If you have ever chosen Spirit Airlines because it was the only way you could afford to fly your family somewhere, you already know what made the airline matter. Now that it is gone, the question millions of Americans are asking is simple: what happens to airfares — and to the people who depended on those cheap tickets?
For millions of Americans, the ongoing U.S. military conflict with Iran is not just a foreign policy story — it is showing up directly in their wallets, at the gas station, and on their grocery receipts. A new national poll reveals that nearly half of Americans are already changing how they live because of rising prices, and many say the financial pressure is only getting worse.
Gas prices have surged faster in 2026 than at any point since 2022. The national average hit $4.16 per gallon in early April — a 29.5% jump from just a year ago — driven by Middle East conflict that has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, the corridor that normally handles around 20 million barrels of oil per day. Drivers in California are already paying $5.89 per gallon, with Hawaii ($5.65), Washington ($5.39), Oregon ($5.00), and Nevada approaching the same territory.
