Spirit says they're imposing the fee as a way to offset distribution costs. Which sounds dubious, considering the costs of staffing a ticket counter and printing actual boarding passes versus operating a computer (or even a call center) and letting customers print their own boarding passes.
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Thanks, Jason!
"...to offset the bla bla bla"
i dont care why there are new fees, ever.
the existance of them is enough of a frustration without some bullshit justification.
]]>I tried using my bank's bill pay a few months ago because they have a relationship with NMSL, but NMSL totally borked the payment. They applied $45 to the bigger loan, and $25 to the smaller loan. That's right, they underpaid one of my loans. Luckily I had checked NMSL online to make sure the payment went through correctly so I ended up using their website to fix the underpayment...idiots. I should repeat this again so when they screw up I can call and yell at them.
]]>I surprised they don't have a counter fee. That way Spirit gets extra money no matter what you do.
]]>We knew the flight that we wanted to buy, we kept an eye on the prices for a few weeks, bought the tickets when they were as low as we'd seen them go, I kept checking to see if they'd go any lower and they didn't.
The only hitch was that two weeks prior to the flight they canceled our 9am flight and moved us to the 7am one. That was clearly communicated to us and sure it sucked getting up a little earlier, but no problems with it once we were there. We had a lap child with us and a stroller to check at the gate, everyone was very helpful on and off the plane. Our flight was on time, our attendants were professional and pleasant, and we had no problems at all.
]]>I just realized something... When you buy a Spirit ticket online, I'm pretty sure you get a 5 dollar "discount" per flight for buying online. So if you were actually going to go buy from the ticket counter, you wouldn't be saving anything at all. Ha, pretty soon the only way you'll be able to buy Spirit tickets is through Ticketmaster.
]]>@AlteredBeast: Haha, yeah, when the ticket counter is closed, since they have no outgoing flights at that time.
]]>They even charged you that for paying by check.
Was ridiculous.
]]>I would rather walk to my destination than fly Spirit Airlines. I'd spit in the CEO's face if I could.
Yes, I hate Spirit Airlines, can you tell?
]]>Future "convenience" charges:
Paying by check, phone, cash, online, auto bill pay, in person etc.
Congratulations on deciding to pay again by physical check.
You have just earned an A+ in home economics.
The day that I have to start paying to pay my bill online is the day that paper checks start flowing again and I will buy stock in check printing companies and make a killing.
]]>One of my three student loan servicers recently started doing that, too. They changed data processors and began charging a $1 fee to pay your bill, unless you paid it on either the 1st or 20th of the month.
I buckled down for a few months and paid off a $5K loan, all because what works out to $12 a year in fees infuriated me.
]]>The free online bill payment through my bank that is.
Read.... then post
this seems backwards. While I understand the costs associated with keeping an online system in place, I have to assume that keeping a person at a counter is more expensive when compared to how many people/hour they help, which would lead me to assume that you should get charged at the counter, but no where else.
]]>I'd agree, you can get often get good deals, but what bothers me is the advertise a $59 flight and then charge you $38 in "fees".
]]>"offsetting distribution costs" = "we're making it up, we just want more of your money"
]]>"Well isn't that what I am already doing when I buy your lemonade?"
"...Just pay up bucko"
]]>These days tickets are so cheap that you can use a better carrier if there is such a thing.
]]>Ah yes, the TicketWhore penality.
]]>I've given up trying to reply to comments. Nothing works for me.
]]>@Casimir Couvillion:
I was thinking the same thing. Also, damn this reply button issue still!
Spirit Airlines - taking a page right out of the ol' Ticketbastard playbook.
]]>/Snickers
]]>Can they narrow it down further?
The fee applies unless you purchase the tickets at the counter between 2:15am and 2:45am.
]]>Their policy is below
----
Convenience Fee: For the convenience of using any of Allegiant Air's booking services (inclusive of call center) there is a fee of $13.50 per traveling customer. Purchases made at any of Allegiant Air's Airport Ticket Offices will not incur a Convenience Fee of $13.50 per customer. All fares are subject to change until confirmed and purchased.
Booking Fee: Customers that have purchased travel through the Allegiant Air call center will be charged an additional $10.00 per segment per passenger.
]]>How is this "offsetting distribution costs"? If a customer does all the heavy lifting - research the flight times, make the online reservation, pay with a credit card electronically, and print out the boarding pass at home - just exactly what is Spirit "distributing"?
Oh wait - they are distributing their debt to the buying public. Aren't we lucky?
]]>Won't fly them, anyway.
]]>