Spirit gets a little nasty this time.
Spirit Airlines got a bit nasty this time with their web based advertising when they put up a message to anyone visiting their website that said:
“New government regulations require us to HIDE taxes in your fares. This is not consumer friendly or in your best interest. It’s wrong and you shouldn’t stand for it.”
It’s dark, ominous and just kind of mean spirited. The truth is, consumers have made it crystal clear for years and years that they want the base, all in price for their air fare. If Spirit thinks this will win over customers to their side in a public spat, I’m pretty sure they’re wrong this time.
Spirit has had a tendency to be rather brazen with their advertising and, frankly, while I think it’s in bad taste, it’s certainly their choice and it certainly never has been publicly inappropriate. Nor is their latest message. They are free to criticize but I think they made a mistake in their calculations this time.
Spirit wants to continue advertising fares that make it seem that someone can travel a thousand miles for $9. Well, you can’t and never you could. Their own somewhat deceptive practices have been eliminated and Spirit has no way to up the ante this time.
Fly ’em if you want. I may even one day board their aircraft but don’t kid yourself into thinking they are the champion of the consumer. Just take a look at their a la carte pricing.
Excellent. Flying a 1000 miles for 9 dollars was always a load of crap. Unfortunately, many thought it was real! As you say, Spirit is free to run its business any legal way it sees fit, but well done DOT for putting a stop to this stupid next to nothing fares that are a load of rubbish and sucker consumers in.