Consumerist: Spirit Air

Spirit Airlines Executive Contact Information

Ben Popken — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:02:40 EDT

Got an unresolved complaint with Spirit Airlines and regular customer service not working out for you? Then you might want to make use of the Spirit executive contact information we've got posted inside (especially the info for the CEO's assistant). Reading these posts about how to write a good complaint letter, how to send an eecb, and how to deal with executive customer service may also come in handy. With this info, you'll go from frowny consumer to jet set in no time.

Martin Harrison
Chief operating officer
2800 Executive Way
Miramar, FL 33025
(954) 447-7965
martin.harrison@spiritair.com

Tony Lefebvre
Senior vice president, customer service
2800 Executive Way
Miramar, FL 33025
(954) 447-7965
tony.lefebvre@spiritair.com

Jeff Carlson, vice president of flight operations
(954) 447-7941
jeff.carlson@spiritair.com

Greg Kappen, senior director of flight operations
(954) 628-4856
greg.kappen@spiritair.com

Patsy Carlin, senior director, inflight & talent acquisition
(954) 447-7922
Patsy.Carlin@spiritair.com

Heather Harvey, customer service manager
Heather.Harvey@Spiritair.com

Heather's direct line is (954) 447-7957. If you get through to the phone tree, the transfer extension is 4957.

David W. Lancelot SVP and CFO
david.lancelot@spiritair.com

Barry L. Biffle SVP and Chief Marketing Officer
barry.biffle@spiritair.com

Denise Masella, executive assistant to CEO Ben Baldanza
Denise.Masella@Spiritair.com

(Props to Elliot.org where most of this info came from)

Spirit Airlines Increases Fees For First Checked Bag

Alex Chasick — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:08:18 EDT

Spirit Air will raise its fees for checking one bag, according to an email from the airline. On June 20th, Spirit will increase the fee for checking one bag from $10 to $15 if the checked bag is declared online, and from $20 to $25 if it is declared at check in. And Spirit's belief that any publicity is good publicity continues.

Spirit Air Burns Woman's Luggage

Chris Walters — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:32:02 EDT

Sean writes, "Lost luggage? That's so 1990's... Spirit Air's all about burning bags instead."

According to the TampaBays10 news,

On a recent trip to Atlantic City aboard Spirit Airlines, [Barbara Blewitt] couldn't believe what she saw when she arrived at baggage claim.

"I looked and there on the floor was my luggage," says Blewitt who discovered her bag had been mysteriously burned.

"I said what does that mean, what happened here? My clothes are burned!"

Spirit Airlines gave Blewitt a "Baggage Irregularity Receipt" last month at the airport. She says she hasn't heard from anyone at the airline since.

You know what this means: a new "No Luggage Burning" fee when you purchase your ticket. Otherwise they're going to apparently use it as a cheap replacement for fuel.

"Passenger says airline BURNED her baggage" [TampaBays10]
(Photo: tampabays10.com)

Even If You Have Colon Cancer, Spirit Air Doesn't Give Refunds

Ben Popken — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:32:54 EST

David writes:

I had purchased a ticket on Spirit Airlines for a friend of mine in Brooklyn, New York to come and visit me in Orlando. I had purchased the ticket about three months prior to the departure date so I could get the lowest fare. To make a long story short, my friend had been diagnosed with colon cancer and had to start treatment immediately....

This meant that he would not be able to make the trip down to Orlando and when I explained this situation to Spirit Airlines they couldn't care less. I even offered to give them medical documentation on my friends condition and they said, "sorry but Spirit policy is no refunds".

This airline is a complete joke and as heartless a company as you will ever find. Just thought I'd share my hellish experience with you guys to go along with the thousands of other complaints against this joke of an airline.

-David M.

We wonder what CEO Ben Baldanza would say if he received this complaint letter? Probably something like, "Please respond, Pasquale, but 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."

Maybe your credit card company will let you do a chargeback?

A reader reports that BaldanzaB@spiritair.com ...

