Hi,
I am currently booked on a flight to Charleston, SC on Independence Air in early January, and a friend has just told me that she's heard from travel agents that flying them after Jan 1 is a big risk. Can anyone confirm? help? anyone?

I'm trying to figure out if I need to re-book on another carrier, mourn their passing as a great low-cost carrier, and call it a day.

They're trying to sell itself as an operating airline, so I think you should be safe for Jan 1. They won't close their door that soon.

Do you have inside info, rkkwan? The first Midway Airlines was still selling tickets up to midnight the day they stopped operating. My friend was a flight attendend, had no clue and was stuck far from home.

No, I don't have any inside information. Just based on what I know of its financial situation and its recent operation. Will I buy a ticket on them for March? No. But I think the OP shouldn't need to worry too much for early Jan.

Well, I got my answer. Independence Air is shutting down as of this Thursday. I guess I'm glad that I rescheduled on a different carrier after all!

From the local NBC affiliate:

CHANTILLY, Va. -- Independence Air announced Monday that it is shutting down Thursday night because of "continued financial challenges."

The Dulles Airport-based carrier said it will discontinue all flights scheduled to leave after 7 p.m. Thursday, with the exception of a 7:26 p.m. flight from Washington to White Plains, N.Y.

Independence Air said anyone with a round-trip ticket that begins before the shutdown but ends afterward will be contacted by the carrier and offered the chance to change their return trip.

The airline is also asking a bankruptcy court to let it make refunds for flights beginning after the shutdown.

All change fees will be waived for changes made by phone. The company is also seeking bankruptcy court approval to automatically refund customers for return flights that are not rescheduled. No refunds will be offered for free tickets or vouchers.

"While we've been clear in reminding everyone that this was a possibility, we remained optimistic that there would be a way to avoid reaching this juncture," Independence Air Chairman and CEO Kerry Skeen said. "To date there has not been a firm offer put forward that meets the financial criteria necessary to continue operations as is. Therefore, we are voluntarily discontinuing scheduled service as of Thursday evening."