Spirit Airlines (Nasdaq: SAVE) -- better known to anyone who has ever flown it as a bus with wings -- doesn't go out of its way to impress its customers. The airline has taken the concept of nickel and diming passengers to death to a whole new level with fees for just about everything beyond a seat, from carry-on luggage to boarding passes to a cup of water during a flight.
You have to pony up $3 if you want the flight attendant to hand you a drink, and I'm not talking Coke, Pepsi, or even coffee. Spirit charges for basic H2O, unless you're willing to pour it yourself from the tap in the aircraft bathroom, or you have the patience to accept a free cup of ice and wait for it to melt.
Spirit is such an uncomfortable, unfriendly, and regimented airline that it is the only one from which I ever came close to being tossed -- just because I said aloud as I was boarding that the airline is uncomfortable, unfriendly, and over regimented, with a fleet likely held together with paper clips, duct tape, and dirt. (At least, that was the case when I was flying a few years ago. The airline claims it upgraded its fleet in 2010.)
Thanks to my husband, much better behaved after a preboarding incident that left me infuriated, I was allowed to stay aboard. But I never flew Spirit again -- and, as much as I understand the quest for a bargain, I can't understand why anyone still flies the ultra-low-cost carrier.
So imagine my dismay when I read this weekend that the stingy, surly, insufferable Spirit is the most profitable airline in the US. It received this distinction just five years after being on the cusp of bankruptcy -– and less than a year after going public.
Spirit, a 40-jet airline that seriously considers Greyhound a competitor, is profiting from fliers who seek to reach their destinations as cheaply as possible. Last year, the Miramar, Fla., carrier earned $2.06 million per plane, or 40% more than any other US airline. By comparison, Delta (NYSE: DAL) earned $1.21 million per plane last year. United (NYSE: UAL) earned $1.19 million. JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) earned $0.51 million. Southwest (NYSE: LUV) earned $0.32 million, and US Airways (NYSE: LCC) earned $0.21 million. The bankrupt American Airlines lost $2.32 million per plane.
Apparently, all those $5 charges Spirit collects from passengers who dare to ask for a boarding pass at the airport (yes, you have to pay for those, too) add up. Looking ahead, the potential profit is even brighter. Spirit said this month that it plans to raise its fee for carry-on bags to $100, becoming the first US airline to charge so much for a service most airlines offer for free.
On its Website, Spirit says the higher fees will take effect Nov. 6 and will apply to carry-on bags registered at the gate. Until then, passengers will have to pay only $45 to carry a bag on board. Just to be clear, any bag that needs to go in the overhead bin is considered a carry-on. A bag that fits under the seat is free. But passengers still don't like it. You can find plenty of hate posts about the new $100 fee, including one that calls Spirit "the rudest, dirtiest, cheapest airline since Aeroflot. Take out the 'ri' and just call it 'Spit Airlines' -- the airline that hates you as much as you hate it."
Here's my dilemma with Spirit. As a consumer, I feel deceived by the allegedly low prices. CEO Ben Baldanza says the pricing structure lets purchasers pick and choose the extras they want. The way I see it, it's just an illusion. By the time you add up all the various and sundry charges -- for boarding passes, cups of water, checked luggage, carry-on bags, for just about everything, really -- it seems clear you could get a better deal just flying another airline. By then, it's too late, because you can't return your ticket without an even more exorbitant fee.
But looking at the airline from an investor perspective, it's hard to be so judgmental. Sure, Spirit leaves passengers wondering if they inadvertently boarded a poorly funded charter from an emerging country, where every dollar really counts. However, like a rich person who drives a 20-year-old car and lives well below his means, Spirit proves that what you see is not always what you get.
Since a lackluster initial public offering late last May that raised $187.2 million (versus the $320 million it projected), Spirit shares have soared more than 95% in less than a year, jumping from less than $12 to more than $22.50 recently. It has a forward P/E ratio of 9.39, a trailing P/E of 16.03, and a PEG of 1.16.
For the first quarter of 2012, Spirit's total operating revenue was $301.5 million -- an increase of $68.8 million, or 29.6 percent, from a year earlier. It posted net income of $23.4 million, for a net margin of 7.8 percent. Its operating margin was 12.4 percent.
