Experiences with Spirit Airlines

They literally set the bar so low that you can't even be mad when you get screwed. It's a genius business model, really.

Spirit is literally the worst airline, and has a history of inexplicably canceling flights.

quote:

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Spirit will not assume expenses incurred as a result of a flight delay, cancellation, or schedule change. Spirit may provide limited amenities and services, which may be required by certain customers in order to maintain their safety, health and welfare. Amenities provided by Spirit are provided as a courtesy to the customer and are not to be considered an obligation of Spirit. No lodging will be provided to a customer on any Spirit flight which is delayed or canceled in the originating city on the customer’s itinerary.

When a customer holding a confirmed reservation on a flight which is delayed because of a schedule irregularity (including but not limited to, a missed connection, flight cancellation, omission of a scheduled stop, substitution of equipment, a different class of service or schedule change), Spirit may rebook the customer on Spirit's first available flight on which seats are available to the customer's original destination without additional charge.

Customers involved in a Spirit Airlines controllable cancellation or delay in excess of two (2) hours will have three (3) options available to them: 1) reaccommodation, 2) a credit for future travel, or 3) a refund.

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We avoid Spirit at all costs. So to speak.

This is not a sarcastic Internet response - don't do it. It is absolutely terrible.

Spirit is a dumpster fire that flies sometimes. Not an exaggeration.

They have few flights and even fewer planes. I flew them to Cancun one time and will never make that mistake again. They will not reschedule flights even if they cancel multiple. They canceled mine and I was expected to stay two more days in Cancun to maybe catch another. The people in line behind me were told they couldn't get back for a full week.

They are the only airline I have ever encountered that will not work with other carriers who may be able to get you there faster. They may offer you a refund on your flight, so just suck it up and book a ticket on another airline if you really need to get to Chicago.

Future lesson: Don't fly Spirit, because it will cost you more in the end when you have to book a last-minute ticket to get to your destination anyway.

ETA: They do not answer their phone. I literally set mine down for half an hour one time and could not get anyone to pick up before I quit. You are better off waiting in line for an agent at the airport.

It's the Charter Cable of airlines.

To save $50 per ticket, round trip, I booked my wife and I on Spirit from DFW to San Diego. This was a few years ago before I was an adult who knew how to do research.

They charged my wife $30 to bring her purse. They charged another $30 per bag, each way. We actually could've flown American Air for cheaper, after it was all said and done.

But that's not the worst. The worst is what we witnessed in San Diego on the return trip. A woman was flying with 4 small (under 7) children. Each had a tiny kid-backpack. Spirit was demanding $200 from her (carry ons are $50 at the gate) for the backpacks and another $100 for her big purse and normal size carry on. $300 in fees at the gate. She flipped her shite and the police got involved. They ended up negotiating down to $100 total.

Had a flight schedualed to fly back on monday (2 days ago) at 3:35 p.m. from Detroit and it was delayed 6 times. At around 7:00 I decided id cut my loses and ask the counter if i could get the first flight out tomorrow and they hooked me up with what they call "the big seats" but its thier equivilent to buisness class. I don't know if the flight was cancelled because I left, but I got another day in Michigan and better seats so it worked out alright. For thier price they seem to be okay in my book.
Sitting in an airport for 5 hours sucks though, so i got trashed at hockeytown.

Flying Spirit tomorrow fwiw. I'll report back if it's shittier than advertised on this board.