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Spirit Airlines eliminates its customer service department

June 5, 2008

Although Spirit Airlines denies reports that it’s on the verge of making massive cutbacks, there’s evidence the no-frills discount carrier is quietly dismantling its customer service department.

Well, that may be an overstatement. But it’s not much of one.

Earlier this year, I published the names and e-mail addresses of Spirit’s executives. It’s a courtesy I extend to every airline with passengers who have service problems. Spirit’s response? It apparently changed its e-mail addresses so that it wouldn’t have to deal with its own customers. None of the addresses currently work, but if there are any Spirit employees out there with the correct contact information — well, you know how to reach me.

Since then, I’ve received numerous reports of customer service inquiries simply being ignored. Two of them landed in my “in” box just this morning.

Here’s one from reader Helen Leung, who recently returned from her honeymoon in Jamaica. Not only did Spirit charge her $20 to transport her luggage, but it lost her belongings and then refused to reimburse her for the clothes she had to buy on her vacation, even though she presented the airline with the necessary receipts.

“Spirit Airlines apparently handles their problems by ignoring their customers through phone and mail,” she told me.

The second came from reader Lana Cullum, who says an error by a Spirit reservations agent cost her $200 in bank fees. The airline refuses to answer her queries relating to the charges. “There is no way to speak to a person that I have found when you call the office in Miramar,” she says. “As far as the 800 number — forget it!”

I’m not sure if Spirit has fired its entire customer service department, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s made cutbacks or has instructed its agents to hold the line on any refunds. Either way, this is a deeply troubling sign.

Spirit was never a standout when it comes to customer service, but refusing to answer inquiries from its passengers could be a sign that the cutbacks everyone is talking about may actually represent a best-case scenario.

The worst-case scenario? Well, that’s where Spirit actually lives up to its name.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

71 comments

  • Agnes L. Ruffin

    Dear Sir,
    This airline has a big communication problem. I just got back from a trip to from Las Vegas to New York. I booked my flight online and requested wheelchair round trip. The outbound flight was no problem. The inbound flight there were lots of problems. The flt from LaGuardia was OK, but the flt from Florida was filled with problems. Iwas brought to the wrong gate and asked serval times about the gate. Not only was there a gate changed but a terminal changed as well. I had a four hour lay over and there was no representative at any of the Spirit Airline gates at the next terminal . No record of my flt on the monitor until an hour before my flt was to take off. I asked the gate person when she got there that I needed to go to the bathroom and she never call for a wheelchair attendant for me. I was the first one at the gate and was boarded last and when I got to Las Vegas they told me my wheelchair was there and when I got up to go to the door they had let someone take my wheelchair. I had to wait and the the wheelchair attendant told me I had to wait until they cleared the plane. Don’t the stewardsor flight attendant get a list of the passengers that order a wheelchair or send people to meet the plane to help passengers that have connecting flights. I’m a dissatistified customer since my first flight was so much better and a new customer and will probably never use this airline again. My record locato was NY7KTQ and the date was August 11,2009 outbound flt. and return was August 15, 2009. This airline needs to do better. Thanking you in advance for seeing into this matter or situation.

  • Honatan

    I’ve just bought my ticket via spirit.com… for any reason I did not choose to buy the insurance (the website allows you to buy it within 24 hours of the purchase)

    later I notice something’s missing…. OH I read all of this articles, so the panic came to me…I quickly wrote to their online cust service unffortunately I was told there’s no time to buy any insurance, the lady said have a nice trip…..

    For my side, I was browsing my last connection (about 6 days later of my purchase) guess what !!!! IT WAS POSSIBLE TO BUY MY INSURANCE, reloading the same online receipt ! it cost me 12 bucks….. my trip is going to be the next Dec 5th… hope no to have to use it, but as they remind: “travel with peace of mind” with spirit…

    Thank You,
    and greetings from Dominican Republic.

  • Vin

    Don’t do it.

    On top of fees that you don’t expect, 20$ a bag to check in, and 16$ to purchase each seat in advance so you can sit next to your spouse … there’s no bargain here. Go Jet Blue and smile.