The airline brought in $128.33 of revenue per passenger per flight segment -- an increase of 2.7 percent from a year earlier. But you need to dig deeper. Ticket revenue declined 6.9% to $76.65 per passenger flight segment, but nonticket revenue per passenger flight segment rose 21.3% to $51.68. In other words, more than 40% of its passenger revenue per flight segment came from fees and related nonticket revenue, versus 34.1% in the first quarter of 2011.
Passengers may complain about the unending fees, but analysts like Maxim Group's Ray Neidl say the Spirit business model is "brilliant." In a Bloomberg Businessweek interview, Neidl compared the "unbundled pricing" to a trip to a grocery store. "For the economical traveler, it’s an open market. A cheap ticket, and if they want services, then they have to pay for them."
The unanswered question: How long will these people pay? There is a big difference between paying $45 for a carry-on bag and paying $100 for the same bag. Spirit is profitable now, but its strategy makes me wonder -- both as a consumer and as a potential investor -- whether this business model is really sustainable. Or even worse, could it create a ripple effect in the industry?
Bob Payne, a contributing editor at Conde Nast Traveler, told us there are broader implications from Spirit's actions.
"The troubling thing is not that Spirit is getting away with charging unreasonable fees, but that the other airlines are seeing them get away with it. And much of the blame lies with the flying public," he said. "Right now, passengers can still register their dissatisfaction by going to an airline with more reasonable fees. But unless they do, they may soon not have that option."
I wonder if the stock is benefitting from "fool me once" momentum. Inexperienced flyers -- Spirit's market -- think they are getting a good deal, take a flight and rue every minute, Next time, they spend an extra $25 to fly a real airline. So for a time, you get a lot of one time passengers shelling out fees, pumping out profit. But how many become repeat flyers to sustain the business model?
That's why I will never fly Spirit again. My incident occurred when I was traveling with my whole family, plus two friends -- a party of nine. With that many people, most of them teens -- it was just horrendous.
My wife and I have traveled on other airlines with our young son and many times it has been the helpful staff that make the flight much more managable.
A good level of service is a must. I have never flown Spirit so I don't know how their service is like. There is also the worry of safety, if it seems like they are cutting costs with everything I wonder how well they maintain the airlines. If they have budget cuts on maintenance it could compromise the safety of the plane.
"Next time, they spend an extra $25 to fly a real airline"
HA. That's a good one. I guess it's one of those roller-coaster-like experiences where you don't realize you made a bad choice until it's too late. I guess as long as you make it to your destination safely, you can make a good-enough travel decision the next time.
I have never flown Spirit and I'm sure it's as bad as you say, but what I don't understand is when people get a cheap ticket but then they have to pay for drinks or bags.
So, if you ticket is $100 cheaper but you have to pay $53 for drinks and bags, you still save money, yes?
Also, for me, air travel these days is just about getting from point A to point B with as little disruption as possible. So what's more important is that the planes are on time and there aren't any "snafus" (bags missing, delays, e.t.c.).
I wonder if there is data to check to see how Spirit does on delays and baggage handling. To me that is the most important thing.
The low fares are a marketing ploy: They don't necessarily exist. Look at this price chart for flights from NYC to Las Vegas. I queried RT fares, leaving May 27 and returning May 30.
So would I! So many "rules" make no sense, for the passengers or the business. When I was returning from Vegas last time, I got to the airport early. There were empty seats on the flight that was soon to depart. i asked if I could take that flight instead. No. Not without a fee of like 75 or 100 dollars. So I waited 2 hours for my flight.
The point is: why not get me out of the airport on an empty seat -- and free up a seat on the later flight for a possible walk-up passenger or someone who missed a connection later in the day?
Looking at price alone, you'd be better off taking the $343 flight on US Air, or paying a little more for a non-stop on Delta. (I'd avoid AirTrain, for a host of other reasons. But that's another post!)
I have flown JetBlue a number of times (including the mentioned route NY to LV) and have always been very impressed with them. For the most part their prices are fair, the seating is roomier then most other coach seats, and the flight attendants make the trip enjoyable.
I fly JetBlue just because the attendants still give me snacks. For free. I usually take the Terra Blue Chips, which I could buy in a full-size bag at a grocery store -- but which always taste better in a little bag during a flight.
I am also a fan of the Terra Blue Chips. In a time when you are lucky to get a small bag of dry crackers on a flight, JetBlue hands out a good size bag of chips and a drink to wash it down with.
The last time I flew JetBlue, we got delayed on the runway for about 30 min, as a result they comped drinks for everyone who wanted any adult beverages.
