Sneaky Spirit Air Fee Surprise

[Ready 4 the next 1]

We just returned from a great cruise on the Eurodam. Our last day at breakfast, we were seated in the main dining room with a couple from New Jersey. The topic went to how we were going home. We told them that we were flying Spirit airlines. The couple told us in no uncertain terms that they avoid flying Spirit at all costs. The reason......they flew Spirit on their last cruise and on the trip home were hit with surprise bag fees due to weight. They said their bags weighed the same as when the left home, because they had not purchased anything on their trip. We didn't think much of this, but then......

 

we took an uneventful ride to FLL. We checked in with Spirit, gave them our bags, and low and behold, we were told that our bags were overweight and we owed them $50 in bag fees. I stated that both bags were under 50 pounds - what was the problem? They stated that the bag limit was 40 pounds. We stated that our bags were over 40 pounds each when we came to FLL, why was nothing said at that time? They said we probably added weight, which was true, but as stated earlier we were over 40 pounds coming down also. We talked to a supervisor said who stated that it was on their web-site, and this is just how the company does things. It basically came down to pay or leave our bags behind. There was a gentleman on our right who was having the exact same conversation with them, when he was also hit by the surprise bag fee.

 

Once we got to the gate, we sat down. A few minutes later we were surprised to be joined by a couple we knew from our hometown. Our sons had gone to school together and she had been my older son's teacher years ago in elementary school. We told them about our surprise and they said they had been surprised both ways and paid an extra $100 total. Like us, the people from New Jersey, and the guy next to us at the check-in counter, they had no idea that Spirit had a weight limit radically below the other carriers.

 

I went to the Spirit web-site to see if the weight limit is stated anywhere. You have to hit several links to find it - there is no mention of it when you book your flight or when you pay your basic bag fees. I personally have little doubt that this is just a sneaky way for Spirit to appear to have lower fares and then get extra money out of your pocket with a little gotcha.

 

I know there may be some of you out there who fly Spirit regularly who are aware of their bag weight policy. They only fly to one city, FLL, from here, so they are very low profile. This was our first and last flight on Spirit air. I just want others to be aware so they are not surprised like we and the other folks were.

[PennyAgain]

Thanks for the warning!

 

Spirit tried to do the same to a co-worker but he insisted that his bag be weighed on another scale and it was 37 pounds (41 on the first scale).

[Zach1213]

I'm not familiar with Spirit's baggage policies, but it's really no surprise that they will try to nickel and dime you to death. That's why so many people swear them off. They are the only ULCC (ultra low cost carrier) in the US, and for good reason - they know they can sucker people in with their low fares who won't realize the extra costs for everything and anything, on top of uncomfortable and cramped seating. You won't be seeing me on Spirit, that's for sure!

[toberman]

I always check an airlines baggage fees and weight restrictions before booking because they can be different from airline to airline. Have never flown Spirit, but for the heck of it I decided to check and found everything within 15 seconds. Now I'm sure I will never use them!!!!!

[Zach1213]

I always check an airlines baggage fees and weight restrictions before booking because they can be different from airline to airline. Have never flown Spirit, but for the heck of it I decided to check and found everything within 15 seconds. Now I'm sure I will never use them!!!!!

I agree. Googling "Spirit Air Baggage" will bring you immediately to a page with their fees, and a very obvious link to their size restrictions, including weight.

[toberman]

I agree. Googling "Spirit Air Baggage" will bring you immediately to a page with their fees, and a very obvious link to their size restrictions, including weight.

 

Yep.. that's what I did. :)

[Ready 4 the next 1]

I agree. Googling "Spirit Air Baggage" will bring you immediately to a page with their fees, and a very obvious link to their size restrictions, including weight.

 

That is true, however, I have never googled "(airline name) baggage" before booking a flight ever and have never had this happen. It has never been my sense that this should be a required step in booking a flight and I doubt most people do this as part of their booking routine, unless they have a sense that something is up with a particular carrier.

 

When it comes of Spirit, all I can say "fool my once, shame on you - fool me twice, shame on me". I will not be fooled again. Hopefully, this will help others not be fooled the first time.

[frugaltravel]

That is true, however, I have never googled "(airline name) baggage" before booking a flight ever and have never had this happen. It has never been my sense that this should be a required step in booking a flight and I doubt most people do this as part of their booking routine, unless they have a sense that something is up with a particular carrier.

 

When it comes of Spirit, all I can say "fool my (sic) once, shame on you - fool me twice, shame on me". I will not be fooled again. Hopefully, this will help others not be fooled the first time.