Ben Popken — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 18:42:17 EDT

A reader reports that BaldanzaB@spiritair.com could be Spirit Air CEO Ben Baldanza's new email address for callously responding to consumer complaints, seeing as the top management seem to have changed their email addresses after their dirty email laundry got posted. UPDATE: Within 3 hours of this post, now this new email is bouncing. At least Spirit Air knows how to do one thing right: duck customer complaints.

Spirit Air CEO Learns The Dangers Of Hitting "Reply All" When Callously Responding To Consumer Complaints

Ben Popken — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:07:30 EDT

This is how Ben Baldanza CEO of Spirit Air responded to a complaint letter from a first-time customer:

Please respond, Pasquale, but 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.

Which might have been ok, had the email stayed inter-office, but Baldanza seems to have hit "reply all" and accidentally sent the message back to the original complainant. Oops.

Even if you read the original complaint and agree with Baldanza in principle, that's a pretty jerkoff way to respond to a customer and if he had any balls, he would apologize and refund the twenty-two cents or whatever the passenger paid to ride on Mr. Baldanza's discount thrift store flying claptrap.

According to a judges' profile on International Gamers Awards, Baldanza is a avid gamer and, "particularly enjoys development games, transport or "network" type games, any odd game or dexterity game and trick-taking card games."

Here, let's play a card game, aces up the sleeve are wild: because of the reply-all getting posted online, we now know the Spirit Air corporate email format: firstname.lastname@spiritair.com.

Ben Baldanza from Spirit Encourages Awful Customer Service... [ALEXRUDLOFF]

Spirit Air To Charge Extra For Sneezing

Ben Popken — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:55:47 EST

Spirit Air announced new fees starting June 20, 2007 that will penalize flyers for using extra services. Like having a piece of luggage.

• $5 flat fee for EACH checked bag, up to 50 lbs., if arranged in advance online
• $10 flat fee per checked bag, up to 50 lbs., if you wait until the airport to pay the fee
• All beverages such as coffee, juice, and soda will cost $1 (water is free)
• First class is downgraded to premium economy. It's renamed "the Big Front Seat." No more free booze.

Next thing you know, the bathrooms will be coin-operated!

Now, if as a result of increasing the cost-load for those passengers using more services, Spirit Air reduces average fares by $30, then this is a good deal for consumers. After all, why should amenities you don't use be built in to your ticket price? Somehow though, our cynical side thinks Spirit won't be passing along the savings to its other customers. — BEN POPKEN

[via Upgrade Travel Better]
(Photo: babasteve)

Spirit Charges $110 To Fly With Three Bags

consumerintern — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:33:26 EST

Spirit announced increased prices for checked bags, meaning it may soon cost more for your luggage to fly the discount airline than you.

The first bag is free. The second, $10. The third? $100. Don't even ask about the the fourth piece of luggage.

When our grandparents visit Florida, they check at least two bags. Spirit already reduced the weight limit from 70 to 50 pounds. Plus, there is a surcharge for any bag over the reduced limit.

Spirit claims the new baggage fees are needed to stave off fare increases. Come on. Charge an extra $5. Lose the variety snack pack. Don't charge us $110 for three bags. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

Spirit's Baggage Tariff Irks Travelers [ConsumerAffairs.com]

Spirit Air Knocks You Out With $8 Tickets

Ben Popken — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 12:30:31 EDT

Spirit Air has got some groovy travel deals in their "Ocho De La Hoya to the Rescue!" package, but they turn into a pumpkin after midnight.

Prices are $8, $44 and $88

Dates are a bit scattershot, but if you're interested in travelling around 11/15, 12/09. mid-January or early February, there might be some deals in here for you.

Be sure to read the fine print and follow the guidelines. Restrictions and promo codes, apply.

Oh, and the deals are only good til 11:59 PM tonight, eastern time.

Ocho De La Hoya to the Rescue! [Spirit Air]

(Patience and maybe use IE, the site timed out when we tried to access it in Firefox.)

