Complaint Review: spirit airlines

 Special News:  Spirit will discount the cost of buying miles by 30%!   Sounds great doesn't it.

Spirit Air has a mileage program.  They have a new ad that says the more miles you buy the bigger the discount: 10%; 20% and even 30%.

So I went online to see what a trip from Chicago to Ft. Myers would cost from November 20 to Dec 2nd.  Non stop round trip was $122 going and $192 returning:  a Total of $314.  Not too bad.  but remember they do charge for bags and seats.

I then went online to say I would PAY using miles and how many miles would be needed for the exact same flights?  Miles needed was 15,000 + $13.10 out of Chicago and 25,000 + $13.10 returning.

So 40,000 miles and $26.20 in cash.  (Plus bags and seat fees).

You can buy those 40,000 miles for a discounted price of only $752.64! (and the 25.20) for a total of $777.

Let's see you can pay real cash of $314 or buy miles for a discount of only $777.

Spirit has figured out ways to screw it customers every which way possible.  Seats don't recline unless you buy the first two rows for extra $75 per seat.

Ok let's assume I already have 20,000 miles in my mileage account.  I need to buy only 20,000 more.  That would cost me $376 + $26 or $402.  So I could use my 20,000 miles plus pay Spirit $402 to get the same tickets that I could buy for only $314!

This is the latest RIP off.  And the problem is that people will pay it without thinking.  Assume you had 30,000 miles already earned you'd have to spend $215 + $26 or $241 for those extra miles.  That means Spirit is taking away your 30,000 miles for a price of$73!  $314 to buy for cash or use 30,000 of your miles plus buy 10,000 more.

Effectively they sell you 10,000 miles for $215 and take back your 30,000 miles for $73!.

When they get those miles back they can resell them for $645  ($215 x 3).

What a great business: buy back for $73 and resell them for $645.

I wonder where I can sell my miles?  I'd sell my 20,000 miles for only $300 another 20% discount to what Spirit is selling them for. **

**my guess is that an individual cannot sell his miles.  Either use them or they expire.

New expiration rules too: if you don't fly within 6 months they expire.  I go somewhere that they/spirit doesn't fly for 6 months.  Nice catch 22.

Ask me about their rip off voucher system that they changed to "make it better".  BS big time.  Someone must just sit at the Spirit office and dream of ways to make more money.  The 40 pounds for a bag vs. 50 pounds with other airlines was brilliant.  Spirit collects more in non revenue money (seats, bags, cancels, food, etc. then their airfare)

I have so many more stories.  Finally gave up flying them!  Oh I slipped on a worn out carpet and almost broke my hip.  still sore and swollen for 6 months.  Not even a 'sorry'.  Carpet was fixed a few weeks later.

Phil B