If they were truly concerned about improving customer service, then they are heading in the wrong direction.

I dunno, I don't really see a difference between our agents that work for Spirit and agents that don't. It seems that some stations that are contract (LBE, TPA, LAS, LAX) do a great job. I bet we don't see a difference...

+1. If the gate agents at LAS are any indication, then the customers will see no difference. The LAS gate agents are some of the best in the system. It is very sad that Spirit employees might be loosing their jobs, that is terrible. But a decline in service? Naw.

I'll counter your LAS with ATL. Awful.

Redundant statement.

EVERYthing in ATL is awful.

ATL is indeed awful.

Did the Spirit gate agents unionize not too long ago?

They'd be bad whether they were Spirit employees or not...

And I think that is the theme with the gate agent position in general. I dont think it matters much if their paycheck says Spirit on it or not. It is not a career profession by any means and the effort you see from a particular airport is more indicative to the city in general and the hiring at that particular station, not what the paycheck says.

So like you said, ATL will suck no matter what happens.

I hope the guys/gals in MYR and ACY will be offered their current job when the new outsourced company takes over, which they probably will. I have seen regionals swap ground support companies and the rehired employees actually were paid more when hired by the new company (DGS to American).

Caveat Emptor, Spirit management. Being that gate agents are our frontline in dealing with customers, I would have liked to see them bring more in-house and pay more to increase retention and quality hires, but I'll leave that decision to those in Miramar.

Most of the gate agents I have dealt with were/are fabulous with the crews. Not as much with the paying passengers. They often seem dismissive, short and annoyed by common inquiries.

Just this week in Chicago there was a gate return/cancellation. As the passengers were approaching the gate podium after deplaning to ask what they should do, the gate agent started yelling at them. It seems quite simple to me that if the passengers were made aware of what their options were and how to exercise them before they got off the plane they wouldn't be approaching the podium at the gate. And even so, there is no excuse for yelling at a passenger, humiliating them.

The whole thing in Chicago was embarrassing. We can do so much better than that.

When we, as pilots (and even flight attendants) see something like this, it's our duty to email our direct supervisor and explain what happened. This way Rich or Ryan or whoever will forward it to the correct person, and the problem "may" get fixed. If we do nothing, we may see our careers go down the toilet. That's my biggest fear about this place. We can only upset so many passengers before no one will take a chance on us.