Spirit always flys full over 85 to 90% capacity. So if you are looking for a ticket last minute Spirit will always be higher. All airlines pricing is determend by how many seats are available, more seat cheaper ticket, less seat higher priced ticket.
Plus the $100 dollar bag fee is to keep passengers from taking bags to the gate with out paying for them. It takes time away from the gate agent and flight attendant to charge for these fees so to make sure people pay at the counter instead of the gate they are charging a higher price. Also since Spirit has charged for carry on bags deplaneing is quicker. Spirit want pax to check the bag in the belly and not overhead bins. That's why the charge less for checked bags then carry-on.
I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Spirit and notice that you are bias because of it. No airline is perfect and anything that happened at Spirit could have happened to you at any other airline.
Just so your clear with the carry on bag fees. On line $35 at airport $45 and at the gate when boarding $100. All the news media explaining this in a wrong way not just you.
Sure all airlines mess up. But every other one on which I've had a bad experience -- Virgin Atlantic, Delta, JetBlue -- do something Spirit refuses to do. They apologize. They give you some air miles, or a pat on the back and make you feel like they are sorry.
Spirit employees -- and this is not just me saying this -- seem to relish in your misery.
As for the fee, yea, the $100 carry on fee is the maximum fee--I understand that. But if one person has to pay $100 to carry on a diaper bag too big to slip under the seat, it's crazy. What about families who load up on food in the terminal before boarding? Will that shopping bad of salads and sandwhiches and juice boxes count as a carry on bag -- and unwittingly force someone to shell out $100 or leave the $100 worth of overpriced food he just bought at the gate?
Seriously, food. Now your just bashing them with a hypothetical question.
Think about what you said unless the food is in one really big bag your right. But most food places, don't have big bags and specially at the airport. Don't you think each person would take his or own food and put it under there seat. If you have a baby and need a bag for them Spirit will not charge for baby essentials.
If the person is so stupid to buy that much food and get charged $100 bucks they deserve it. Why should the rest of the passengers pay high price for there ticket just because some don't know how to pack.
The problem with the Spirit employees is not them it's not Management it the customers. I really feel bad for what the agents put up with. Same stupid questions, Bad attitude, dunk pax. People don't like to fly and fear flying so when they come the take mess or drink or get nervous, get stressed. So the take out their frustration on the poor agents. Then add to that the make min wage or slightly higher work long hours and your asking them to be nice.
You want Spirit to give you something for nothing not going to happen. Spirit will take you from Piont A to point B safely.
I have five kids. They're older now, but when they were smaller--not babies, but elementary age, travel was cumbersome. I often brought food onboard, for them as well as their two elderly grandmothers who traveled with us. Count the passengers: nine. Each kid and grandma would already have a carryon with essentials for the trip -- kids need a lot of crap to keep 'em quiet inflight. So I always packed a wealth of coloring books, story books, self contained games, etc, along with one change of clothes. Accidents happen. No room in a backpack that a kid can carry for all that, plus his dinner.
I'd carry the food for all of us separately, in a brown shopping bag, and hand it out during the flight.
It's not a crazy scenerio. Unless you like kids screaming inflight.
You are very wrong many of Spirit customers have flown with us and know what they are getting into. Not everyone checks a bag not everyone takes 2 carry ons why should the person that flies light get charged for someone that bring their whole RV/home with them.
The problem is if you buy a ticket from Travelocity or other web based agency they do a bad job of providing info about fees. If you go to www.spirit.com here you will find that all the fees are given to you up front with no hidden agenda.
Spirit wants You to purchase what you want or need and nothing else.
When you go to the movies do you require them to included the popcorn and drink with your ticket price? How about 5 bucks for popcorn and 5 bucks for a coke is that to expensive or are you the type that takes food and drinks in your purse.
I concede I have occassionally taken my own snacks in my purse because 1) my husband is diabetic and can't eat anything they sell at the counter, except perhaps the stale popcorn. And I. unfortunately, have never developed a taste for cheeze whiz and chips, or big, fat overcooked hotdogs. So sometimes, I put grapes in a ziploc bag and hide them in my purse.
Ok if you know you will need extra carry on for the trip for food could you not pay for it online or at the counter so you don't get charged $100 bucks?
So your telling me that each person can't take one carry on that fit under there seat with suff to play and a bag of food?
With nine people in your family you need 18 bags with you ON the plane?
