10 reasons to avoid flying SPIRIT: 1) online system often returns bogus results 2) online system detects clicks even though it gives you an error saying system is down - result: paying duplicate fees for baggage check-in 3) after disputing these duplicate charges w/my credit card company (the Spirit Mastercard) because no one will answer the phone at SPIRIT, I received a letter from the credit card company explaining that my $60 duplicate charge was not that at all, it was the annual charge for the $9 fare club of $29.95. go figure. 4) in trying to understand why my frequent flyer FREE SPIRIT account balance shows zero miles after having used the credit card for 9 months and flown on one trip to the Caribbean, the customer service rep at SPIRIT told me I needed to call the credit card company. After I explained that it shouldn't be the credit card company who keeps track of my miles; it should be the airline, I reluctantly called the credit card company. They indeed had my balance for all charges but of course had no record of the actual flight miles. Oh, the SPIRIT rep told me I needed to call the credit card company if I wanted to redeem miles too, by the way. 5) that same cust svc rep also told me they didn't have a customer service dept for their FREE SPIRIT account members. her ultimate solution to each problem I presented was to look at the topics on the help screen on spiritair.com 6) the quality of customer service from the phones to the ticket counters to the flight attendants is poor at best 7) the fares they advertise are most often not available 8) all Caribbean flights stop in Ft Lauderdale and the concourse serving SPIRIT is terrible, hot, has too few restrooms, and only one restaurant of poor quality 9) their phone system often just hangs up when you are on hold 10) employees aren't informed

I have flown with spirit air for a few years now. Up until now, I have had minimal problems with them. I booked my flight this afternoon only to discover a 10.00 web convience fee. Though this is annoying since they encourage their customers to book online using discount prices that's not all. Then I proceed to purchase checked luggage. On the webpage they state a price of 10.00 per bag. When you select the bag to check, the price is 15.00. Furthermore, after you purchase your non-refundable tickets and your incorrectly priced baggage, you move on to reserve your seats. Come to find out, there is now a price to reserve a seat ranging from 5.00 to a whopping 15.00. I personally find that to be completely absurd, especially because there is no place on the web page that states a charge to reserve seats. I do not believe that I will be flying with them again after this. Cheers to Spirit Airlines for losing a loyal customer.

I purchased a roundtrip ticket on spriritair.com from SAT to ISP on 10 Jun 08 for travel 23 Aug. By accident I found out that Spirit is discontinuing service to Long Islip. I called customer service and asked for a refund of 738.00 and since I was cancelling it was my fault. I stated I was not the one who changed destination. The agent stated my credit card would be credited with the amount along with the voucher for checked baggage that I purchased. Checking my itinerary, spirit airlines has me going to LaGuardia. My family does not live in the city and it was not my choice to fly there. My choice was Islip and that is what I paid for and now I am being penalized because they changed the destination. After reading all of the complaints, I am afraid that I may have donated over 700 dollars to cause not of my choosing.

I booked a roundtrip flight from San Antonio, TX, to Orlando, FL, at least two months prior to my July 4th trip to visit family. I also purchased pre-seating from San Antonio to Ft. Lauderdale, as well as from Ft. Lauderdale back to San Antonio (since these were two of the longer flights), paying $10 per seat. Two of the three ticket agents at the San Antonio Airport were very rude to and impatient with every person in line. The ticket agent I approached was in such a hurry to see everyone she failed to print out my boarding ticket from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando. When I found my seat 7D (the one I paid for, front aisle), it was dirty, along with my entire row. There were cookie crumbs everywhere. After waiting nearly 7 hours at Ft. Lauderdale just for my short 45 minute trip to Orlando, there was confusion as to whether or not gate H2 was an Air Jamaica or Spirit Air gate. The ticket agent from gate H1, with no sense of urgency, grazed his way over to H2 and rather disparagingly announced for Spirit passengers bound for Orlando to wait a little longer because our plane was an hour late. I approached the same ticket agent and asked if he could print me a boarding pass. Before I could explain myself why I needed one, the "gentle"man was quick (and loud) to ask how I got through security without one. After explaining the San Antonio experience, he motioned for me to follow him to gate H1, all at a snail's pace.

For my return home, the ticket booth inside OIA was outrageously long. I ended up using the skycap service, although I had no bags to check. This time, however, I got both boarding passes. This time, however, I noticed for my flight from Ft. Lauderdale to San Antonio, I was not sitting in the seat I paid for. I purchased seat 6D (front aisle) back in May. That's what my itinerary stated from the date I purchased my seats and tickets until the morning before I left for the airport. My boarding pass now showed I was sitting in 16B (middle-back, and in the center). Spirit Airlines' website makes not mention of re-arranged seating assignments if a flight is full (nor does the website have any contact information available). But it does state pre-purchased seats are non-refundable. I'd like my $10 refunded to me because 16B is not the seat I purchased. But more importantly--since more than likely I will not be getting $10 credited back to my account--is the fact that Spirit Air has a lot to work on in customer service and a better explanation of their policies. They need to be more transparent. I suppose I get the service I pay for... discounted quality at discounted rates. Never again will I fly Spirit Airlines, and I will do my best to ensure everyone I know stays clear, or risk being treated like something less than a human being.

On April 27th, after returning home for a Spirit Airlines flight from Ft. Myers, FL, I discovered (2) Designer Purses were missing from my suitcase. I immediately called Spirit Airlines to report it but after 4 hours of holding I finally gave up. I then emailed them and from Monday-Thursday I constantly called them but no-one answers the phone. I finally got a returned call on Friday and was told I needed to fill out a "Pilfered Item form" which they said they would fax immediatly. I got that on Wednesday after repeated calls. I sent the completed form with all the required information via registered mail. It was noted in the form that anything over $50 must have a receipt, which I tried to dispute. The Coach purse was $158 and the Vera Bradley was $44. After a couple of weeks, I got a letter saying my claim was denied due to "no receipts". Of course I tried calling but ended up faxing a letter telling them the Vera Bradley purse was under the $50 requirement without a receipt and I would would like that reimbursement. This week I received a letter saying I was awarded $29.48 as the purse had depreciated (it was a month old) and the ironic part was ...THERE WAS NO CHECK ENCLOSED. So off went yet another fax in which I told them they had perfected how not to pay passengers for pilfered items . The letters I've received were not signed and they have no phone or fax numbers on them. I wait to see what happens next. Dated 6/20/08