  • mike

    Was just charged an extra 200.00 to send my 13 1/2 year old daughter on a short non-stop flight. “Unaccompanied Minor”. OK Spirit, you got my 200.00. But I won’t use you ever again,at any cost, not me or my wife or 7 kids. And I never tire of telling everyone I know what a rip-off Spirit is. Hope they go out of business…

  • Kathy Kreicker

    We attempted to return home from St Thomas to Chicago on March 22. From the onset, we were continually lied to by the flight crew- bad weather in Ft Lauderdale and debris on the runway- all easily proven to be untrue using info from my IPhone. Our Chicago flight was canceled as were about seven others stranding at least 1000 people. The ground crew in Lauderdale was arrogant, confrontational, and did absolutely nothing to help anyone. Thank God we had our son at home who contacted Spirit and rebooked us for the next day. This is a classless operation that has zero customer service. They didn’t quite eliminate their customer service department. When I called to confirm that we did indeed have a flight for the 23rd, the eoman asked me if it was Tuesday or Wednesday where I was…she was in India and had a hard time keeping up with the correct day of the week. Fly any other airline but Spirit.

  • http://www.kpo.com kpo

    This is the true effects of the economic slow down. Hope it gets better.

  • EvelynDay

    I AM ASKING WHO YOU CAN DIRECT ME TO. I AM A $9 CLUB MEMBER (#103341151). Whenever I book a flight in the past 5 months…it will not allow me the $9 club price. Why???? Thank You for your help in this matter.

  • sheree neymour

    the customer service here really sucks I just recenly enrolled in the$9 fan club I was having problems with my computer and while fixing my toddler mistakenly pressed the cancellation . I tried everything to have it rectified I just had my visa charged for 35.99 they refuse to rectify my problem I payed for a service I cant use and they have my money this is fraud. shame on youSpirit Airlines.
    I am going to the media with this.

    so not fair

  • James Russo

    The spirit airline operation is a scam and a scumbag ripoff,0peration. I am taking them to court. for scamming me. out of booking fees. I booked two tickiets via teliphone contact. because their web site crashed in the middle of booking the fares. I thought I was talking to customer Serivce. but It was a scumbag trtavel agent. who they contract out to scam peopl.e the low life scumbag name is Corey. he charged me double to book one flight .my wife and child. I tried making a complaint but they have no web address for customer service. anyway ,I am making a formal complaint to the FAA and the Florida Attorney General for Fraud. and also a small claims waarrant for fraud and deceptive practices; Even If i DONT WIN .I WILL FORCE THEM TO SPEND MONEY ON LEGAL FEES. I HOPE THEY GO BANKRUPT. OR WORSE. THEY SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE SCUMBAG CEO. THE GUY YOU SEE ON THEIR TV AD .,HIDING IN A STORAAGE COMPARTMENT ON THE PLANE. THATS PROBALBY WHERE HE CONDUCTS HIS BUSINESS. THEY TAKE HIM OUT ,WHEN HE HAS TO GO TO THE jOHN. A TERRIBLE OPERATION. EVEN PERSON I HAVE MET AT SPIRIT IS INCOMPETENT. MORONS.

  • Beth Schulte

    Spirit Airlines customer support is horrible. Spirt overbooks a flight and I kindly give them my seat so a child can travel with her parents. I spent 11 hours in the airport for which they gave me a travel voucher.

    When I need to use the voucher to attend a funeral – even though there were seats they would not let me use my voucher.

    WAY TO GO SPIRIT…WON’T USE YOU AGAIN.

  • traci messenger

    Sitting here waiting to see when my son arrives after being on an 8 hr flight, he’s told by the attendent, you’ll miss your next flight(at 7am) so it’ll put you alittle behind heres your flight for 8:15-oops he forgot to say 8:15PM!! Try 13 hrs behind!!! Get on web site to see whats happening and its “down” call phone #, cant understand service personal who gets angry, because I can’t understand him so he yells. He said he’d fly standby, but the service desk@ spirit says your bags scheduled for the 8:15 pm. I will never schedule w/spirit along w/anyone I know. I wonder w/all the incompetence of the support line(if you call it “support”) How competent are your pilots? Never mind, I’m never using your carrier again anyways-

  • http://www.naturallookmakeup.com geegee beatty

    I have been on the phone for 49 minutes waiting to make a reservation
    for the $9 Club. THERE IS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY JUST
    PUT YOU ON A SPEAKER AND THAT IS IT.

