Spirit Air - Sometimes you don't get what you pay for

I just returned from yet another trip to SDQ from DCA. I had stopped flying Spirit a couple (2-3) years ago when they started screwing around with their flight schedules and offered unacceptable layover and arrival times. I then switched to AA and have had a very consistent level of service from them. When AA jacked their prices this Summer I thought I'd give Spirit another try since they offerred a flight through FLL with (only) a 5 hour layover, I mean leaving DC in November to spend a few hours basking in the Florida sunshine before continuing my journey to SDQ...how bad could that be?

I got to DCA at about 0545H for my 0700H flight and breezed through security arriving at the gate more than a half hour prior to the scheduled boarding time. I got a cup of nasty DD coffee and a rubber scone and waited for our boarding. This process didn't commence until about 0720H. As I moved down the jetway after having my boarding pass processed I heard scampering feet behind me as a Woman's voice say "Sir, I need to see you at the gate desk". I turned to look, literally feet from the plane entrance and the kiosk clerk was out of breath from running to catch me. I followed her and she showed me a bag size cradle with two spaces. One was the size of regular overhead luggage and the other was a little bigger than a laptop bag.

It appeared that the arrangement that I'd had with AA, Delta and a half dozen airlines for years with one bag fitting neatly into overhead and the backpack fitting neatly under the seat in front of me was not recognized by Spirit and the penalty for needing a special little ribbon on my bag to identify it as "special" was $45. I handed the Lady three $20 bills. She did some stuff on her computer and handed them back. She required exact change so I took one of the $20's to a nearby kiosk and bought a roll of lifesavers for $1.95. I returned to the kiosk and handed the wonderful Spirit Lady $45 exactly and after some more tinkering on the computer she came up with a receipt for me. Knowing that I had to take the same airline on the way back I did a little calculation in the back of my very groggy mind (up half the night) and the $70 that I'd "saved" had just been devoured by the $90 that I didn't but I didn't take the time off not to spend money and it's all good on vacation so I boarded the plane which was already 45 min. late for takeoff, placed my bag in the overhead bin as always, placed my backpack under the seat in front of me as always, took my window seat, lodged my head between my seat back and the window and caught some Z's.

When I woke up the couple in my row explained how we'd been sitting on the tarmac for over an hour while I was sleeping and the airport outside the window was the same one we boarded at. I went back to sleep and woke up as we were preparing to land at FLL. They had a really interesting update for me and they, like half the other passengers on the plane had missed their connecting flights. The agent that was promised was NOT outside the jetway as promised and a lot of not so happy campers wandered off to figure out their fates. I went outside to smoke.

Spirit...

I actually had a few smokes and removed my sweater to get a little Sun on me for awhile. About an hour prior to the scheduled departure time I went through security and to my gate where I again saw no plane at the end of the jetway and the "departures" kiosk now displayed a new time for my flight which was an hour later than the previous one. I left to get another smoke and a slice of cardboard and leatherchips S'barro pizza. I think they were probably equally unhealthy but it's vacation. I ended up at SDQ about 1:20 H after I should have and the guys who were going to meet at the airport had gone to do other stuff so I got one of the yellow shirts to find me someone to buddy up with on the ride into the Capital. Instead of paying the $40 and $45 respectively which we were quoted by the clipboard guy we payed $1K RD each and the yellow shirt guy, the clipboard guy, the bags in the trunk guy and the driver all got a piece and we were all happy about the arrangement. These guys should run a training seminar on flexible business practices for American business managers. Especially at Spirit.

edm7583 said:

A little research would have saved you a lot of trouble. This was announced by Spirit last April (with huge coverage in the media) and has been in place since last August, and is clearly stated in its baggage policies on its website. Paying for the carry-on ahead of time would have only cost you $25. Or better yet, don't have a carry on. (just a small bag for your laptop, etc. under the seat). The fee for the carry-on is the same as for a full checked bag so you might as well check a full 50 lb. bag for the same price.

Click to expand...

True. Unfortunately I booked last minute through a 3rd party carrier with no mention of the fee. I would think that the ticket counter agent would have mentioned the extra fee when I checked in. It would have been much more convenient (and 30% cheaper as I would later find out) had they asked for the money then. I guess that just makes too much sense.

I haven't been to the Spirit website since I stopped using them years ago and all my mileage points disappeared without warning. My big problem with Spirit (besides less leg room, carry-on charge and general lack of organization) is their on-time track record. As I would find out during this trip a Spirit Airline scheduled departure time means less than a red light at an intersection in Santo Domingo. It's merely a suggestion.

..and air travel in general just isn't what it used to be...

Spirit...the return (part #1)

So after a great long weekend and Veterans' Day, getting to see a few old friends and meet one or two new ones, enjoying the Jets game and excellent barbeque at the Boat House and getting a lot of R&R it was time to go back to the grind.

