Spirit Airlines did *what*?

So, let’s review the bidding.

  • You and your friend are flying to Myrtle Beach to do some golfing.  Sounds like fun; have a good time!
  • Oops!  Your regular carrier cancels your flight!  Well, that’s all right: they get you a flight on another airline.  So, you fly off…
  • …and your plane promptly loses both engines because of a flock of what were likely geese*.  And, oh, look, there’s the Hudson River.
  • Fortunately, your captain today is Chesley B. Sullenberger III, who proceeds to demonstrate that he’s just that good.  So you manage to actually walk away from a forced water landing in the middle of winter.  Don’t buy any more lottery tickets, by the way – and look both ways while crossing the street from now on.  You’ve used up your quota of luck for a while.
  • All of this means that you never actually make it to Myrtle Beach.
  • And so, when you eventually get around to calling your original carrier to cancel your return trip, guess what happens?

That’s right!  Spirit Airlines charges you a $90 cancellation fee! See also here.

(pause)

You know, in some cultures the response to this would be to lock the customer service representative in a room with a gun and expect him to do the honorable thing.  I’m not saying that this is the right solution – but it’s probably the one that Spirit Airlines might end up wishing that it could pursue…

*Just thought that I’d point out to all of my readers on the East Coast that the Canada geese population is back at a level that would sustain some hunting. Just pointing that out.