YOU GET WHAT YOUR PAY FOR… SPIRIT AIRLINES

So listen…  I threw a ton of shade at Spirit Airlines in the past.   This was solely based on an experience I had with them in 2013 when I flew from Las Vegas to Baltimore… EPIC FAIL.

I’m a pretty forgiving person so in October of last year when I needed a cheap flight for a last minute trip to Atlanta I decided I would give Spirit Airlines another try.   See the thing about Spirit Airlines is that they promise ultra low cost plane tickets.  The issue is that while your plane ticket is low cost, you also have to pay for your seat, carry-on bags and checked baggage.   If you don’t pay for your seat or bags at the time of booking, the price sky rockets astronomically.   For example, if you pay for your bags at the time of booking, your carry-on bag is $35. If you pay at the time of online check in, the same carry-on bag is  $45, and if you wait until you arrive at the airport, the price is $50 or $100 if you’re at the gate.   And that’s just for carry-on bags… imagine what the cost is for checked luggage!  Oh and I forgot to mention that you also have to pay for printing boarding passes.  Nobody has time or money for that!!!!

I was fully prepared for the shenanigans of the airline when I booked with them, so I stuffed my favorite tote bag with enough snacks and clothes for three days and made sure it was small enough to fit under my seat (Intrigued? I’ll do a minimalist packing post soon).  Spirit was definitely not going to get any extra coins from me for carry on bags.   My trip to Atlanta and back was a success… Spirit had won a new customer.

I tried Spirit again this past April when I flew round-trip from Baltimore to Mexico… another successful trip.   But… a few weeks ago I used Spirit Air for another trip and that’s when they turned on me… THEY DID ME WRONG YALL!

Springtime in the DC area means a ton of thunderstorms are on the horizon… a few weeks ago the weather was so terrible that my flight with Spirit Airlines was canceled coming out of Baltimore.  I called Spirit to get a refund for my trip and they gladly obliged.   However, they only refunded me for my trip to Atlanta and not my return flight.  When I asked why… the agent responded “Oh the weather will be clear in Atlanta the day you return so we can’t refund you your money because there won’t be a travel advisory for the weather….” WHAT!!!  These petty clowns done played me!  I explained in my most professional angry off voice “Ma’am, I can’t get to Atlanta to catch the return flight so I need a refund.”  She says… “I’m sorry ma’am, but you can call back on Thursday and see if there is a travel advisory for Atlanta, if there is we can refund you your money.   Would you like to do that? Or for your convenience I can cancel your flight without giving you a refund, the cost to cancel the flight will be $100… which works better for you?”  I seriously thought I was being pranked… I was tired… I had been in the airport since 3pm and it was now close to midnight… I had no fight in me… I just said “No thank you” and tried to figure out how I would get back to my car without drowning in the torrential rain.

See… you try to give people (or airlines) second chances… and they act right for a little while… but then show you their true color when they think you aren’t watching!  Spirit got me this time… but believe me they will never get me again!  No matter how cheap the flight may be!

Traveler… BEWARE!