Spirit Airlines' Final Answer To Dying Vietnam Vet Seeking Ticket Refund: No!

[Purveyor]

41 minutes ago

After a weekend of brutal publicity over its refusal to grant a dying Vietnam vet a $197 ticket refund because his doctor forbids him to fly, Spirit Airlines issued has a simple response:

"No."

The terse, one-word retort from company spokeswoman Natalie Pinson appears to have grounded any hope that Jerry Meekins, 76, of Clearwater, Fla., might get his money back. Meekins bought the ticket to Atlantic City last month so he could see his daughter before she had surgery of her own. But when his esophageal cancer left his immune system too ravaged for travel, all the airline offered him was another ticket.

"What are they going to do?" Meekins asked the Tampa Bay Times. "Fly my casket up to Atlantic City?"

"Spirit airlines is the most ruthless, uncaring airline that shows callous disregard for its customers and, frankly, [CEO] Ben Baldanza would agree with this statement about his own airline," Kate Hanni, executive director of airline watchdog group FlyersRights.org told FoxNews.com. "They are a low-cost air carrier and all they want to do is grab those revenues at all costs. But when passengers need one ounce of customer service, forget about it!"

MORE...

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/30/spirit-airlines-stands-by-policy-denies-dying-florida-man-refund-request/

[anti-alec]

1. That sucks.

Should have gone with a refundable ticket. Most airline tickets are non-refundable.

I know one of our DU'ers had trouble last year with cancellation due to a family situation, and was not able to get a refund from Delta.

Spirit is a no-frills carrier that charges you for everything A-Z, even your carry-ons.

And we're thinking about flying it to Vegas at the end of July for a conference there.

[Angry Dragon]

2. I wonder if Willard owns stock in this airline

[ProdigalJunkMail]

3. Spirit Airline BLOWS

I have a couple of friends who have purchased tickets on that airline and due to various customer service issues have vowed to never fly them again. It is only a matter of time until people realize that they are LOSING money flying on that piece of dogshit-excuse-for-an-airline and stop doing so.

sP

[sharp_stick]

4. Spirit Airlines

sucks beyond belief. It's like an American version of Ryanair. Personally I'd take the damned Greyhound before getting on one of their planes. Spirit will nickle and dime every dollar out of your pocket by the time you actually get on the plane.

[Fumesucker]

5. Spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge Airlines evidently.. n/t

[Fuddnik]

6. Delta ain't no better!

A $200 "change" fee on a $289 fare for a medical emergency.

They can keep the other $89 too, as far as I'm concerned. I'll never even consider booking with them again.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

9. funny that...I have flown Delta for over 20 years

and 2 million miles. I have also had to fly other major carriers from time to time. None of them come close to the crap I hear about Spirit. Our travel dept won't even consider Spirit. Heck, I don't think they will let you book even if you ask...Spirit is that bad.

But, yes, ALL airlines suck on change fees. Hell, to my knowledge most of them don't even offer decent bereavement fares any longer.

sP

[edbermac]

7. Everyone should send them a letter: "Will I every use your airline?"

"No."

[pinboy3niner]

11. +1

Excellent!

[cloudbase]

8. "We have a policy."

Saves them from having to think.

[lapislzi]

10. Agreed, Spirit is a terrible airline

Our worst flying experience ever. A diversion to Ft. Lauderdale, 4 hours on the tarmac with no food, water, or air conditioning...and no explanation forthcoming--ever. We missed our connection and landed in Nassau, Bahamas, in the dead of night. I had a deaf person and a 10-yr-old with me. I had to find food and a hotel without help.

And, no compensation.

Ugh. Never again.

[DiverDave]

12. United kept my money (589) when I was in the HOSPITAL

When my mom passed away, I bought my ticket, then was hospitalized for pneumonia.
I couldnt even remember my name, very close to death (I was told).
united, in all their good heartedness wouldnt refund my money.
I missed my mom's funeral and paid for the trip too.

Fuck em, I aint EVER flying united again

[ProdigalJunkMail]

13. Simple graphic explaining a little about this 'airline'

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/03/29/business/29spirit.graf01.ready.html

sP