Your the reason Spirit charges for carry-on bags and why it takes so long to board and deplane, 5 kid, 18 carry-on bags 2 wheel chairs.
No wonder they did not like you. They don't want you back.
BTW, I have never seen anyone ever changed for bringing food on board.
But I know many even in my family that have alot of kids and love spirit because they get good deals and know how to pack and play the game.
Spirit is not for you, but if your going to write a story about them you need to have the facts and your bad experience has clouded your judgement.
Spirit will be the airline of the future, sorry to say. Look at Ryan air in Europe, Spirits on it's way. Good luck never flying Spirit again.
If you going to assume to write this article I did too. Elderly grandmothers... Then I assumed they might need a wheel chair.
Your right they are not always the lowest fare because the good deals need to be bought well in advance. The flight fill up quick and the seats left have higher fares.
Look a t flight to Latin America, such as Colombia or Peru. Compare them to American, Taca or Avianca and the prices usually are a few hundred less.
Other Carriers also charge for bags not just Spirit.
Just remember not all passengers are suckers at Spirit has Pax that travel with them all the time cause they know what they are getting into.
Don't just assume that everyone is getting fooled.
My experience is similar to yours, except I was solo. I used Spirit to fly back home after my son and I drove him to college. It was a cheap, one-way ticket. But I was not expecting to pay $45 for my carry-on bag. Huh?
What really irritated me - I could have easilly packed to fit my carry-on under the seat - if I had just known about this fee. Left feeling duped and, like you, haven't flown Spirit since. Maybe they have to raise the carry-on fee to $100 because people have learned to avoid Spirit when they have much luggage?
The really scary thought - because they're profitable - we may be looking at the future of air travel.
Ugh, PC, I hope not. It's really frustrating to keep reaching for a credit card inflight for one silly fee after another. But the idea of getting a drink of water from the airline bathroom, as they actually suggest, is disgusting!
I'm afraid most of the industry is going the other way, with Spirit as the harbinger of the future.
Think of bus travel as the model we're moving to. How nice are the attendants on the bus? Oh, that's right, there aren't any. Now imagine an airline where the attendants are just like the bus - there aren't any. Still no legroom, but now it smells more like airplane fuel and old sweat. Take a deep breath. Ahhh.
"Ultimate Airlines" may have a tiny share of the market, but they won't fly to Montana anyway.
You are probably right I see robotic flight attendants in our future. Maybe they will be nicer than humans. Well look at the bright side: Checking in and getting your ticket with automated machines is nice!
Hopefully Ultimate will get here and displace United which rules the Gallatin County airport.
I understand the dollars and cents are adding up for Spirit but for those that look at the total cost of flight a competitor may be cheaper on the same route. Unfortunately many do not understand the hidden fees of airline travel until they get to the airport and it's too late. I feel that Southwest is also a terrible experience, I call it the subway in the sky but many love it and fly it and they are profitable. I have long been a Continental fan but since the merger it is also rudeness in the sky, maybe it's just the nature of the airline industry in these times. I can't remember the last time I flew and it was a pleasant trip.
I don't care for Southwest because of it's no assigned seat policy. However, I don't get the same level of disdain from the Southwest employees that I get from the ones at Spirit. Spirit Airlines: always looking for new ways to bring you down.
Spirit will be profitable for only a limited time. Sooner rather than later its reputation will overtake the myth of its low prices. And then those rude employees can all take their fees and shove them.
Passengers may complain about the unending fees, but analysts like Maxim Group's Ray Neidl say the Spirit business model is "brilliant."
I don't see any brillance of Spirit business model. Cutting out of the fat is a good practice for any business, but cutting to the bone is a really bad idea. There is a fine line between being a miser and being a robber. Investors will be ok to see the CEO cleaning his own office. (Does this guy have anything better to do ?) But they won't be happy to see Spirit charging customers $3 for plain water. It is not cost-saving, it is a ripoff.
I see why Spirit is making money- charging for everything, but I wonder how many loyal repaet customers they have? I would not even consider flying them- I don't need to pay to be treated poorly. I agree that this model has a limited life. By the time you pay for extras, it may be better to take a more civil carrier and also be treated better.
There is a difference between traveling frugally and traveling cheaply. I believe in looking for bargains, taking advantage of sales and stretching my dollars. However, traveling "cheap" does not generally provide good value. It just creates headaches.