 

Sorry, but as I posted on another thread where you mentioned, this the onus and error is clearly on your part.

 

I would not call it a "sneaky 40 pound bag weight limit" at all. Right at the top of the page where it mentions "checked bags" it clearly states the dimensions and maximum weight. You MUST see this page before checking out and before you state the number of bags you want to check or carry on. I would consider it not reading thoroughly on the part of the person making the reservation. Airlines do a lot wrong, but when they clearly state their policy online and people are in such a hurry to click through and not read, it is their own fault and certainly not that of the airline.

 

Easy to not be fooled the first time by slowing down and reading before clicking through web pages. Happens all the time. Or if that is too hard or takes too much time, use a travel agent or ask another person in your party to do the booking.

[Ready 4 the next 1]

Sorry, but as I posted on another thread where you mentioned, this the onus and error is clearly on your part.

 

I would not call it a "sneaky 40 pound bag weight limit" at all. Right at the top of the page where it mentions "checked bags" it clearly states the dimensions and maximum weight. You MUST see this page before checking out and before you state the number of bags you want to check or carry on. I would consider it not reading thoroughly on the part of the person making the reservation. Airlines do a lot wrong, but when they clearly state their policy online and people are in such a hurry to click through and not read, it is their own fault and certainly not that of the airline.

 

Easy to not be fooled the first time by slowing down and reading before clicking through web pages. Happens all the time. Or if that is too hard or takes too much time, use a travel agent or ask another person in your party to do the booking.

 

LOL. You are entitled to your opinion. In a matter of one morning I was in contact with 3 other travelers that also "share the onus" as you put it. I won't have the opportunity to see if your statement that the 40 Lb. limit appears on "You MUST see this page before checking" as I will never fly Spirit again. And, again, I post this as a warning so others who miss the page are also aware.

[frugaltravel]

LOL. You are entitled to your opinion. In a matter of one morning I was in contact with 3 other travelers that also "share the onus" as you put it. I won't have the opportunity to see if your statement that the 40 Lb. limit appears on "You MUST see this page before checking" as I will never fly Spirit again. And, again, I post this as a warning so others who miss the page are also aware.

 

No need to follow through to the end and make a booking - just 'make believe' you are making a booking and anyone can clearly see it before they have to enter credit card info.

[Ready 4 the next 1]

No need to follow through to the end and make a booking - just 'make believe' you are making a booking and anyone can clearly see it before they have to enter credit card info.

 

Sorry, but your wrong. Here is the page:

 

 

Traveler Information * indicates required field

*First Name Middle Name *Last Name

Adult1: *Gender:

*DOB:

 

U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Secure Flight program now mandates all travelers to provide date of birth and gender as in the Passport or Government issued photo ID. (Privacy Policy)

[+] Additional Requests: (optional)

Send your itinerary to two additional email addresses

*Primary E-mail

 

E-mail #1

 

E-mail #2

 

Travel Insurance - Safeguard your travel plans

important

We STRONGLY recommend travel insurance as a way to cover your investment in the case of unexpected or unforeseen circumstances that may force you to cancel or delay your trip.

Selection required - select a plan or check 'no thanks' to book without any cover

FULLY FLEXIBLE PLAN

EMERGENCY TRAVEL PLANS

Yes!

ANY Reason Cancellation

+ Emergency Coverage

Our most comprehensive policy; incl. changes & cancellations for ANY reason, plus emergency travel cover.

 

22.69

per passenger

» Coverage Details

Yes!

Comprehensive

Emergency Coverage

Protection aganist unforeseen emergencies, trip cancellation, lost/damaged luggage and medical cover.

 

14.18

per passenger

» Coverage Details

Yes!

Trip Cancellation and

Baggage Coverage

Protection aganist unexpected

trip cancellation

and lost/damaged

baggage.

 

10.95

per passenger

» Coverage Details

No thanks, I decline all travel insurance coverage.

*Please use coverage details link to view policy details

Billing Information * indicates required field

Credit Card Details

Payment Policy

Credit Card Type:

*Credit Card Number:

*CCV Number: What is this?

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(Initials)

 

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[frugaltravel]

Once you choose your flights and log in (or register - registration is mandatory), you click 'continue to checkout' and you will see:

 

Purchase your bags

http://www.spirit.com/Bags.aspx

 

Just under that, you see Checked Bags.

 

All the info I mentioned previously is right there in black and white for all to see. Guess you missed it again!

 

It is before you even get to the travel insurance page.

 

Some people....