    We hung up and called back to make a REGULAR RESERVATION and LOW AND BEHOLD THEY ANSWERED. We asked to make the $9.00
    reservation and they said you will have to go back on hold and wait.
    IT NOW IS 52 MINUTES AND I AM TYPING THIS AS I AM ON
    HOLD.

    WHY DONT WE ALL REPORT THEM TO CONSUMERS AFFAIRS FOR
    MISS LEADING ADVERTISING AND MARKETING.

  • http://yahoo sheila tropp

    wecannot get a conformation on the flights i booked cannot get to speak to a customer dservice in the mirimar office in florida when you call to book a flight and tlk to someone you can never understand them im not against people in india but you cannot understand them i called 8 times before someone said the email was 1 letter off even though i spelled it 8 times where can we call to speak to a customer service person in florida who speaks english and the email you give out is no good ialso took out insurance and dont know whether it was confirmed our confo numbers arex4p7jf and n8g74t please respond either to email and phone 954 6834159 also a letter would be nice 11421 nw 39 place sunrise fl 33323 please include phone number for customer service with extension of person to talk to not just a phone number with no options or place to leave message which never gets returned we are loyal flyers when we do fly dont let us change our choices

  • http://www.uwsp.edu/athletics/mbb/camps.htm Summer Camps

    Maybe you should change the page name title Spirit Airlines eliminates its customer service department to something more generic for your subject you write. I enjoyed the blog post yet.

  • NUNZIE J MOLLICONE

    CORPORATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS,SPIRIT AIRLINES,ATT:KARIANNE SILVA, I NUNZIE J MOLLICONE AM STILL WAITING FOR A CREDIT OF $197.00 THAT YOUR REP SAID IWOULD BE GETTING REFUNDED $100 FOR AN ESCORT THAT I PAID $200 FOR MY MINOR GRANDAUGHTER ANNMARIE PAPADOPOULOS FOR A ROUNDTRIP TICKET FROM ACY TO TPA ,THE RETURN FLIGHT HAD BEEN CANCELLED IN TIME AND TY YOUR REP,SAID THAT CREDIT WAS FOR $97 FOR A TOTAL OF $197.CREDIT WOULD TAKE ONE WEEK TO 10DAYS.BACK TO MY DISCOVER CARD.CONF#D1PYVL DEC.4TH AND DEC 9TH 2019

  • liz

    Reading the remarks about Spirit Airline’s cutbacks i can vouch for the elimination of the customer service department, i was on hold for two and half hours and no one picked up.  I finally wrote an email to the corporate office but doubt that it will ever be looked at or answered.  Another airlines signing off. 

  • Jeannine

    I’ve just recently been scammed by Spirit Airlines.  When I went to make the reservations I was told that it didn’t go thru.  My debit card has now been charged with $1533.00.  I called and they told me they would issue a credit and send my bank an email confirming.  My bank hasn’t received the email and I haven’t received the credit.  I’m calling again now, on hold for 15 minutes so far.  I can only hope this is a temporary scam.

  • atc_av8er

    Just in case someone is looking to e-mail them, the address is first name.last name@spirit.com

  • Medmurphy

    We flew San Jose, CR to Ft. Lauderdale on Spirit Aug 31st and tried to checkin our baggage online 24 hours before. It was not possible, the website was not responding correctly and finally we checked in our bags (two checkin and one overhead) and was charged $120 at the counter. I  told the Spirit employee I was not happy and he said that the website indeed was not responding but to pay the full price and then collect from the company later.  Ye, right !!! what choice did we have, so now I find there is no customer service, this company heavily sucks but it’s still cheaper, what can I say.

  • Pingback: Here’s The Latest Attempt By Spirit Airlines To Exploit Events In The News « Tax Australia

  • Millenniumproperty

    m very disapointed haw work castomer service.I call to castomer service four time and mananger hangap the phone,to not ansver question.

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