At the ticket counter or kiosk $50. (And if it fits under your seat, it's still free.)
It's about $5 cheaper to check it in the belly of the plane, unless you have multiple bags. The 3rd, 4th and 5th checked bags are $100 each. And another thing to watch out for - the weight limit for regular pricing is lighter than most airlines - just 40 pounds per bag.
This isn't wonderful, but at least it's not $100 for the first carry-on bag. and starting in November, it is $100 for a checked bag if you wait until you're at the gate.
As noted in the story, the $100 carry on fee only starts in November. And yes--you can save a few bucks if you pay for your carry on before you reach the gate. ($35 or $50 in advance or at the ticket counter, respectively)
But what happens if you don't? Because are you really expecting to have to pay for a carry on bag (unless you're a Spirit regular)?
All the information regarding luggage fees is available on spirit's web site. No one puts a gun to your head to fly with spirit. You should really consider whining for a living as opposed to writing idiotic articles. Just a thought. :)
I stand corrected - it is $100 per carry-on (starting in November, as you noted). That fee will greatly incent people to do something else with their bags.
@Spiritownsyou
Spirit's fee page is well laid out, for what it communicates. But there are so many fees...
@PredictableChaos So? If you are getting an information overload by so many fees, why should it be Spirit's problem?
@Noreen Did you really almost get tossed from a flight because you were saying out loud how bad Spirit was? No offence, but how old are you? 12? Also, it appears that you had known about Spirit being bad prior to the flight, but you still decided to go ahead and fly with them......why?
Ugh, I hate it when people can't read and don't know how to spell, Spiritownsyou.
I did not know Spirit was a sham airline until I took the first leg of my journey. By the time I tried to return home, and one of my children was denied boarding BECAUSE THE AIRLINE CLAIMED HE NEVER FLEW FROM NEW YORK WITH THE REST OF US THE WEEK BEFORE -- even though he had his boarding pass and luggage tags from the flight -- I saw Spirit for the nasty, unfriendly, inconsiderate company that it is.
Offence? What word is that? And clearly you did not read the article because nowhere do I suggest I rode Spirit once and then subjected myself to abuse again.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/offence (educate yourself a little;))
I did read your article. "Also, it appears that you had known about Spirit being bad prior to the flight, but you still decided to go ahead and fly with them......why?"
I merely suggested that you weren't happy with Spirit before stepping on that particular flight. You therefore must had had bad experience with them. I then merely asked why you didn't choose another airline. Correct me where I am wrong.
" BECAUSE THE AIRLINE CLAIMED HE NEVER FLEW FROM NEW YORK WITH THE REST OF US THE WEEK BEFORE"
should be
" BECAUSE THE AIRLINE CLAIMED HE HAD NEVER FLOWN FROM NEW YORK WITH THE REST OF US THE WEEK BEFORE"
You have a whole bunch of similar grammar mistakes in your article. ;)
The only words we should really be discussing are "customer service" and the total lack of it at Spirit Airlines. Think I'm exagerating?
Well, a few years back a couple who had a bad experience on Spirit emailed the Airlines' customer service department looking for answers. The email was eventually escalated to Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza.
Baldanza made the mistake of hitting "reply to all" in his response to the passengers. Here is what he said:
I'm guessing our Canadian friend (you are Canadian, aren't you Spirtownsyou?) wouldn't understand how irritating it is to deal with Spirit since he/she claims to have never been aboard one of its lame ass flights.
Actually, however, he/she may be very familiar, because from the snarky know it all tone, he/she probably WORKS for Spirit customer service.
Consumers -- and investors -- want to believe that upper management has their backs. When they lose that peace of mind, they eventually lose faith in a company. An email like that is damaging to a company and its long term reputation.
@Noreen Sorry to disappoint you, but Internet is not limited to just America. If you are going to attack my English, that is totally fine, but don't take cheapshots.
@Tenacious Check this out, ignoramus. http://grammarist.com/spelling/offence-offense/
@BigJim Yes, I am Canadian. I am curious what gave that away. :)
No, I do not work for Spirit. If I worked in Spirit Airlines cutomer service, I would probably hang myself.
@Noreen "...just because I said aloud as I was boarding that the airline is uncomfortable, unfriendly, and over regimented,..."
should be
"...just because I said aloud as I was boarding that the airline was uncomfortable, unfriendly, and over regimented,..."