There was a long, slow line at the Spirit counter and the movement through the switchbacks was almost nonexistent. A look at the counter told the story. There was an argument going on at every kiosk and people rebalancing their check in luggage loads, some pulling out money etc and basically everyone who had approached the counter smiling walked away no longer smiling. I was standing next to a couple from Detroit who had driven down from Samana that morning and spent an hour just trying to check their rental in. We were standing in line talking about their adventure whan a Spirit "rep." came along and shut the line down with 40 minutes to go before the boarding process was to begin and over an hour before the departure time.

It seems that the ticket counter agents also double as flight processing agents after a break and one by one they were shutting their counter positions down until there was only one left with a couple dozen passengers waiting in line. This "rep" explained to us at 12:20 that they would put us on the 3:30 flight (we were scheduled out at 1:30) at no additional cost. I had that dread 5 hour layover and I figured I'd rather do half of it at SDQ than FLL but the couple who'd driven from Samana would be cutting it close. There was a group of four Haitians at the back of the line who were livid and their leader, a Woman of near 400 lbs. went into the employee only area to find someone to give hell. In the meanwhile the last of the counter clerks disappeared and most of the passengers behind us did as well. There were no Spirit employees anywhere near the check in counters for the next 40 minutes except the ones escorting the Haitian Woman (and eventually all four of them) back to the terminal floor.

When the first clerk did show up the Haitian group had claimed the front of the line ahead of the rest of us. They kept the first clerk and the next one who showed up too busy to even notice the rest of us and by the time they were done with them folks were starting to stroll in for the 3:30 flight check in. Finally the Haitian dilemma was solved and the Detroit couple and I went to the counter. Apparently the Spirit "rep.", the guy with the Spirit tag and the bad suit hadn't had a chance to confer with the counter ticket agents and they had no idea what he was talking about. This is the exact moment when the relaxed, post vacation smile came off our faces as these guys started playing "Let's Make A Deal". Behind door #1 was the 3:30 departure as promised but with a price tag of $360. "Monty, what's behind curtain #2?" The next choice was a 20 hour flight which included a night in lovely Ft. Lauderdale with a Noon arrival at DCA.

As I was calling for the guy's supervisor and making a request for intervention on the Blackberry our hero spots box #3 which just so happened to contain a complete trip "do-over", same flights, following day for a transfer fee of $8. Still not in a happy place I referred to my "carry on" fee and told him to take payment immediately when he quoted $35 for (get this) "a total of $42 US". Then I suddenly remembered where I was and it all made sense to me. I paid them and went to see how our Detroit friends were doing. I told them about the "box #3" option but the guy had a construction contract that absolutely required his presence on site the next day so he had to take the late flight with overnight layover at FLL in order to be on the first thing smoking to Detroit. They charged them $300 each for the change and when they ask "can we at least have the 'big front seat'" the ticketing agents almost laughed in their faces.

We said our goodbyes and I went out front to have a cigar and contemplate my imprisonment in Paradise when my travelling buddy with the late flight showed up with our driver who had dropped me off almost 4 hours earlier. When I explained what had happened he threw his bags back into the van and the three of us returned to the hotel. I rechecked in and we got a bottle of Brugal Anejo, limes, ice and a big Coke and after awhile the smile was firmly back in place.

So it ended...

The day after I was supposed to depart was a beautiful one. I got a great night's sleep and was ready for battle at the Spirit counter. I showed up at 11 for my 1:30 flight and as luck would have it, got the same counter agent who made our deal the day before. I received my boarding passes without incident, went outside for a last smoke and through the "security" checkpoint. Note that at the x-ray machine there were insufficient bins so the passengers used a "fire-line" approach to pass bins back to one another when through. I had a coffee at the B terminal cafe and met a couple guys there with equally interesting Spirit adventure stories. We watched with amazement as at the appointed loading time a line of passengers formed once again with no plane at the end of the jetway. Lemmings.

About 20 minutes after our scheduled departure time a plane arrived, passengers deplaned and we loaded. I was asleep before the end of the runway and awoke to the sound of landing gear deployment above FLL. Once off the plane, USCIS was a whole 'nother adventure, worthy of it's own tale. Almost an hour after getting off the plane I went outside for a smoke, knowing that I still had about 3 hours for the connecting flight. Long story short, as the departure time approached I watched the departures marquis change our time from 8:05 to 9:00 then 9:50 and finally 10:20. Thank goodness FLL has charging stations and free wifi at their waiting areas.

One trip, four flights each of which was late taking off by 20 minutes to almost 2 hours. The seats are small and cramped and the ticket agents are not very well organized nor apparently very well trained. I am checking all my investment options for Spirit stock which I will be dumping if I find any. I wouldn't fly on Spirit again for "free".