Complaint Review: Spirit Airlines -

Like many people we live conservatively.  Celebrating our anniversary is generally a thoughtful card, some super market flowers and a restaurant one step up from our go to Long Horn or Olive Garden.  This year marked our 25th and we decided to celebrate in a more memorable way.  Our plans for a romantic cruise were curtailed by family commitments.  After reading some travel blogs and discussions with friends we settled on a long weekend in Myrtle Beach South Carolina.  We requested the time out of work which in my wife’s case this meant working extended shifts before and after our trip.  I carefully planned out each of four days at a beautiful resort with options for shows, dining and great activities. 

Spirit Airlines was the only choice offering direct flights from Boston/Providence that I could find.  While we had a bad experience previously with Spirit the difference of 3 hours of travel each way enticed us to try them one more time.  Online booking was standard for Spirit, individual charges for everything; booking, seat choice, carry-on bags, a drink of water, oxygen (just kidding).  We had a 5AM flight which would land us at 7AM so we would enjoy the entire 1st day.   I called ahead and the resort agreed to get us in for early check-in … Spa treatments, good to go, or so I thought.  

To make our 5AM flight we had to leave home around 3AM.  I took one last look at my computer before going to grab a couple of hours of sleep and saw that at 10:30PM they sent an email stating that our flight was delayed and would not leave until 1:39PM, A NINE HOUR DELAY!  The email stated “We hate running late as much as you do”, I really doubt that is true.  I called the airline and spoke with a representative who apologized and said that the plane was grounded for a maintenance issue, but we should still get to the airport at 4AM just in case they get it resolved.  Our plan now changed from a day by the pool with umbrella drinks to sitting in the airport for the entire day. 

Left with few options our son dropped us off and we stood in a horrible line of equally unhappy customers for two hours.  When we finally get to the front of the line we check our bags and the counter representative explains that the plane is stuck in South Carolina due to weather.  WEATHER! , what about Maintenance which I was told 4 hours ago?  I went on to say that it has been flawlessly spectacular in both locations by all reports and that NO other flights were delayed coming from or going to that location.  The representative rolled her eyes, spun her computer monitor around and said “all I can tell you is what my screen says”.

  She went on to offer me a refund, but there were no other flights to get there before 5PM anyway.  Fast forward this nightmare to Noon, when my wife is enjoying our anniversary weekend sleeping in a chair by Starbucks.  They call us to the gate to announce that the flight is delayed coming in from South Carolina and “may not arrive” due to Airport Construction!!!  I am now enraged and only focused on containing myself as not to be arrested by TSA. 

So how does the story end?  You would not believe it, or perhaps you would.  The plane lands and the incoming flight crew comes off at the gate.  I chat with one of them who tells me that they were unhappy getting stuck in Myrtle Beach the night before.  As it turns out our original flight was nearly empty so rather take us on an empty plane they lied to us, canceled it and doubled up our flight with the next one.  We paid for a lost a day at our resort, our rental car and worst of all one of our four days.  Spirit Airlines Purposely made us spend an entire day at an airport gate awaiting a plane that was never planned to come in.  We were LIED to not once (Maintenance), not twice (Weather), but three times (Airport Construction) only to be enlightened by the flight crew that keeping us there was the plan all along.  Sure, unforeseen things occur and stuff happens, but having no integrity and lying to customers is simply bad business. 

Well, there it is, another in a long line of bad Spirit Airlines stories (just go look all over the internet).  Now it is up to you.  If you choose to fly with Spirit you may get what you do not deserve.