[Ready 4 the next 1]

You stated that it would appear before they took a credit card. It does not! Yes, there is a link that you can find, as I stated in the initial post. But, as I also stated you have to work to find it. Congratulations on finding it after being prompted by my posts about the issue. Hopefully others will do the same.

 

Later.

[toberman]

Give up the arguments guys... Just concede that you will never fly Spirit again - not worth the stress!! Get on with life !!

[frugaltravel]

You stated that it would appear before they took a credit card. It does not! Yes, there is a link that you can find, as I stated in the initial post. But, as I also stated you have to work to find it. Congratulations on finding it after being prompted by my posts about the issue. Hopefully others will do the same.

 

Sorry I stand by my statements. I clearly see the Bags info BEFORE entering credit card info (I just copied the URL of that page in my last post from the screen that appeared - but it comes up EVERY time before the credit card page). In fact, if you paid for your bags online (at least the initial fee) you HAVE to see that page. Period. (You have to see it whether or not you want to pay for bags and before the credit card and insurance page). Not sure what you are seeing. I even tried two different web browsers with exactly the same results. over and out.

 

Give up the arguments guys... Just concede that you will never fly Spirit again - not worth the stress!! Get on with life !!

 

I guess it bothers me that people these days don't take personal responsibility. Such attitudes are magnified in the travel realm ever since "brick and mortar" travel agencies have been closing down and people play travel agent for themselves, but don't want to do the reading that I mentioned above. But unfortunately this attitude permeates the US these days in many areas of life.

 

Ready 4 the next 1 already conceded they won't fly Spirit again, but for all the wrong reasons (though they also said they won't have the opportunity to substantiate my claim that the bag info is clearly stated before paying and they did try to, though did an abysmal job of it!).

[toberman]

 

I guess it bothers me that people these days don't take personal responsibility.

 

Fine... Get away from it.

[NancyIL]

I was unfamiliar with Spirit's weight limits for checked bags until I read your post. However, having read that they charge for carry-ons in the overhead compartment, I would've checked their checked baggage fees and weigh limits before buying the ticket.

[Zach1213]

That is true, however, I have never googled "(airline name) baggage" before booking a flight ever and have never had this happen. It has never been my sense that this should be a required step in booking a flight and I doubt most people do this as part of their booking routine, unless they have a sense that something is up with a particular carrier.

 

When it comes of Spirit, all I can say "fool my once, shame on you - fool me twice, shame on me". I will not be fooled again. Hopefully, this will help others not be fooled the first time.

 

Hopefully this will be good advice for everyone with every airline. I booked a few domestic flights in Thailand for my upcoming honeymoon and had no idea what their baggage allowance was. Since we are flying to/from Thailand in business class, my fiancé assumed she could pack a lot for the 2 week trip, but I reminded her our domestic flights are coach. A simple Google search of "Bangkok Airways baggage" let me know we could do 20kg free.

 

So yeah, hopefully people who don't fly a lot (and those who do, when it's a new airline) take this advice.

[cruiser now]

We just returned from a great cruise on the Eurodam. Our last day at breakfast, we were seated in the main dining room with a couple from New Jersey. The topic went to how we were going home. We told them that we were flying Spirit airlines. The couple told us in no uncertain terms that they avoid flying Spirit at all costs. The reason......they flew Spirit on their last cruise and on the trip home were hit with surprise bag fees due to weight. They said their bags weighed the same as when the left home, because they had not purchased anything on their trip. We didn't think much of this, but then......

 

we took an uneventful ride to FLL. We checked in with Spirit, gave them our bags, and low and behold, we were told that our bags were overweight and we owed them $50 in bag fees. I stated that both bags were under 50 pounds - what was the problem? They stated that the bag limit was 40 pounds. We stated that our bags were over 40 pounds each when we came to FLL, why was nothing said at that time? They said we probably added weight, which was true, but as stated earlier we were over 40 pounds coming down also. We talked to a supervisor said who stated that it was on their web-site, and this is just how the company does things. It basically came down to pay or leave our bags behind. There was a gentleman on our right who was having the exact same conversation with them, when he was also hit by the surprise bag fee.

 

Once we got to the gate, we sat down. A few minutes later we were surprised to be joined by a couple we knew from our hometown. Our sons had gone to school together and she had been my older son's teacher years ago in elementary school. We told them about our surprise and they said they had been surprised both ways and paid an extra $100 total. Like us, the people from New Jersey, and the guy next to us at the check-in counter, they had no idea that Spirit had a weight limit radically below the other carriers.

