Dying veteran protests Spirit Airlines' no-refund policy

[Dave]

Apparently Spirit Airlines doesn't have the slightest idea what customer service is.... or common sense for that matter. Instead of giving this guy back the few hundred dollars or whatever the ticket cost, now they stand to lose thousands of dollars as people, veterans in particular, will tend to shy away from Spirit if they can make an exception here and there for special cases.

By Joy Jernigan

Jerry Meekins, who is battling cancer, has a new foe: Spirit Airlines. 

Meekins recently purchased an airline ticket from Spirit Airlines to visit his daughter in New Jersey. "Two weeks after I bought the ticket, I found out I was terminal," Meekins, a Vietnam veteran, told NBC affiliate WFLA-TV in Tampa, Fla.

Read the original report from WFLA-TV

Meekins says his doctors advised him not to fly. But when he asked Spirit Airlines for a refund, they refused.  

When contacted by WFLA-TV, Spirit Airlines issued this statement: "Our reservations are non-refundable, which means we don't do refunds and we are not going to issue Mr. Meekins a refund."

The airline also said that it offers low-cost travel insurance that covers a variety of unexpected circumstances and added, "It wouldn't be fair to bend the policy for one and not for all."

So Meekins stood outside Tampa International Airport on Tuesday with signs that say "Corporate greed is spelled Spirit Airlines" and "Spirit Airlines tells dying man no refund."

"My primary goal," Meekins said, "is to have them change their policy of a blanket coverage of no refund."

[Dave]

As soon as I posted the above, I came across this tidbit... talk about dumb! I don't know if Spirit is going to be around much longer if they keep doing stupid stuff.

Spirit Airlines raising carry-on bag fee to $100

NEW YORK — Putting a bag in the overhead bin will soon cost some Spirit Airlines passengers $100, more than they paid for their tickets.

The Miramar, Fla., airline which has numerous flights out of Detroit Metro Airport currently charges $45 for a carry-on bag. As of Nov. 6, customers who pay the fee at the boarding gate will fork over $100. Any bag that needs to fit in the overhead bin is considered a carry-on. A bag that fits under the seat is free.

The fee stays at $45 if passengers pay at an airport counter or kiosk.

Spirit will increase a handful of other fees between $2 and $10.

In the first quarter, Spirit’s average revenue from fees per passenger on a round-trip flight topped $100 for the first time.

http://www.freep.com/article/20120502/FEATURES07/120502057

[Lisa O'Brien]

I personally don't like to fly spirit because of all the fee's - you buy your tickets that seem reasonably priced, then you have to purchase your seat (costs vary) and then you have to pay for your luggage. By the time you have finished with all the add ons - it costs the same as Delta.  But I do know from flying with them that it is posted and the ticket agent does tell you about the charge for carry on's - but jack ass's being jack ass's always still try and sneak a carry on bag for free, they then tell the gate agent they weren't aware or some other bullsh!t. I think they should be charged extra for trying to pull a fast one - I have no sympathy for thieves or liars.

[AQUAMAN]

Had friends recently boarding from Mi. to Fla., roundtrip was fairly priced too pp. But according to them, the aircraft seats were more sized for kids, not adults, lucky they were trim and fit....lol. Plus they got absolutely nothing to drink nor eat on a roughly 3 hour fly one-way, not even peanuts/water, w/o extra chrgs., and yes, if the carry-on bag wouldn't fit under the seat, forty five dollars more each. Go Chevy Camel, don't fly, is what I do.

[Dave]

Just heard that the CEO had a change of heart and is personally refunding the money back to the gentleman that had initially been refused a refund. The CEO better hope that he hasn't soured the brand to much with the bit of stupidity.

[Lisa O'Brien]

 I might be cold hearted but I wouldn't have given him a refund, he did have the option of purchasing the insurance. And since he was terminal wouldn't he want to visit his daughter?

[XLFD]

That's the Spirit!  But now Spirit has opened up a can of worms, as Lisa points out, for all those other hardship cases that cancel.  Yet a 'no refund' policy is kinda stupid; if you don't get the service you shouldn't have to pay for it.  For airline tickets, the seat does have to be reserved, and so the refund should not be for the full amount unless it is canceled well in advance of the flight.