www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I honestly don't "get" companies like the one you describe who want to charge for what common sense would dictate a necessity, such as a seat on an airplane, to watch a television in a hotel, and many more examples.

I think they justify their nonsense with "We give our customers a choice, to only pay for what they really need/want....." Oh, you mean like a seat on a plane (I've been flying since 1965, and I've never seen a "standing section" on any plane I've ever flown ) or the ability to carry on or check a bag, or to watch TV in a hotel.

I just think the idea is ridiculous, but yesterday I read Spirit is reporting record profits - so its paying off on the bottom line.

(All of this BS is nothing more than reactions to what the public wanted, cheap airfares, which happened after deregulation - I personally might have sought a more middle ground).

Ummm.. No they don't. If you bought 2 seperate tickets they will... but connecting flights is only once each way. I have flown with Spirit from LGA half dozen times with only one problem once.. 2 hour delay.. but since I had a 10 hour layover it was no problem (don't ask.. 220 flight to MDE.. had to take it)

May I suggest you try a connecting flight and see how it works for you. Also, you would realize you posted erroneous information about paying baggage fees for each segment. I have flown Spirit many times between Orlando and Medellin, with a change of planes in Ft. Lauderdale. Only one time was there a problem - we were delayed leaving Medellin because a plane that landed while we were boarding had a steering problem in the nose wheel and had to be towed off the runway, causing me to miss the connection in Ft. Lauderdale. That delay was not Spirit's fault. I will say the space between the rows of seats is short, which makes it almost impossible to stretch your legs. Since I know their policies, I've accepted them and saved money. Also, the flight times between Orlando and Medellin are ideal for me - leave Orlando 8:30am , arrive Medellin 1 or 2pm, leave Medellin 2 or 3pm, arrive Orlando 9pm.

I fly from LGA to FLL to MDE.. Only one baggage fee each way. Granted the last couple of times I didn't pay any baggage and did the free personal (for short weekend trip).

Although I think they are douchebags, they also helped me a lot in my mongering career and have saved me a ton of money in flights. Besides the usual delays and stuff they only really screwed me once. To share my story...

So I was scheduled to fly back from SDQ to FLL on Spirit Airlines. The flight was supposed to fly out around 8pm on a sunday. I get to the airport around 6:30pm go through the gate and did a little shopping at the Duty free shop flirting with the girls that work there. After my purchases, I get to the gate and learn that the flight has now been delayed to 11pm. Oh well, got my tablet and was watching some tv shows. I got a seat right by the gate in the front when I notice some people making a scene, and eaves drop on the conversation.

Spirit basically flys from FLL to SDQ, drops people off and picks up people at SDQ and brings them back to FLL. Somebody went on the website and learned that the flight from FLL to SDQ has been canceled.

So there is a girl at the counter by the gate, and people are basically surrounding the counter and I am right in the middle. They are asking all these questions in english and spanish to the girl who basically had no idea, just saying the flight has been delayed. She claimed a manager will be over to explain everything.

I soon realized that this poor girl, getting yelled at and asked a bunch of questions, really had no clue about anything and it really wasn't her fault. She had no power to do anything, I look around and realized that all the people behind me waiting at the gate, have moved to the front of the airport where we have checked in.

By the time I got to the front I was like the 20th or so from the last person from the very very back

So I am on line, and already the rumors and angry customers is swirling. People are calling home booking tickets on Jet Blue, calling family etc.

People are asking people who just finished at the counter what the deal was. People walked away saying that all they did was offer a partial refund on the ticket and they were going back to SDQ for example and that they would have to pay for another flight back.

Some customers said that if they wanted to fly on Jetblue, they would have to pay out of pocket. Some customers left without nothing.

Now SPirit only has one flight daily that flys too SDQ and back to FLL so assuming those flights aren't full, I am guessing they are filling those seats on a case by case basis. Sucks to be on the way back of the line.

Rumors are swirling again that they are putting people on the Tuesday flight, which changed to Wedenday which changed to Thursday.

