Spirit Airlines: The A.C.B.

Gotta love these Internet memes...

Recently, there was an article about one of the few low-cost airlines in the United States. This airline markets itself as "The Ultra Low Cost Airline For The Americas" as written in its company slogan; it is Ben Baldanza's Spirit Airlines headquartered in Miramar, Florida with aircraft operation based at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and additional focus cities in Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, and Las Vegas. With over half the airline's destinations being in the Bahamas, Caribbean and Latin America, it makes the image look like a travellers dream right? Not really... The picture above speaks for itself. The mentioned article was about a Vietnam War veteran denied a refund for a ticket on Spirit Airlines after finding out that he is dying and his doctor told him not to fly. As a result, consumer groups, war veterans, and the general public was angered by the news, bringing media attention and even threats to boycott the airline; in fact there already is a Facebook page dedicated to doing just that, bringing in 40,000 plus people into the social networking site page. The page's description is as follows:

"Overheard at a Spirit VP meeting... "Waahh, our customers keep carrying on too much luggage... Waaaahhh!!"

Really?
Charge extra money for carry on luggage when it's your fault that people carry on because of your ridiculous baggage fees.

... Really?
Your prices are lower than everybody else so the baggage fees just make up for the cost difference. Now that's just stupid.

Really?
Build new planes so your fleet looks nice and pretty, then take away about 8 inches of legroom and raise your prices. Good job Spirit.


I hope your company goes out of business and all of your employees get picked up by a legitimate airline."

Hilarious, yet serious and reasonably argued. In the end, Spirit Airlines agreed to refund the veteran after sparking much debate.

Also recent in the news involving the airline that's not making many friends these days is a new fee involving carry-on luggage; if passengers use the overhead storage bins in the cabin would be dinged an additional $100. As if flying commercial isn't a pain in the neck enough. First was the decline in air travel as a result of 9/11 causing much of the struggles the airlines are facing these days. Second, in response to the decline, the airlines try to make up for the loss of profits made from air travel by imposing the expensive (and in Spirit Airline's case, ridiculous) fees for checked or overweight baggage (which makes a nice cue for the following picture) and other amenities.

Passengers should start wearing t-shirts of these.

There are companies and organizations that have spent billions of dollars building or modifying aircraft such as the shuttle carrier 747s.  How about the specially-made 747s to transporting parts for Boeing's newest airliner, the 787 Dreamliner? And let's not forget the mid-air refueling tanker aircraft or AWACS jets used by the military forces around the world; the aircraft themselves are modified, or built from commercial versions. By the way, recognize the paint job on the shuttle carrier 747 above? It once flew for American Airlines!

Now we have pit-pocketing, ultra low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines thinking of ridiculous ways to make extra cash for the stock shareholders and head-honchos of the company while trying to blindside potential customers and travellers with "ultra low cost" in ticket prices. Indeed the airline is likely to writing the early chapters for a hypothetical book entitled along the "what-not-to-do manual for corporations" line. The airline has angered consumer groups with its pioneering charges for carry-on baggage and $5 fee for having a boarding pass printed at the airport and most recently, not making an exception for a Vietnam War veteran diagnosed with a terminal cancer until AFTER much debate.

A lot of people will most likely be happier flying on other carriers such as Southwest or JetBlue. Southwest especially is on the rise with its recent acquisition of smaller low-cost carrier AirTran Airways. The acquisition not only eliminates competition but opens the doors for Southwest Airlines to expand into cities or regions it currently does not serve in addition to what destinations it already serves. In this case, Southwest has the potential to expand into destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean creating potential competition with Spirit. The acquisition also gives Southwest access to Atlanta, a hub for AirTran and the largest U.S. city not served by the airline at the time of the announced merger. The airline recently announced new services out of Atlanta starting June 2012, creating potential competition with Delta Airlines, which acquired Northwest Airlines in late 2009 gaining a huge presence in the Asia market formerly operated by the latter airline. Southwest has also been and still is growing in the Denver market, creating competition with United Airlines which serves as one of its hub there; United and Continental merged in late 2010. And let's be aware that there are possible merger talks between US Airways and American Airlines.

As many of the "classic" main-line air carriers disappear as the result of a merger, bought out like TWA or Pan Am, or cease operations entirely like many short-lived airlines from the old days, there will most likely be an intensified competition as these remaining low-cost carriers duke it out. But one thing's for sure: Spirit Airlines makes Delta Airlines not-so good customer service look good and makes foreign carriers such as Japan Airlines or All Nippon Airways and their "Japanese touch" of courtesy and politeness look perfect, a travellers dream. Compared to Spirit Airlines, there are better carriers to choose from and those companies will at least have the potential to do their best to make customers happy, or at least satisfied.

Spirit Airlines, ladies and gentlemen!
(a.k.a. The American Cheap Bastards of the Airline Industry!)

A.C.B. for short!