These comments are based on my personal experiences with Spirit Airlines along with posted information directly from the Better Business Bureau -
Http://www.seflorida. BBB.org/Business-Report/Spirit-Airlines-21000543
Please use these comments only for your own personal choice of whether to fly this airline with the information provided.
I as a Florida resident have used Spirit Airlines many times and have encountered many problems and strongly recommend that you find another airline to service your needs. They do offer great fares but they are not worth it if they do not provide the service promised and they will nickle and dime you every inch of the way. Bottom line to me is that what good is a good fare if you do not reach your destination or have severe customer service issues. Just read this and all the other reports posted to decide if it is worth it to fly (or not fly) with Spirit Airlines.
The *latest* problem I have encountered has been in using my Award Miles to book a free flight and the attempt has been horrendous to say the least. I had approximately 30,000 miles due to expire Dec 01 so I booked a flight request online through the website in November that would have used 25,000 miles. I received an email back from Spirit advising that I did not have enough miles even though their email clearly showed my miles balance and miles needed which I had. I emailed them back of their error and they acknowledged it via email and offered me 2 options:
1. Alternate dates close to my original request.
2. Provide alternate dates/cities for the request to be offered.
I sent back a response by email with alternate cities and dates as well as advising that I could take the dates Spirit offered if that was all they could do. I then received an email back advising to call their toll free number to book the flight and when I did was advised that my miles had expired and they could no longer book the flight even though I had copies of all emails confirming their mistake and subsequent emails.in all instances was my response more than one day later than their response so it was not a matter of my lack of cooperation but their refusal to honor my request.
Here is information directly from the Better Business Bureau regarding Spirit Airlines:
Our file contains a pattern of complaints from consumer who allege difficulty in reaching a representative, flight changes without notice, lost or damaged luggage, and additional charges on luggage without notice. The company has responded to and resolved some complaints however most complaints filed with the BBB remain unanswered. We have received a significant number of complaints against this company.
Agency: U S Dept. Of Transportation (DOT)
Description: On September 17 the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) assessed a civil penalty against Spirit Airlines for violating DOT consumer regulations. Spirit was assessed a civil penalty of $375,000 for failing to comply with rules governing denied boarding compensation, fare advertising, baggage liability and other consumer protection requirements. The Departments Aviation Enforcement Office found that Spirit bumped passengers from oversold flights but did not provide compensation or a written notice of their rights to compensation, as required by DOT rules. The investigation also revealed that Spirit failed to resolve baggage claims within a reasonable period, on one occasion taking 14 months to provide compensation. Spirit also was found to violate DOT rules by providing compensation for delayed baggage only for the outbound leg of round-trip flights and only for purchases made more than 24 hours after arrival.
In addition, Spirit violated baggage liability laws governing international travel by refusing to accept responsibility for missing laptop computers and certain other items it accepted as baggage. Spirit also violated DOT rules requiring airfare ads to state the full price to be paid by omitting carrier-imposed fees from the base fare. It also failed to make available on request a copy of the Departments rule prohibiting discrimination against disabled passengers. The Aviation Enforcement Office also cited Spirit for referring to DOT and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations when responding to consumer complaints even though the complaints did not concern DOT or FAA rules.
Spirit also violated DOT rules by failing to retain copies of consumer complaints and by failing to file required reports in a timely manner. The consent order against Spirit is available on the Internet at www.regulations. Gov, docket DOT-OST-0001.
Date of Action: 9/17
You do have a choice and do not assume it will not happen to you. When a company (any company) has over 5 pages of complaints without rebuttals from the company itself, examine it closely and decide if it is worth the risk.
Peace...
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