Neither. It was likely to change the behavior to get more people to check bags - management doesn't run decisions by the line pilots first, so none of us know for sure why it was done.

I take delays for passengers (with their expensive carry-ons which slow them down) much more often then late bags. Maybe this fee change will change behavior, maybe it won't. It will likely increase Spirit's ancillary revenues, helping Spirit's industry leading RASM to CASM spread grow. That in turn rewards our shareholders by increasing the price of our stock, which is management's job.

Spirit is a business, and, as a public company, it exists to reward its shareholders. Only time will tell if Spirit's focus on ultra low ticket costs and profitable ancillary revenue opportunities (at the expense of customer amenities and service) will be a successful long-term strategy, rather than a 'happy employees = happy customers = happy investors' strategy, though, as our CEO has pointed out, a growing airline keeps most seniority based employee groups happy. As line pilots, we provide the best service we can to our customers, but can't control what happens when the door is closed or the decisions of our senior management.

 

spirit employees who make excuses for spirits unethical business practices are part of the problem. As the old saying goes, "They came for the passengers and I said nothing, because i was not a passenger..."

 

Who's making excuses? Where's the unethical behavior?

Like Nedskid said, upper management (including the BOD) has a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders. Obviously the shareholders like at least some of what they see with Spirit's business model or they wouldn't be shareholders to begin with.

You may not like what product Spirit has to offer and that's okay. No one is forcing you to buy a ticket, jumpseat on us or apply for a job here. Many may not like what Spirit has to offer them and they are free to fly another carrier; that's the beautiful thing about the free market. Bottom line: if enough people decide Spirit is not what they are looking for then the company will need to adapt or disappear. It's simple economics.

But I think one thing you are missing is that many of us employees have seen the successful side of what the company is doing. I meet people every day I fly that tell me what a deal they got to go on a beach trip, visit grandma, etc. Yes, some guff for a second about the baggage fees but quickly change course by stating how much cheaper the total package was. Sure, we have some pricey tickets- but everyone does when there's only XX amount of seats left heading to ABC today? I'm talking the majority here.

Have you ever gone on the website and actually worked through the process of buying a ticket? Obviously not, because if you had you wouldn't be crying unethical. If you'd actually do a little homework you'd find that Spirit's website is very easy to navigate and the fees are not "hidden" as so many media pundits love to say (apparently they convinced at least one sucker though, huh?). I've personally bought my 9-year-old son at least 5 tickets in the last couple of years; all those airplanes full of people that apparently don't share your opinion of Spirit make it tough to non-rev around here. And you know what? I got the cheapest ticket by far on that city pair on that day and I only elected to buy what I wanted (usually a checked bag). I didn't feel tricked, cheated, lied to or any of those things. I actually felt relieved that Spirit was in that city so I didn't get taken to the cleaners.

But we're all ears, Bub. We'd love to hear how mean ole' Spirit is so unethical and how all we do is make excuses. What say you?

 

How arrogant of you. I say, "the solution to your problem is, drink yourself, prune"

 

That's a poor analogy. There is nothing "unethical" about adhering to a clearly stated policy. Nothing. There was no stealing, lying, corruption, etc....you know, unethical things. Perhaps you should try again?

 

Look at other posts by Prunejuice, he is a troll/flamebaiter. Nothing more nothing less.

 

Thanks gatorbird. The problem is that the masses really want to believe the worst about Spirit, like the $100 carry-on fee, even though realistically speaking Spirit will most likely never collect on this particular fee. It's cost prohibitive on purpose as well as optional. People will pay a far lesser fee earlier in their transaction. But the press sure hasn't reported it that way.

 

Others did too. I was just reading an article about it yesterday but I can't find it now.

What gets me about all this Spirit fee bashing is that we are still doing the same thing for way the heck less than all of you, while also making a good profit. Hey but don't worry about that! It is all about the free diet coke (I mean the half cup because God forbid to ask for a refill from the 60y old FA), the extra 2" that will still not fit an average dude, and the "bags that fly for free" with the cool anti gravity device for 2x the ticket price or for more.

Btw guess how many peeps will SW put into the new 737-800? They also did not stop the bag fees on Airtran. Hmmm...

 

If I understand it correctly one of the motivations to change was to simplify by making the domestic and international fees the same. And some of the fees went down, splitting the difference between domestic and international.

Spirit Airlines - cheap tickets, cheap flights, discount airfare, cheap hotels, cheap car rentals, cheap travel

 

Aren't you glad we are getting new uniforms?

Hundreds of flight attendants' 'toxic' new uniforms are 'causing their hair to fall out and making them ill' | Mail Online