So I called Spirit Airlines and talked to a customer service rep. He politely tells me that I must have made a mistake, that I bought non-refundable tickets, and he’ll have to charge me to change the reservation AND I have to pay all over again to check my bags and reserve my seats. “Are you kidding?” I ask him. “Why would I make plans to be in Mexico for less than 1 hour? Surely you can help me out.” No luck. The customer service rep was polite, but the supervisor was downright rude. “There are no reported problems on the Web site,” he tells me. “I’m reporting a problem now,” I tell him. “I’m sure I didn’t select the same day to leave and come back. And shouldn’t your Web site have caught that problem if I had been so stupid?” No luck. I’m being as nice as can be, but he’s getting more obnoxious by the minute. “You can always report a problem to corporate,” he says. Yeah, right.
So I hang up and weigh my options. I called American Express because they have always, always, always helped me out. I talk to a terrific customer service rep who thanks me for being a “valued card member since 1989.” (Note to self: American Express CRM system shows how long I’ve been a member.) He listens to my story, warns me that even American Express sometimes can’t help out when it comes to the airlines, but he’ll surely try. He puts me on hold for a few minutes, then comes back and reports that he’s filed an investigation and American Express will try to dispute the charges on my behalf. He can’t promise anything, but how do you think I feel? Yep, I’m filled with love and loyalty for my Gold card and the company behind it.
You know what they say about customers telling 10 people when they have a bad experience? Well guess what? Customers today get to tell hundreds, even thousands of people when they’ve had a bad customer experience. So far, I have tweeted, updated by Facebook status, and now I’m blogging about how Spirit Airlines sucks.
A search on Google for “Spirit Airlines sucks” brings back 39,300 results. To be fair, a search for “United Airlines sucks” brings back 136,00 results, while a search for “US Airways sucks” brings back 352,000 results. Egads, it must really suck to be in public relations for the airlines.
Oh yeah. There’s even a Facebook group called Spirit Airlines sucks (yes, I’ve joined); this group has 119 members, while the official-looking Spirit Airlines Facebook group has 64 fans.
So now I have to rebook our tickets to Mexico and I’m possibly out $1,400. Spirit Airlines just got another Spirit Airlines sucks story and they lost a customer for life, which they could have avoided for a few hundred bucks. Who’s the winner here? American Express, definitely. Me, definitely not, but at least I got a blog post out of it.
8 replies on “Spirit Airlines Sucks; American Express Rocks”
Spirit may suck, but American is worse. I was sexually assaulted by pilots out of O’hare Airport who claim to have murdered two of my coworkers who didn’t show up for work one day and were never heard from again.
Read
myspace.com/airlinegangstalkers
Knowing what happened could save your life. Gina
Gad, Joanna. No wonder you told me you had to go to the bank today. I guess I’ll get you that money I owe you. What a horrible story. Did you ever find your email confirmation? What does it say? I’ve got my fingers crossed for you.
Try google for American Express sucks. See how many hits you get. Let me know if you want to know my story I’ll be gald to tell you. If you want a great card try a Nordstroms Visa.
Stan
Wow, there are a lot of American Express sucks posts out there! I’ve been a longtime Amex card member and have had nothing but good experiences, however. I am also a die hard Nordstrom fan. I don’t use my Nordstrom card, but boy do I have Nordstrom customer service stories — too many to tell! Thanks for posting!
I have flown Spirit 3 times, and had excellent service each time.
You are an idiot for not booking correctly. This could happen on any airline if you are an idiot and don’t check your reservation.
Do you think their web site picks dates for you??
You can gripe about the way they unbundle everything, the tight seats, the stupid fees, the limited flights, but don’t gripe about how stupidly you ordered your flight.
If you can’t order flights correctly, spring the extra money for the refundable idiot proof tickets
Not TRAVEL ADVICE.
Furthermore, why slander the airline for your own mistake? Facebook/Twitter/Blog?
You picked flights on the same day! Tell the world! LOL
US Airways SUCKS.
I have a $646.19 credit for a flight. I want to use my $646.19 credit towards a new flight that only cost $300. I was told that I would be stuck with a $150 change fee but my credit was large enough to cover that. US Airways now wants me to pay an additional $150 on a credit card and forfiet the remaining balance. How does that make sense? A $300 flight is now going to cost $800.
Now I know why I prefer to fly Southwest.
American Express sucks.Period. I have been a member since ’79. They stole over 50,000 points from my Platinum Card without telling me that would happen if I cancel my card in favor of another Amex card. They keep charging me for Premium car rental insurance that I never enrolled in. The stories are endless ….