[fred2u]

I recently book a flight out of Latrobe, PA to Fort Lauderdale, FL. The only reason I booked this flight out of Latrobe, PA is as a result of its proximity to our primary residence and as such thought it would be a time saver. I want to be clear, my primary goal was not to save money, it would have been a welcomed benefit but not the goal. The goal was to save time and try Spirit for the first time rather than travel to Pittsburgh International. I thought I would save myself some time. I was wrong. Everything that could have gone wrong did.

I was three minutes late getting to Latrobe airport and as such my luggage was not permitted on the plane because the customer care person realized he had power and a horrible attitude. I can accept that, as it was my fault and yes, I know I chose to deal with a low cost carrier. I made the time needed to return from Naples, Fl to Fort Lauderdale to pick up the bag. My fault, I own it.

My flight on Jul 25, 2012 was not only delayed which I had no issue with as I was checked in two hour in advance. As well, waited the additional two hours for the delayed flight only to learn that no announcement was ever made indicating that the flight was departing. In fact, the customer service personal I approached and spoke with at the gate stated, yes there was mass confusion and that with 500 people congregating for the delay to San Juan and the other departing flights that it was no surprise to her that 6 others missed the flight.

I was not booking this flight seeking a deal. I was seeking the fastest departure and return closest to my primary residence. The end result, I was referred to the customer service manager and listened to him belittle a woman (Ms. Lewis) that also did not make this flight and not because she was not at the gate waiting but rather because no announcement was made. The highlight, I picked up my luggage in Latrobe, PA which ironically made the flight even though I was accused of being a no show even after speaking to the customer service manager in Fort Lauderdale, FL who could not provide a solution. We were offered a return flight on Friday, as our only option.

Sadly, I did not have the luxury of staying an additional two days so I booked my father and I on Airtran, a direct flight and yes paid 531.00 to get back to Pittsburgh, PA last evening. It should also be noted that your customer service person in Latrobe, PA shared with me that they were attempting to understand what went wrong yesterday as 15 pieces of luggage arrived unclaimed, including mine along with 6 passengers that did not make the flight. Might I suggest, a novel idea, how about making a boarding call and a final boarding call like the other carriers?

Today, I called the Spirit Customer Service Center in India and frankly it is a crime that those individuals are not empowered to provide quality customer service. I was not asking for a refund or compensation, I was simply asking if I could have a replacement ticket for the unused portion of my flights. Of course, that could not be accommodated because I was listed as a no show even though I waschecked in and spoke to the manager and yes, luggage arrived yet still being accused of a no show, go figure! There is a first and a last time and how sad is it that this was my first experience with Spirit Airlines.

*******************Response from Spirit*******************
Erika 62675, Jul 27 02:07 pm (EDT):
Dear XXX XXXXXX
Thank you for your continued correspondence and for another opportunity to clarify our policy.
I'm sorry if you were dissatisfied with our agent's level of assistance at our Reservation Center. Our professional and courteous agents are not only capable but also dedicated to assisting our customers secure and manage their travel plans. They are highly versed in company policy and provide excellent service to our valued customers.
As illustrated on our web site, "If you are not at the boarding gate more than 15 minutes prior to departure (30 minutes for international flights), you may lose your reservation and become ineligible for denied boarding compensation."
Our agents make every effort to ensure customers make their flights; however, it is solely the customer's responsibility to arrive at the gate on time. Multiple announcements were made alerting customers during the boarding process. Once the boarding process ends and the flight is closed, our airport agents begin the process of preparing for departure.
There is activity taking place behind the scenes that customers may not be aware of: customers are counted, bags are stowed and the aircraft is prepared for flight. There is an allotted time to complete this activity to ensure an on-time departure. Therefore, once the aircraft door is closed, it cannot be opened for a late-arriving customer. This is not exclusive to Spirit Airlines; it's an airline industry standard.
Mr. XXX, as a courtesy, you were offered the next available flight waiving the applicable service fee and any fare difference. I regret that this was not a suitable option.
Please be advised, as per our policies, if the customer does not show up for the flight, or does not board the aircraft for any reason, the flight forfeited. The flights cannot be reinstated when the airfare is non-refundable. Regretfully, we are unable to provide compensation for the missed flight.
While I certainly understand your frustration and we wouldn't want to lose your business, our policies are quite clear and holding to them is one of the reasons that we can keep our fares as low as possible. I hope that you will respect this decision.
If I may assist you with another issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Erika 62675
Corporate Customer Relations
Spirit Airlines

****************My Response*********************

To customersupport@spirit.com, tony.lefebvre@spiritair.com, barry.biffle@spiritair.com, brian.davis@spiritair.com, denise.masella@spiritair.com, heather.harvey@spiritair.com

From:Sent:Fri 7/27/12 7:22 PMTo: customersupport@spirit.com; tony.lefebvre@spiritair.com; martin.harrison@spiritair.com; barry.biffle@spiritair.com; brian.davis@spiritair.com; denise.masella@spiritair.com; heather.harvey@spiritair.com

Erika 62675-
I also filed a formal complaint with the FAA today upon receiving this unacceptable response. It is unfortunate that I as well as six others did not make the flight due to the lack of coordination and announcement for boarding due to the insanity of the masses of customers saturating the gate, as admitted by your own customer service personnel. It is unfortunate that Spirit Airlines lacks coordination as evidenced by the amazing crowd that flooded the waiting area. Even your own employees located in Fort Lauderdale and Latrobe admitted that there were significant issues since 15 bags arrived in Latrobe without customers to claim them. How would I know that, if not for the admission of your own customer service.

I ask, if my luggage made it and I was seated at the gate how is that 6 of us did not make the flight. Your logic is flawed and I can tell you that policies are in place to protect the company but there are exceptions to policy and this is certainly one of them. Your decision reflects poorly upon Spirit. I do not accept what you have provided as a final decision. It is unacceptable!! I could careless about keeping your costs down as I once again did not book to save money. I booked as a convenience which was a nightmare. I feel scammed and it is clear I was! I also provided you my contact number xxx-xxx-xxxx. I guess Spirit also saves costs by not returning calls? Can not a member of the executive team chime in or do they as well hide behind policy and their front line employees???
Regards,
XXX

[azstar]

Whether you booked Spirit to save money or for convenience is irrelevent. They brag about themselves being an "ultra low cost carrier". Unfortunately, this translates to underpaid, untrained, surly, incompetent, indifferent employees, and zero customer service. Spirit is proud to broadcast to the world their lack of customer service. The President has publicly stated numerous times about dissatisfied customers "Let them go somewhere else. They'll be back if we can save them a penny".