Spirit Air Endorses Jeb Bush in $20.08

Ben Popken — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 23:04:45 EDT

If you like to leave your politics on the ground when you fly, you might be interested in this new promotion Spirit Air is running.

Likewise, if you like to take them with you.

It's the 10th "named" sale Spirit has held this year. Previous sales included "Eddie," celebrating the 50's, "Alonzo," "Diego," and "Gracie Sue," exalting the equestrian delights.

"Upgrade to Spirit Air Plus" [Spiritair.com via Jaunted]

Spirit Air $8 Fares!

Ben Popken — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 14:04:55 EDT

You don't need Farecast to spot this great deal, Spirit Air is offering ridiculously low airfares at $8 and $44 for specific destinations during August and September. A firm defiance of Southwest's usurious $10 fare hike, no doubt.

You can go from classy Atlantic city to scenic inner-city Detroit for only $44 each way on 9/11!

There may be a few extra taxes here and there but they're small enough to be counted on your fingers and toes.

Act fast, the magic fares last until midnight tonight, whereupon they turn into a pumpkin hurtling through the air at 600mph.

Check out the available dates and departures here.

AirTran Wins, Midwest Loses in Fastest Telephone Customer Service

popkin — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 19:03:32 EDT

Here's the results of our week-long investigation into how fast it took airlines to pick up the phone.

AirTran wins, proving themselves not just lean, and cheap but an efficient airline. Midwest.. we think they're using Wright Brothers era bicycle parts in their telephone switchboard.

You can check our math by downloading this Excel sheet with the raw data.

Previously: Time to Human thread.

Time to Human, Airlines, Day 5

popkin — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 14:25:20 EDT

All week we've been calling the airlines to see how long it takes their customer service reps to answer the phone. Here's today's rankings:

Look! It only took us a week but we finally came up with a graph that actually conveys information!

The whole week we've just been hanging up when the reps pick up. Today, we were silent and let the reps end the calls themselves. Midwest, while a loser time-wise, was the best at patiently waiting for us to speak. Mellissa repeated "Hello, Midwest Airlines, how may I help you?" three times. Then she said said how sorry she was that she couldn't hear us and she might have to disconnect. Then she warned about how she was going to disconnect soon. Then we punched a random, yet merry, melody into the keypad. She hung up after that.

Raw data and week averages Monday.

Previously days here.

Time to Human, Airlines, Day 4

popkin — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 13:46:21 EDT

Midwest, while once again the loser, performed slightly better today.

Something is up with Song/Delta as we had to call several times to get past a persistent busy signal. United and Alaska Airlines really fell off today as well.

When you're on hold for United, they have some pitch for their airborne snacking service, which we ignore until the cherry voice goes, "Peanuts, peanuts, peanuts, our onboard snacking blah blah blah..."

Try saying peanuts three times fast over a crackly cell phone, you'll hear what we mean...

Time to Human, Airlines, Day 3

popkin — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 13:46:01 EDT

Nothing can stop us from calling up all the airlines and comparing how fast it takes a carbon-based life form to pick up the phone. Not even the tinkly pianissimo of Midwest's hold line. We foil all the automated response system's attempts to pry out more information about an actual ticket using the short circuit shortcuts provided by GetHuman.

For Midwest, we fear the worst, that the pressures of baking fresh cookies with ever-shortening supplies of time and sugar have caused them to go all Sylvia Plath, thereby shortchanging the customer service representative staff.

Previously:

Time to Human, Airlines, Day 2

popkin — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 13:44:17 EDT

We're calling the major airlines this week to see how long it takes them to pick up.

Gawd, we love this job.

Many of the customer service reps at Midwest are still busy baking baking cookies, please hold.

Previously:

Time to Human, Airlines, Day 1

popkin — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 15:53:12 EDT

The statistics train keeps on rolling. We called up many major airlines this afternoon and here's how long it took for them to pick up.

What are they doing over at Midwest? Browsing amongst the corn rows? We wonder.