I take a dim view of travel clubs that charge an annual fee for access to special prices. Typically, these schemes only benefit the company offering them. But is Spirit Airlines’ $9 Fare Club in the same category?
Without even reading the online discussions about Spirit’s Fare Club, which costs $39.95 a year, I have to admit my bias: this certainly looks like a rip-off. I mean, joining a “club” to get low fares? In a market that’s already flooded by discount tickets? You’ve gotta be kidding.
And yet, people fall for it. People like Sheryl Sanford, who believed Spirit’s come-on about having access to “incredibly low, member-only fares, sometimes even as low as a penny.” (Offers like that just confuse well-meaning passengers, as we saw yesterday.)
She writes:
I joined the $9 Fare Club expecting and looking for those low fares advertised. They did advertise the lower fares, but after I join the Fare Club, the very flights I was looking at, as you know, did not exist with the lower fares.
I did read the fine print, and realizing the fares were not guaranteed, did it anyway. However, I was expecting to find something as I search but no, nada. In fact the same destinations roundtrip on Delta were $220; AirTran was $170 — Spirit Air was $295. I was ticked!
Sanford wanted her money back. As you can imagine, the airline wouldn’t budge. (See section 3.3 of its terms, which state, “Enrollment fees are non-refundable, notwithstanding Member’s cancellation of membership in the Club.”) Then she found my site with customer contacts for Spirit.
Searching for a way to contact customer service at Spirit Airlines on their page was a disaster. All the links were working but one, and guess which one did not work? Yes sir, you are correct: the link to “contact customer service.”
Well, thanks to your site you listed all the contacts. I love it! I know you commented about contacting the CEO after no response for 6 to 8 weeks. Out of school, I worked for JC Penney’s, the credit regional office, and people complaining only obtained results when they went straight to the top, the CEO, Regional Office in New York.
I sent an email requesting an immediate refund of my monies and that I was very dissatisfied. I sent and copied the email to all of the above. I received a response the next morning from sales support, saying sorry, no can do, and I can cancel if I like.
I emailed her back with comments that I did not desire to cancel (you get nothing back if you do that), but I was requesting a refund for false leading and advertisement. I copied her email and my response to all the above once again.
Within the hour Tony Lefebvre, the senior vice president for customer service, approved my full refund. So, Mr. Elliott, thanks for the victory.
You’re welcome. (A Spirit insider contacted me after this post appeared to clarify that it was Heather Harvey, not Tony Lefebvre, who green-lighted the refund.)
I’m glad Spirit offered Sanford a full refund, but my opinion of fare clubs — of any travel club, really — remains low.
If Spirit really believed its Fare Club offered superior deals, it would offer a full refund on the enrollment fees. Instead, it pockets your $40, whether the deals are good or not.
That’s not good.
Update (1:30 p.m.): More from my Spirit insider, who mentions that there are sales nearly every week that are only available to $9 Fare Club members. The person notes that the club has a “ton” of members, but if you don’t check email regularly, you’ll miss out and consider the club useless. Also, the prime fares (LGA-FLL, ORD–FLL, etc.) sell out fast, so members have to be quick.
(Photo: vnvlain/Flickr Creative Commons)
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
One needs only do a simple google search to see the level of respect (the lack of respect) spirit shows for their customers.
I will never set foot on a spirit airlines, even if I can save $100 because I will not pay someone to disrespect me on that level.
I joined for a annual 40.00 and saved it in the first month getting round trip to San Juan for 2 for 36.00. The trip was great. I signed up to get a deal on a trip to Guatamala but so far i have not been able to get one for there that fits my schedule
Anyone flying on Spirit Airlines is asking for a CS nightmare.
Last winter I did purchase two round trip tickets from Bos to FLL for $90.00 I was happy and satisfied
Just flew from LaGuardia to Guatemala City. Without paying extra, I was offered exit row seats on both flight segments. Staff was friendlier than on legacy carriers. Baggage fees are lower than most other carriers as well. I would fly again as well. No other airline offers “one way” tickets to Latin America…
These “so-called” $9 fares never exist. I used to check these fares when it was just an e-mail notification to frequent flyer members (no subscription needed), the times never added up and the deals were always too good to be true, since they didn’t exist!
I’ve flown Spirit numerous times and NEVER had an easy, non-eventful trip. Their customer service is beyond non-existent to the point to directly insulting. Purchasing travel club membership on Spirit is quite possibly the last thing I will ever do.
I am a frequent traveler and I’ve found that the few times that Spirit is the cheaper ticket choice (which is rare on my most frequent flight, Detroit-NYC), it is money well spent to travel on Delta/NWA instead.
Spirit once had the opportunity to earn back my business but I’ve now moved thousands of dollars in fares from them and will NEVER come back.
I WILL NEVER FLY SPIRIT AGAIN THERE CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS.AND SO DOES THERE FEES.
The deals are real, but you have to look for them — some people must be lazy and want Spirit to call them up at offer them the fare they want , I sure that will never happen. I can bet anyone who is on there list and recieves the email weekly can get the really cheap fare but if you wait for the phone call from Spirit , its not going to happen!
I have been a fare club member for a few years now and my wife and I have flown from DTW to Myrtle Beach, FLL, Jamaica cheaply..Usually around 60-80 dollars for both of us….you have to get on the site right when they send out the emails to get the fares and luckily we both have very flexible schedules. If you have a flexible schedule it is worth it…just remember the fares are $9 but you still have to pay taxes and airport fees so it is a little more than they lead you to believe…
It is a scam – we have not YET been able to book any cheap fares from them. Website offers $16 flights but there is NO way of booking them on line. Customer service is horrible 45 mins on hold, by the time they do happen to pick up ( India) the offers are gone.
i am a member of the $9 fare club at spiritair why are there no $9 flights are you people frauds