeter Award in 2002.