 

I went to the Spirit web-site to see if the weight limit is stated anywhere. You have to hit several links to find it - there is no mention of it when you book your flight or when you pay your basic bag fees. I personally have little doubt that this is just a sneaky way for Spirit to appear to have lower fares and then get extra money out of your pocket with a little gotcha.

 

I know there may be some of you out there who fly Spirit regularly who are aware of their bag weight policy. They only fly to one city, FLL, from here, so they are very low profile. This was our first and last flight on Spirit air. I just want others to be aware so they are not surprised like we and the other folks were.

 

 

my wife and i fly to Atlantic City often the 40 lb.limit is ststed as well as the carry on fee. sppirit is what they say a low cost airline .we fly from Orlando or Tampa. A Spirit flight of just over 2 hours at their price is the best way for us. Also we use the 9.00 club and the spirit credit card. If you want better service pay more and fly another carrier.

[Ready 4 the next 1]

my wife and i fly to Atlantic City often the 40 lb.limit is ststed as well as the carry on fee. sppirit is what they say a low cost airline .we fly from Orlando or Tampa. A Spirit flight of just over 2 hours at their price is the best way for us. Also we use the 9.00 club and the spirit credit card. If you want better service pay more and fly another carrier.

 

I don't know that I'll pay more by the time you add up all the other fees, but I can guarantee you that I will by flying a different carrier.

[frugaltravel]

my wife and i fly to Atlantic City often the 40 lb.limit is ststed as well as the carry on fee. sppirit is what they say a low cost airline .we fly from Orlando or Tampa. A Spirit flight of just over 2 hours at their price is the best way for us. Also we use the 9.00 club and the spirit credit card. If you want better service pay more and fly another carrier.

 

Thanks for confirming what I have said all along. Whether Spirit is cheaper or not will depend on which services you want/need to avail yourself of. For me, for the last-minute flight, it was a lot cheaper than any other option. I would do it again depending on the circumstances.

[kingoftheicedragons]

There are two reasons why I might fly Spirit.

 

1) There is just no other way, that Spirit is the only line that would get me from point A to point B.

2) If I got a free or one of their $9 tickets and just wanted to see for myself just how truly terrible they are. In other words, if there are any travel magazines out there that would like to pay for my vacation with the caveat that I fly Spirit, I'd do it. Otherwise, no thanks.

[bouhunter]

We try to avoid Spirit. Hadn't flown them in years but did over New Years to Vegas because it was a great deal. We researched their baggage fees IN ADVANCE so knew what to expect. They do have some unique rules that can be expensive. Their newest is, if you don't pay for your carry-on in advance or at the check in desk and get to the gate with it, they're charging ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS for a rolling carry on!

[Ready 4 the next 1]

We try to avoid Spirit. Hadn't flown them in years but did over New Years to Vegas because it was a great deal. We researched their baggage fees IN ADVANCE so knew what to expect. They do have some unique rules that can be expensive. Their newest is, if you don't pay for your carry-on in advance or at the check in desk and get to the gate with it, they're charging ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS for a rolling carry on!

 

I did catch that one. I also caught the big difference in baggage fees if you bought at the airport. I went through a bunch of stuff to figure out the joining the Spirit frequent flyer's club, which you get hit with over and over, did not get you a discount on bag for the flight you just booked - just for future flights. Since they are a one location carrier here, no need to join their club.

 

Then, when you get on, you find out that they have the smallest amount of leg room I have ever experienced and a stationary seat. Never again.

[kenish]

I have never flown Spirit, and don't intend to. In customer service training they are used as an (in)famous example of what not to do. About 5 years ago a customer e-mailed them with a complaint. The CEO sent an internal response that leaked to the customer (maybe by accident or maybe not). The gist of the CEO's comments were "Screw the customer...as soon as we save him $5, he will be back". And, the CEO was probably right!

 

Also, email is the *only* way to contact Spirit. Their phone numbers are only for reservations and their agents will not accept any other type of call. Spirit almost takes pride in their reputation for zero customer service and high add-on fees. It's the topic of stories online and on the evening news. Free publicity!!

 

Spirit's $9 Club is relevant to this thread. The membership auto-renews and the agreement when you sign up says you must cancel by the 10th month (again by email). You also acknowledge you understand it's not refundable and agree to not dispute the credit card charge. A travel ombudsman acted on behalf of a group of people who didn't cancel in time. After talking to Spirit, the credit card companies, and reading the agreement the ombudsman actually sided with Spirit since the rules were clearly stated.