16. Tony is right. If we ALL stopped flying until they treat us better- they'd change their policies REAL fast.

Jamie at 2:22PM on Aug 29th 2007

17. Just another example of people not wanting to take responsibility for themselves, anyone knows if you have tickets or have to be somewhere, you travel the day before to be sure to get there... My stepson almost missed his brothers wedding due to a delay, but he could not get away from work any sooner, than day of wedding...

Judy at 2:22PM on Aug 29th 2007

18. AirTran issues too! Flying home from Florida on a Thursday and the connecting flight was delayed so we were not going to be able to get out until TUESDAY!!! 5 DAYS LATER!!! No storm trouble in the country - no winter storms - no reason to hold us there for 5 days! When we asked if there was anything they could do to help us they told us either take the ticket for Tuesday or book with someone else. We were not being rude - which is more than I can say for the reps at the counter. No help at all. I don't like the customer service at AirTran and would not book with them again - even if it did save me a penny!! I was out hotel bills and lost pay. Delays are normal and we can live with that - but on the airline should extend help to assist stranded customers, not dismiss them.

Flora at 2:24PM on Aug 29th 2007

19. People are getting exactly what they asked for. The airlines are having to cut employees, park or sell their airplanes and anything else they have to do to get by. This is all so people can save a few bucks. They use the internet to make all their arrangements which put the travel agent out of work. Then the get pissed off because their plans are screwed up. When you want to pay $19 to fly somewhere, don't expect to get treated like royalty! Flying anymore is like riding the bus, although probably worse. At least you knew what you were getting on Greyhound. Wake up people, you are getting exactly what you deserve!!

gsnets at 2:27PM on Aug 29th 2007

20. This might be stating the obvious, but it's not the delay itself for which they are seeking compensation but the loss caused to them because of the delay. The airline essentially rendered their concert tickets and hotel reservations worthless. If it's the airline's fault, the demand for reimbursement seems reasonable to me.

Sam at 2:28PM on Aug 29th 2007

21. Ada, with regard to your comment about that $ 300.00 charge for the infant..you've just given good reason why people should use travel agents. That charge is nothing out of the ordinary for an international flight. All lap children are charged appx. 10% of the adult ticket price. However, you should have been informed of that on the website. About this subject...My opinion of the CEO is that he is probably correct...but out of line. Only reconfirms what most of the traveling public thinks of the airlines these days. That they are contemptuous of the public.

April at 2:32PM on Aug 29th 2007

22. Southwest is a great airline... great customer service and the people who work there just seem to care. I mean, delays, cancellations, etc. are just part of the deal when you travel by air. But it is nice when these things happen to have people who actually seem concerned, or at least sympathize with your inconvenience. The only airline that I have consistently experienced this with is Southwest. Now... I may not care for their cattle call boarding process, but hey... its all part of the deal. US Air has to have the absolute worst customer service... without a doubt! But that Spirit e-mail seems to sum up the whole industry's mood toward the customer.

CJ at 2:30PM on Aug 29th 2007

23. I'm surprised this complaint was received and entertained at the CEO level. Nonetheless, it seems to be a growing business practice lately to aggressively expand the 80/20 rule (80 % of your business comes from 20% of your client base)to a new level. If the client is not immediately profitable for the company, cut them off at the knees. (Verizon did this in NYC recently by discontinuing service with 1,000 who had complained or requested customer service help "too often" - as defined by Verizon. Side note - No - I am not one of the 1,000!)

I suppose this is great for the stockholders and top level company execs but it won't build long term consumer loyalty.

Lina Maini at 2:53PM on Aug 29th 2007

24. Airline fares are soooo low these days, lower than ever. We're flying from Ft. Lauderdale to NYC/Phila for $150-200 - what do we expect!!! Gasoline alone would cost more than that if we drove. The flying public also needs to take some responsibility. People can be so rude and inconsiderate to other travelers and employees. We need to be a little more realistic with our expectations and our planning. If you're flying an airline with just 1 or 2 flight to a city, you could be in deep s__t with a delay or cancellation. An airline with more flights and lots of connections is a better bet if you're time-sensitive.

OK, just my two cents. Peace

Albert at 2:30PM on Aug 29th 2007

25. Hey what the guy said wasn't entirely out of line. Its no big suprise that you should expect delays and that they can take hours when you're flying and if you dont budget your time properly then that's your problem. Why should you get an entire trip for free because you missed a concert? Its not like they didn't do any other shopping in the area, or traveling around and if missing a single concert is so horrid then boohoo its not the end of the world. Everyone thinks that a complaint nets a refund... whats wrong with this country?

aynsley at 2:33PM on Aug 29th 2007

26. The CEO is absolutely right. The reason we have horrible service is because consumers are price-sensitive about air travel and so many of them will choose airlines based on saving $10 or $20 on the fare. That's not to insult consumers-- there's nothing wrong with them thinking that price is most important. But if price is the most important thing, and the consumers aren't going to be loyal to Spirit Airlines, there's really no reason why extraordinary requests from the customer should be honored.

I tend to concentrate my flying on one airline (which means I will sometimes pay more than the lowest fare available). Not coincidentally, when I have had customer service issues, that airline looks at my frequent flyer account and has been very accomodating.

The American public has decided that what they want out of airlines is cheap airfares. Indeed, airlines that have tried to offer better service at a higher prices have almost always failed. Given that, there's going to be lousy service.

Dilan Esper at 4:36PM on Aug 29th 2007

27. One of my best friends got fired a few months ago over a similar e-mail snafu except, well... the last line of a personal email he was sending someone he was trying to date somehow jumped onto his work e-mail and got sent out, so the entire nationwide company knew he wanted to lick her @$$hole!

B at 2:35PM on Aug 29th 2007

28. This kind of complaining is awesome. What did all of you people expect when the airlines filed bankruptcy to get out of their union contracts? People in the United States should have stood together and demanded that these actions cease. However, most Americans just stood by and watched as the airlines shredded contracts and 1000's of jobs. So, now there is a shortage of competent workers to handle all of these problems in the airports and on the planes. So, in my opinion you all get what you deserve.

james grooms at 8:24PM on Aug 31st 2007

29. I for one have grown weary of the poor attitude and lack of customer care notjustfrom the airline industry but from the business world in general. I have also worked within the avation industry and tell you for a fact that this kind of response should never be the norm or tolerated. While my company did not work directly with the consumers it did provide a service to the airlines. They may not want to pay because of a delay they caused but when one of their undertrained gate agents runs a jet bridge into the door of a plane and causes damages an airline does not mind placing the blame on the shoulders of someone else and asking for compensation. I for one think the next time an airline places expectations on one of the vendors who provide service for them, they may want to take a step back and reconsider the attitude with which they treat their own customers.

anne at 2:36PM on Aug 29th 2007

30. Quit your belly aching, whatsa matty wit you? Have you ever had a perfect flight with no hitches? Did you ever compliment the airlines? Have you ever done anything imperfect in your life?

Haas Hyamine

Haas Hyamine at 11:35AM on Sep 4th 2007