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Miramar, Florida (January 13, 2010) – Spirit Airlines has announced plans for providing relief to the people of Haiti.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to all of the people in Haiti during this terrible tragedy,” says Spirit Airlines CEO and President Ben Baldanza. “Our initial focus is on raising funds for relief agencies that are best equipped to aid in the overall relief and Spirit stands ready to give a billion miles to those that assist in this effort.”

Spirit will give 5,000 FREE Spirit miles to everyone who donates at least $5 to the Red Cross, UNICEF or Yéle Haiti, enough miles for a free flight*. The ultra low cost carrier will give up to a billion miles.

Those interested in joining Spirit Airlines in their fundraising relief efforts for Haiti should visit www.spiritair.com/haiti after making at least a $5 donation to one of the following organizations:

• - Yéle Haiti (www.yele.org)
• - Red Cross (www.redcross.org)
• -UNICEF (www.unicef.org)

Spirit will in turn credit 5,000 miles to their FREE Spirit accounts, enough for a free flight*. For complete details, visit www.spiritair.com/haiti.

Since Spirit Airlines started flying to Haiti in 2007, it has lowered fares over 40 percent, saving Haitians over $10 million.**

Spirit Airlines Flight Information Update:

• - Spirit’s Wednesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 14 flights between Fort Lauderdale and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, are cancelled.

• - Spirit will reinstate service to Haiti when the airport is open to commercial airlines.

• - Spirit is providing updates at www.spiritair.com with details about flights and the relief effort as they become available.

It's about time they did something right! Way to go, Spirit! Hopefully, other airlines will follow!

Nice enough, I suppose.

The cynic in me says that anyone who won't donate to their favorite international Haiti relief fund after a disaster of this magnitude without a cheesy "5000 free miles, free ticket" is a bit of a selfish wanker to begin with.

The SUPER cynic in me says that Spirit is banking on enough $5 donors looking for a free Spirit ticket will donate then get to experience the Spirit product firsthand, something they might not do otherwise having never heard of the airline before. They'll also be buying be buying a return ticket at a real fare, one supposes. Plus all the fee's (bags, meals, etc.) that might be purchased enroute, which are pure profit.

At the very least, they'll sign up lots of people into their "Spirit Accounts", who will voluntarily provide precious marketing information (names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, etc.) that Spirit may use in the future to drum up future business.

Good advertising, I guess. I'd be far more impressed if I found out through the grapevine (not a press release) that Spirit had tasked an airplane to run equipment and supplies at no cost for volunteer organizations, for example.

Corporate America is an amoral (not immoral) entity, and it's best not to forget this.

+1, you got it right. I was laughing when I was reading this. It is unbelievable how greedy some people (read CEO's) are, while trying to make themself look like saints. If Spirit has $0.01 extra they should pay the people who made that possible for them. In return I am convinced that every Spirit employee would be more than happy to share the cost of sending an aircraft down there with supplies. But that would be real, not sneaky and false, propaganda so it probably would not work...

Don't get me wrong. Only a heart of stone wouldn't feel compelled to reach out and help these victims in their time of desperate need.

But I'm kind of from the old school that thinks charity, especially of the $$$ kind, needs to be done anonymously to be considered charity at all. Old school fuddy duddy, and all that.

Maybe...but there is a press release regarding that...
SPIRIT AIRLINES PREPARING RELIEF EFFORT FOR HAITI


MIRAMAR, FLORIDA (January 12, 2010) – Spirit Airlines has issued the following statement following the tragic earthquake in Haiti:

Spirit has cancelled Wednesday's flights between Fort Lauderdale and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and will reinstate service as soon as the airport is open.

Spirit is currently reaching out to first-responder organizations and other early-stage disaster relief resources/agencies in order to assist with transporting medical and other professionals, as well as equipment to Port-au-Prince as soon as we are able to operate flights to that airport in an effort to assist as much as possible until the U.S. government and larger relief and humanitarian organizations can gear up what is expected to be a major relief effort.

We will update spiritair.com with details about the relief effort as they become available.

Our hearts go out to all of the people in Haiti.

Make no mistake about that one. Given the opportunity I would head down there in a heartbeat to help.

OK, go.
When you get back tell us all about it.

Where do I sign up?

I think ya nailed it Deltabound...