16. While commenter Bill, above, is right that airline travel is largely price-driven, that's only true to the extent that people expect to get acceptable service. (Even at the highly degraded level "acceptable" has come to mean -- cramped seats, no legroom, frequent delays, rude employees, etc.)

I believe that there is a line most passengers won't cross, even for a cheaper ticket, and airlines are willing to cross that line more and more frequently. I didn't fly United for three years after I had two entirely nightmarish trips in a row, followed by complaint letters to customer service that weren't even answered. (And this is despite the fact that United is one of only two major airlines that flies into the small airport near where my family lives.)

Of course, the difference between a merely uncomfortable flight and an awful one is just a matter of luck on many airlines these days, so different people have different companies on their "unacceptable" lists. But it sounds as if Spirit is gunning to become unacceptable to as many passengers as possible. I'm guessing there will come a point when enough people have either had terrible experiences with them or read about others' that their sales will drop, discount prices or not. And if the company has any sense, they'll realize that this "screw the customer" attitude from the CEO on down is responsible.

3:09PM on Aug 22nd 2007 by Ted

17. So they paid $74 for TWO round trip tickets including taxes, were offered $200 worth of vouchers and are still whining?

Moreover, they scheduled a flight that was to arrive within an hour of the concert they were to attend?

Sweep the leg Johnny.

7:54PM on Aug 22nd 2007 by Jason

18. How professional! Rest assured that I will never do business with this company- ever.

8:38PM on Aug 22nd 2007 by Nick

19. FYI....Ben's e-mail is already shutdown.

9:45PM on Aug 22nd 2007 by Nobody

20. While the CEO's comments should have stayed in-house, I agree that he doesn't owe these doofuses squat, especially after they were offered $200 dollars in vouchers for $74 dollars of airfare

And, as another posted mentioned, "they scheduled a flight that was to arrive within an hour of the concert they were to attend?"

Wow!! Such an excellent display of logistical skills

11:32PM on Aug 22nd 2007 by Chris

21. First, let me apologize to Christy for 'name calling'. That was out of line and I'm sorry.

I also do not want to seem like I am making excuses for Spirit. I really don't know any thing about them except that they offer tons of cheap seats and have tons of complaints.

Alex mentioned the importance of expectations being met as a determination of value. That is certainly true but I would suggest that expectations are too high. The public has been accustomed to a higher level of service than current prices will support. I would guess a ticket for an Orlando - Atlanta - Orlando trip is approximately the money for gas you would spend to drive. I suggest value for that ticket should be measured against the cost, time convenience and comfort of driving that same distance as opposed to flying. Normally I would expect air travel to command a premium but in todays market place it does not. Another way to look at value is from the perspective of what your money buys you. The pieces that must all come together to get a flight from A to B on time are complex and expensive but the primary distinction to potential passengers remains, unfortunately, price.

Every airline that has failed has done so because they could not charge what it cost them to operate. Many passengers have lost their favorite airline (service wise) due to this dynamic. There always seems to be enough passengers to jump on a cheap ticket thats what keeps an airline like Spirit, who apparently makes no pretense of customer service, still flying. They will only fail when they P-O people at something greater than the birth rate.

Airlines survive by getting costs in line with the revenue the market will bear. If service is not rewarded by the customer in the market place then it will go the way of the dodo bird - as just another useless expense.

In the mean time I salute your stance. Find an airline that provides a consistent and reliable service oriented product and reward them with you patronage, even if it's not the cheapest fare.

11:55PM on Aug 22nd 2007 by Bill Patrick

22. Bill,

Great comment!

I think its sufficient to say that all I'd care to see is Spirit Airlines have an actual working phone number -- something they tell you they have, but in reality do not. Cancellations, delays, etc -- I get all that. But when they tell you to call an 800# that is programmed to hang up automatically, that's wrong regardless of price.

