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Spirit Airlines cancelling hundreds of flights

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by dmr, Aug 2, 2021.

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  1. hockeystl

    hockeystl Low-Roller

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    Today, Thursday, Spirit has already cancelled 47% of flights and it's not even 5AM in Vegas.

    At this point this isn't a jet fuel issue. This isn't a weather issue. This is a full operational meltdown. Don't be surprised if they do a complete shutdown for a day or two to reset their entire operation.
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2021
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  2. vegasvstr

    vegasvstr VIP Whale

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    Are they going to have any customers left after this?
     
  3. ronc

    ronc VIP Whale

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    I can report that a Spirit flight just left Montego Bay.

    Back to day drinking now…
     
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  4. Packeral

    Packeral High-Roller

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    It’s nice to have the option. Some of us don’t
     
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  5. hockeystl

    hockeystl Low-Roller

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    Spirit's cancellations continue into today, Friday August 6.

    Are you impatcted by this mess? Here's some insight into Spirit's corporate culture regarding customer service by one of their CEO's:

    “We know that frustrations about Spirit exist,” he says. “To some extent, it’s about a mismatch of expectations. For years, in this industry, if you whined, we gave you something. You yell, we waive a fee. That’s created a general expectation that airlines will break their own policies and we don’t.”

    His reply to an e-mail message from a customer demanding a refund for a flight after a delay caused him to miss a concert in Atlanta as well as money for the hotel and show. “We owe him nothing as far as I’m concerned. Let him tell the world how bad we are. He’s never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny.”

    -----------------------

    Sad, but true. Some customers will accept the pitiful service then come crawling back when the next $49 fare is advertised which only reinforces Spirit's failure to offer a reasonable level of guest service.
     
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  6. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    They just said on the news, rinse-repeat, lotsa flights cancelled today. "Predict several days to restore normal service."

    They also said some AA and SW flights are cancelled today.
     
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  7. vegasvstr

    vegasvstr VIP Whale

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    Sounds like they may need some new management.
    Though no airline is going to reimburse for some event you missed.

    "In hindsight, Spirit should have canceled more flights earlier to give it time to recalibrate, Christie said. Instead the airline tried to maintain flights to cater to large numbers of customers, many of them flying for the first time since the pandemic began."
    https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/06/spirit-airlines-ceo-on-what-caused-the-carriers-meltdown.html
     
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  8. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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  9. comfortablynumb

    comfortablynumb Dogs have owners, cats have staff

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    I've booked a flight on Southwest for September 4 to Las Vegas in the early afternoon and canceled my Spirit flight for the same day for an evening flight. I don't want to take the chance of getting stuck while they might be having operational issues. I wonder how many others have done the same; I've lost my faith in that airline
     
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  10. srudude87

    srudude87 Low-Roller

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    Seems to be a little better Friday. Pittsburgh to LAS left 2 hours late. That's progress after always canceling. Return finally happened, and on time too. Now saying middle of next week should be back to their normal terrible performance.
     
  11. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Friday Updated: 44% - 351 flights
    Saturday as of 9:45am : forecasting 22% - 164 flights.



     
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  12. BenjaminNicholas

    BenjaminNicholas MIA

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    You don't need to fly first class, but damned if you need to every fly Spirit.

    You get what you pay for kids.
     
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  13. bubbakitty

    bubbakitty Doing retirement again and happily so....

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    Hey. You throw small change out into the center of the table at craps and hope for a solid return.
    sometimes you fail. :rolleyes:
     
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  14. WHITEJACKET73

    WHITEJACKET73 VIP Whale

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    Flying Spirit to Vegas out of MSP on Sunday evening. Thursday's evening flight was canceled, Friday's left on time and today's flight has not been canceled yet. Will be checking the flight status several times tomorrow before I make the 90 minute drive to the airport. I already have plans B and C ready if I need to make a last minute flight change. One way or another I'm going to get there. In 30 years I have never canceled or delayed a Vegas trip once I've booked it, and I'm not about to start now.
     
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  15. slurpees

    slurpees Tourist

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    I experienced similar disruption with Southwest on a trip home from Vegas in late June. They cancelled my connecting flight in Chicago as I was boarding my first leg in Vegas - literally as I was in line to scan my boarding pass. Customer service was nowhere to be found. They did not automatically rebook me. I had to wait until I landed in Chicago to rebook with everyone else on the many flights that were cancelled - and originally was told I'd be stranded in Chicago for 3 nights and they refused to give me my bag. Airport and phone customer service were non-existent and unhelpful.

    Rebooked on a flight home the following morning I happened to find with Jetblue. Got my bag that day, not going back to SWA.

    The worst part was SWA claimed the cancellation was due to "weather" - which all airlines can do as a way to avoid legally having to pay for someone's hotel/food while stranded. In reality, it was not raining in Chicago, flights were actively going in and out for the remainder of the night from all airlines, including the few SWA flights that weren't cancelled. There was absolutely no indication that "weather" caused this and instead a network problem likely caused by staffing shortages. But SWA claimed it was weather to deflect responsibility.

    After much haggling with customer service after I got home, they eventually refunded my fare.

    The quality of a service-industry company is shown when something goes wrong - how do they handle it? Do they accept responsibility? Do they assist the customer as best they can - even if they can't fully make it right at that moment?

    SWA massively failed in all areas here. It's understandable things happen, but to offer no reasonable assistance (automatic rebooking, give me my bag, offer *any* help whatsoever in booking a hotel/car/new flight) and then tell an unconvincing story of why this all happened? They'll need to convince me they've changed at how they deal with adversity before I return.
     
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  16. Jejas

    Jejas VIP Whale

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    I was bitten once by a budget airline. never ever ever fly those again, even for free.
     
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  17. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Not defending SWA - but it really could have been weather.

    If your plane from Chicago was coming from Tampa and then Dallas before landing in Chicago - weather in either of those two cities could cause a problem. Part of my normal flying is to track where my plane is coming from via Flightaware.com

    Still - it may have been just operational/staffing issues and SWA screwed up. Hard to say for sure.
     
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  18. runningonthehub

    runningonthehub VIP Whale

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    I wonder how many people fly with little or no money and no credit cards? Seems like the people who would be flying Spirit. You get stranded because you have no backup plan.
     
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  19. comfortablynumb

    comfortablynumb Dogs have owners, cats have staff

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    This is a complicated question. We were sitting among many people who were being canceled or delayed on Spirit flights Monday, and they were confused, felt helpless, didn't know what to do. I don't think it's an issue with them not having credit cards or extra money, it's that they did not know what they were supposed to do.
     
  20. VegasBJ

    VegasBJ VIP Whale

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    very silly and poor planning if traveling without any cash and at least one debit/credit card. that's what credit cards are great for - emergencies!
     
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