"Thanks to my husband, much better behaved after a preboarding incident that left me infuriated, I was allowed to stay aboard."
should be
"Thanks to my husband, much better behaved after a preboarding incident that had left me infuriated, I was allowed to stay aboard."
"But I never flew Spirit again"
should be
"But I have never flown Spirit again"
"Spirit said this month that it plans to raise its fee for carry-on bags to $100, becoming the first US airline to charge so much for a service most airlines offer for free."
should be
"Spirit said this month that it planned to raise its fee for carry-on bags to $100, becoming the first US airline to charge so much for a service most airlines offer for free."
The above is from the first half of your article. Do you want me to tutor you on tenses so you don't look like a retard next time you write something?
Spitownsyou (CQ), Your childishness and pettiness supports my thesis that Spirit Airline employees are rude, obnoxious, and to be avoided at all costs -- even if that means spending more (but probably less) for a ticket on a legitimate carrier.
"...Your childishness and pettiness supports my thesis that Spirit Airline employees are rude..." It is support, Noreen, support. No "s" at the end. Also, the name of the company in question is Spirit Airlines. :)
Interesting that you don't deny the obvious - that Spirit employees are rude, petty and childish - and only focus on how "airline" is spelled.
I rest my case. Folks, this is why I question the long term sustainability of this business model. Low end and abusive? There is a limited market for that combination.
OMG @Noreen! You could not have paid someone to support your points as well as the very obnoxious poster who has been unsuccessfully defending this crap ass airline. Spirit? Hell no!
I appreciate sarcasm, Scott, I honestly do. (I am not being sarcastic)
The beauty about Spirit is that it doesn't need to win people over for those people to keep on flying and paying all those extra fees. Do the people hate Spirit? Most do. That hate on its own however does not seem to affect the bottom line and that is all that counts.
I might not be an effective marketing agent, but as long as this is not what I do for a living, I should be okay, I think. :)
In order to lose something, you need to have that something. I highly doubt that you decided not to fly Spirit because of me. If you did decide not to fly with Spirit beacause of me, then you are an idiot.
Noreen's sparse, less wordy writing style and her use of contractions is in perfect sync with modern news writing style. You can't deny the strength of her message so instead you try to discredit her technique.
"Noreen's sparse, less wordy writing style and her use of contractions is in perfect sync with modern news writing style." Plural for the verb to be is ARE, AskAsa, not IS.
You must be related to Noreen. If so, why would you let her out of the kitchen?:)
Hahaha. You may have spelled the word correctly, but it's the wrong word. You were trying to use offense...but I don't blame you, these are at least 7th grade words, so I can see where you would get tripped up.
Spirit is innovative. Too many airlines have copied every move of their breakeven (or going bankrupt) competitors for far too long. Spirit has a new idea. I even agree with you that they may be showing us the future of air-travel - more flexibility for the customer to choose what they are (and are not) willing to pay money for.
At the same time, they have a LOT of fees. Noreen and I are not the only people who are accustomed to the way most airlines operate.
"Information overload" becomes Spirit's problem when a significant fraction of their first-time customers feel ripped off. It doesn't matter that the fees are fully explained on the website or on the ticket or whatever. If too many customer's feel taken, they may choose not to fly Spirit again. it makes no difference that they're being irrational. Sometimes people are.
Another risk for investors looking at Spirit - as more repeat customers manage to avoid the fees; will this damage Spirit's profits?
@PredictableChaos You would really be surprised how many "Spirit sucks. I will never fly with them again." people not only keep on flying with Spirit, but also fail to minimize their losses on those extra fees. I personally have never flown with Spirit and I am pretty sure its product is pretty bad. Its business model on another hand is to be admired. :)
There is death. There are taxes. People keep on flying Spirit. People fail to avoid fees. :)
I'm eager to see the outcome of a lawsuit a Spirit passenger filed earlier this year after the airline tacked on a $2 "Dept. of Transportation Unintended Consequences Fee." The fee was created in response to a new federal regulation that allows fliers to change their flights without penalty within the first 24 hours after booking.
The folks at Spirit Airlines which they said was to cover the added costs resulting from the new rule. But a woman in Illinois claims the fee is fraudulent. What do you think?
The website Nerdwallet.com recently launched an airline fee search tool that lets travelers compare airline fees in such areas as cost to check bags and seat assignment fees.
Glad to see Virgin America and Jetblue backed down from those fees for window and aisle seats that could serve as a barrier between parents and their children.
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