Spirit Airlines: Run by Red Sox Fans?

By Thomas Francis Mon., Apr. 20 2009 at 4:46 PM

Categories: Broward, Business

Flickr user: maestra

The Miramar-based airline notorious for an ad that shows a post-coital cuddling session between a young man and a cougarish lady that advertises an innuendo-thick "three way" deal to its customers and treats its flight attendants as billboard space has -- if you can believe this -- stumbled into another crop of bad publicity.

A couple of South Florida tweens spent their bar mitzvah loot on tickets to opening day at the new Yankees Stadium and say that after a series of delays, Spirit Airlines staff let other passengers take the boys' seats on the plane, causing them to miss the game.

One of the boys, 13-year-old Jesse Vogel, who admitted to shedding tears over the ordeal, gave this sad quote to the New York Post:

"I really wanted to go to the game because there probably isn't going to be another new Yankee Stadium while I am alive."

Ladies and gentleman, a big Bronx cheer for Spirit Airlines!

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Jews, Miramar, Spirit Airlines

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it's really ashame, they have all the talent in the world, but the Red Sox can't put a full line-up in with all these damn injuries!
A 9-7 opener after being behind 5-1. Ya Red Sox, the Yanks blew it. CC seemed to lose his stamina at one hundred, looked stronger going into the final.
To Fred Jaffee. Ahh... The bias comes out. Are you a Sox's fan too? Just kidding. 1st - part of my comment on this blog was truncated - so not all of it was posted (editorial reasons I guess). 2nd ref the timing of Flt 604 - I was referring to approx. boarding time when passengers are supposed to be at the gate. 3rd I certainly know the Yankee vs. Sox thing is satirical. 4th Yes, if I were a Yankee fan (;-> which I am even though I am a native Floridian), I certainly would make darn sure I was there on Opening Day for the New Stadium and not worry about cost cutting measures. However, I don't understand why you continue to say that they were late. The plane for Flt 604 (scheduled for "takeoff" at 7:05am) never got off the ground - mechanical difficulties. A replacement aircraft did not start boarding until late/late morning. It was Flt 758 scheduled to depart at 9:51 am that they were bumped off. The flight that left in between Flt 604's scheduled and actual departure. Be that as it may, I do have sympathy for the Vogels. Who knows, maybe the man in the vertical pink, light blue and white stripped shirt was a Spirit valued/preferred customer or something. ***Or --> as you mentioned, more likely, had a lower sequence number. Therefore, even thought the Vogels' were first on the standby list, Spirit went by the sequence numbers. I would not like it, but I would at least understand it. Although Spirit is an economy airline, I thought that given the circumstances the manager for Spirit's Fort Lauderdale terminal H should have been at or immediately called to the departure Gate (3 or 6 - I think) to accommodate or at least explain the preferred or sequence # status situation to someone first on the standby list --> as to why they were not called first to board the plane (Flt 758 at 9:41 am). Then again, the bottom line is "you get what you pay for." PS: I talked to Spirit's Fort Lauderdale terminal H manager later pertaining to an unrelated topic and that person was very helpful, informative, and gracious. It is not that person's fault - too much to do and not enough people to properly handle it... PPS Mr. Jaffee: I hope that you did not find this argumentative. It was intended to be informative and a friendly humorous joust..:->
flight 604 was scheduled for 705am and then delayed. If you try to save money and do not purchase your seats in advance and arrive at the airport late like this family did. ( I also know people who where at the airport that day)You do not have confirmed seats and are sent to the gate without seats. Spirit airlines is under a watch from the DOT and have to follow rules for paying passengers and the order they check in ( know a sequence # ). If you call spirit airlines on the phone and ask for a supervisor, you will find out that spirit airlines does not have a stand-by policy like other airlines, they only will confirm the seat for the list after a fee is paid. The bottom line, If you fly Spirit, dont be try to save money and purchase your seat in advance or get to the airport early so your sequence number is low and you wont get bumped off . This is true for most airlines but Spirit has a habit of overselling there flights.
I have worked for the airlines in the past, and sometimes things that apprear unfair to passengers are actually correct based on policies..I am sure there is a valid reason why those pax were put on in front of the boys. There are a lot of behind the scenes factors involved here. Why would anyone fly to something so important the day of the event. Come on, look at the ATC problems our country faces, weather, mechanicals etc. I feel for the boys, but it is not the airlines fault.
They were not late! The plane, flight 604, was delayed from 6:20 am until 12+ish due to mechanical problems. To my knowledge, the plane with mechanical problems never made it back into play. Spirit did delay another flight to (I believe) Cancun and took that larger plane to deliver the passengers to LAG later in the day. Then Spirit inserted another plane for the Cancun passengers. The problem is that ---> In between the delay time for flight 604, their was a flight that they (the family - 2 adult men a bunch of other kids decked out in full Yankee gear - hats, shirts, etc..) and they were 1st (First-First-First) on standby on the in between flight to LAG that would have given them time enough to make the opening day game at the new stadium. I was there and saw the scenario. For some inexplicable reason, the gate agent bumped them down to let two other passengers on first and out of the standby list order. I was there and saw the hand written list (written in green ink I believe <---who is going to guess that one?.) This prevented the family from making the in between flight and the game. They were first on the list and should have gotten on the plane. Then New Yorkers, as they are, got hot and BSO was called in. Last I saw they were requesting a copy of the hand written standby list. The BSO officer had the list in his hand at one point, but I don�t know what happened after that; I hopped on the next connection. A gentleman I was sitting next to on the connecting flight mentioned that he "might have seen some sort of transaction take place!@*%???." Despite all this, the BSO officer, whose name I do know from seeing his name tag, appeared to take a very professional approach to the situation. To: Jesse Vogel and family - take heart. When I arrived at LAG several hours later - the man in the striped shirt and companion who apparently jumped the standby list looked much disheveled (shirt out - hair sticking up - rapidly speaking into cell phones etc...). They were still in baggage claim at LAG because their luggage was still on the delayed flight 604. Although you missed the game, there is some Poetic Justice... ;->
sound like they where late and should blame themselves not spirit airlines -