If ever there were a company dedicated to proving you get what you pay for, it's Spirit Airlines—the budget carrier often named #1 when it comes to customer complaints and not arriving on time. Those who've never flown with Spirit might know the company best for its borderline-raunchy ad campaigns. Those who have flown on the airline probably know it best for nickel-and-diming them with a plethora of extra fees for everything from bringing a single carry-on bag to printing a boarding pass.
Now under new management, the company is looking to improve its operations as well as its reputation, all while keeping fares in bargain-basement territory. The overhaul includes doing away with the provocative advertising, attempting to improve on-time performance, and placing an emphasis on customer service for a change. The annoying extra fees will stay in place, but the company will make an effort to make them less of a nasty surprise, particularly for travelers who book through third-party sites. Spirit has already starting sending emails to some of those customers, explaining the airline's fee structure and offering 24 hours to cancel.
It's a start.