WTF

A nice man with an Ipad with a Claro plan was browsing on the Jetblue site and the tickets are going quick, and the prices seem to be going up by the minute. A one way ticket from SDQ to FLL the next day was going for I think $400, which later was sold out, and Tuesday was becoming scarce as well. I wasn't sure if I should do it without getting compensated for the ticket.

Keep in mind that I used miles for this ticket, and only paid sales tax and luggage, so the refund would of been nothing.

I am getting close to the counter and have been overhearing that the next available flight was on Thursday, 4 days later

The I remembered, what about STI? If I could some how get to STI I thought there was flights 3 days a week at like 3am, perhaps instead of missing 4 days of work, I could only miss 1 or 2.

I get to the counter and the guy said the flight has been canceled. No shit, they were going to refund the ticket for the trouble.

I ask how am I supposed to get home? He said I could buy a ticket on the other airlines

I asked if Spirit was going to pay for that flight and they said no. The only way Spirit was going to pay for it, was if it was a Spirit flight and the next available flight was on Thursday.

I told him that i had no money left and the atm card I bought with me has no more cash and the credit card I had did not have a lot of room on it, and I had no where to stay. All lies btw

I asked if it was possible to get me a free ticket at STI, and they said that would not be a problem and they had a flight available at Wed at 3am, so I only had to miss 2 days of work.

He then told me that I had to speak to the manager in the back behind the counter about getting a hotel room.

I get to the back room and there is a line of like 30-40 people WTF, another line of angry gringos.

More rumors are swirling and conversations with people who have just been helped and we learned that they are sending people by cab to the Quality INN by the SDQ airport by cab a few people at a time.

People were giving other people on line that pretty much everything is negotiable and they are trying to make people pay for the hotel or cabs and you pretty much have to ask for everything which is available apparently by vouchers.

I finally get to the manager, who I guess at this point is exhausted and broken down and is basically just signing vouchers. I asked to change my flight to the STI Wed 3am flight which they did, and I asked them for a rental car, which they said no, they will pay for a cab up to STI, which was sweet

They gave me a voucher for the quality INN for 2 nights with $7 for food, which wasn't a lot but better then nada.

I have heard rumors about getting free flights for the trouble but wasn't able to get anything. I kept insisting that I had to cancel another flight from FLL to Vancouver, which was a complete lie, but I needed to pick a location that they did not fly too, and was hoping to get a free round trip somewhere.

My friend on the last MDE trip got one, and figured it was on the table some how, and got no where. I eventually called Spirit and some Indian lady gave me a $50 voucher with an expiration date to use in the future. Could not get anything else.

So to recap

My flight is Sunday which was canceled
The switched the flight for free from SDQ to STI, same big front seat and luggage situation so I thought. I later found out the douche bag didn't transfer the carry on luggage and I ended up buying it online and not taking a chance on the more expensive rate at check in. In addition, I bought a carton of cigs, cologne and a bottle of scotch at the duty free, and needed to change it to Checked in Luggage which I had to pay $30 for. but the big front seat did transfer over.
They paid for 2 nights at the quality inn and $7 for food, which I barely used except for the breakfast buffet since I went back to Boca Chica.
They paid for a cab ride up to STI
I later called and got a $50 voucher for my troubles.

Not gonna hapen, John

Here's why: anytime you have multiple take off's and landings, as well as a change of planes to reach your destination, common sense dictates you stand the risk of problems vs a direct, non stop flight - no way to argue that.

And I realize shit happens, often beyond the pervue/control of the airline - but if you accept more can go wrong if you have connecting flights, Spirit will do less to help you than any other airline - they have made customer service an oxymoron - and so you don't think I'm a "Spirit Hater" as are so many on this board, read any of my posts about the airline; I think I've flown them enough to form an objective, informed opinion about them. And will continue to do so, but on direct, non stops

As to the other point, I based my comments on what a friend told me about what he was charged - 2 possibilities; he "remembered" incorrectly, or the policy was as he described and they changed their policy (this was a few years ago, when they instituted the baggage policy)- Since I hate when others do it, I'll appologise if the info I posted was incorrect, and give myself 20 lashes w/ the whip made from the cotton pony