Best,

Alex

11:56PM on Aug 22nd 2007 by Alex Rudloff

23. I considered flying Spirit at one time but after reading the comments, I'm not sure. I always take weather into consideration when booking a flight. I flew to Philadelphia in January and on my way back to Kansas City got delayed for two days in Nashville due to weather in KC. My belief is when you are handed lemons - make some lemonade. We had a wonderful time in Nashville and our trip ended up costing probably close to an extra $500 due to meals and hotels. However, we made the most of it and truly enjoyed our time. These are things that you have to plan for. Kudo's to Southwest Airlines for making the decision to discontinue flying into KC during unsafe weather (ice storm) conditions. Other carriers were still flying but I didn't allow this to get to me. I always figure that a flight to another city is an adventure and schedule my flight plans well ahead of any specific scheduled events. I didn't plan on staying in Nashville for two days but I will never forget the unforgettable time my husband and I spent in that wonderful city. The CEO's response was unprofessional and unacceptable. That is what prevents me from booking travel on their airline. I don't book the cheapest ticket, rather I book with an airline that I trust and know has a great safety record - Southwest Airlines. I'm sorry that the travelers had an unpleasant experience but they shouldn't have booked their flight so close to the time of the concert. Take it from someone who was delayed by two days. Happy flying!

3:55AM on Aug 23rd 2007 by Carla

24. Marie,

You're absolutely right, consumers do a choice in who they fly. I can't speak for everyone, but I think it's safe to say most folks have no idea the details of Spirit's cost cutting initiatives. Before I posted my original rant, I searched around the web and found nothing detailing any of the airlines practices. I certainly had no idea when I booked my flight, that's for sure.

Spirit will suit some peoples needs just fine, others (and apparently many others judging by the traffic of these posts), will seek out flights on discount airlines such at Airtran, Southwest and Jetblue instead. In my own case, the price I paid for Spirit Airlines was similar to those offered by Spirit's competitors. Given the choice again, I know what I'd choose.

Best,

Alex

9:44AM on Aug 23rd 2007 by Alex Rudloff

25. @Marie

Thank you for bringing some validity to attitude that Spirit Employees have towards customers. Why do we have continue to take precautions in order to avoid bad customer service? I hate checking luggage. Even I have bowed to the airline industry and take every step to only have carry-on so I don't deal with any customer service, because I know I will have to deal with an apathetic employee if my luggage gets lost.

Now let me "get real" in saying that these people you are telling to fly other airlines pay your salary. Don't worry, I'm sure a they will be choosing other airlines soon.

10:22AM on Aug 23rd 2007 by Chris

26. This is what you should expect from a cheap-seat airline. If the airline charge chicken feed for tickets what quality of employee do you expect they can afford to hire ? They are paid chicken feed of course. The employee will have no respect for their job or the customer that they should be appreciating. A Public Contact position is NOT easy! You want service,use a full service airline. You only get what you pay for.

10:41AM on Aug 23rd 2007 by ron

27. I can't believe the audacity of this couple. You were going to stay in the hotel anyway, right? And you stayed in it. And now because some other part of the trip went wrong, you want that stay to be free. You want someone else to pay for it because you're mad. Listen, if you were justifiably mad at this company, then you already got what you really wanted: bad publicity for the company. Unfortunately, the way you demanded the company pay for everything under the sun—in cash only, no less—indicates to me that you're actually mad at yourself for your terrible logistical planning.

I agree with Ron. You pay for what you get. There's a reason those other airlines are more expensive: They provide better service and hire competent employees.

11:18AM on Aug 23rd 2007 by Erika

28. You think Spirit treats their customers poorly? You would not believe how they treat their employees. As a former employee, who thankfully got off that sinking ship, the fish is rotting from the heads (of each department). There is absolutely zero concern for the welfare of employees. Public embarassment, threats of firing those who speak up or question anything and broken promises are a daily think at "NK."

11:49AM on Aug 23rd 2007 by Scott

29. This is why you should fly on Midwest Airlines. We consistently are the #1 rated CUSTOMER SERVICE airline. You'll love the Signature Service seats we have on our 717's and the "bend over backwards" attitude the employees display!

12:52PM on Aug 23rd 2007 by Rich Dyrda

30. I hate spirit. Now you have to pay for luggage. Sneaky reservation process with two opt out features, that are easily missed and can add money to your fare price.

never fly spirit. I don't care how cheap they are.

12:59PM on Aug 23rd 2007 by J. M. Jacob