The Spirit Airlines website as it appears at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
[Updated at 10:31 a.m.] Spirit Airlines is working with the with the company that oversees its computer systems to fix problems with their reservations system, Misty Pinson, Director of Corporate Communications for Spirit Airlines told CNN.
“All flights are operating and we have not had any cancellations. We are very proud of our employees for stepping up and ensuring that our customers are checked in without an automated system.”
Scott Wintner, a spokesperson for the Detroit Metro Airport told CNN, Spirit Airlines have been going back to old pencil and paper system - checking people in manually. Instead of checking people in on a first come, first serve basis, agents have been taking people into groups and checking them in based on their departing times. That has led to agents being unable to give passengers approximate wait times.
And if you're flying Spirit you probably won't be able to get any help online either. As of the time of this posting it seems the computer crash has also led to the website being down.
At 4:30 this morning the line was through the entire terminal earlier this morning, Wintner said, adding he had never seen a line like that at the Detroit airport.
[Posted at 10:03 a.m.] As if there weren't enough concerns about trouble at the airports today - Spirit Airlines computers have crashed on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
"Our system is currently down, but we expect it to be up again shortly. In the meantime, we are checking in customers manually. Although this does take a bit more time, we do have additional staffing at our airports today and we are getting customers to their flights on time," the airline said in a statement to CNN affiliate WDIV. CNN affiliate WXYZ said Spirit Airlines told them the system is down for “routine maintenance” and would be back up in two hours.
WXYZ reported the issue was causing long lines at the terminal where Spirit is located at Detroit Metro Airport and that several flights are delayed because passengers are having to be checked in by hand by the airline's agents. WDIV reported check-ins are not working online or at the airport kiosks.
So if you're traveling with Spirit, here are your options: Call Spirit Airlines customer service at (800) 772-7117. They may be able to offer you a full refund, rebook you on another flight, or rebook you on a flight with another airline.
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I think that the saying – You get what you pay for – applies here.
I would never fly Spirit after seeing that they now charge for absolutely everything. What is with them anyway. Will they soon charge to go to the bathroom and breath the air in the plane.
Even simpler. Spirit has... like... 5 airplanes. So they are a legitimate "airline?" LOLZ!
The systems are down so there is no way for spirit to issue refunds through the reservations department!
Brilliant observation, and thanks for the bj, "BJ!" LOLZ!
Folks, if EVER there was an airline that wasn't worth flying... it's SPIRIT. Seriously, by the time you get nickel and dimed for everything, go ahead and spend a FEW extra dollars and fly a different airline. SPIRIT is a 'third world airline' operating in the USA.
Spirit Airlines is the worst and most unprofessional airline available to fly. This is Karma and they get what they deserve having their computers crash. Don't expect anyone to help you in customer service either. You will end up trading e-mails with someone who hides behind a computer screen. I feel for all those effected by this but this is Spirit's MO....chose another airline and don't fly Spirit.
"Routine" ... you took your computers down for "routine" on the busiest travel day of the year...LOL! You either have a new low in Customer Service or a new high in creative lying here!
Welcome to IT service. You never admit that a crash was a crash. It's always routine maintenance or an upgrade to better serve you rather than inconvenience you.
I agree, nothing routine here. If I was in their IT department and had initiated this "routine" maintenance I think I'd be updating my resume.
But you would be updating your resume on your laptop, not their computer system.
LOLZ! They don't even have their OWN IT department. They outsource it!
Yes, they will be able to "manually" check you in; however there will be a $75 charge for having to speak with a live person.
Thank you for calling Spirit Airlines, my name is Peggy...
Yeah, they probably offshored-their IT like so many companies have...like everyone has said, you get what you pay for.
Peggy. LOL!
roflol.....you're so right!
My kind of crash............... nobody died.
Fail! Unforunately, I have to fly on Spirit this Saturday for vacation. After seeing the amount of fees they charge, and their deceptive "$9 Fare Club" (which actually costs $19.95 for a "trial" and then $59.95 a year), I wish I could have used another airline. Unfortunately, this was a package deal and I had no choice. These guys are awful.
Well Chris, I am not certain that you are a man, or a woman. Chris is just so... non-specific – just like your post. Sorry that you had a "package deal." I guess that you have now learned not to play with your package, eh? LOLZ!
Spirit will not book passengers on another airline, so that should not even be suggested. They don't have any ticketing agreements with any major airlines, which means they don't agree to pay the other airline the full fare of the ticket if they send a passenger there. You get what you pay for. This is what consumers get by choosing to fly Spirit. A fare 10 bucks lower than Delta, American, Southwest, etc but 10x the headaches.
Not quite correct – some of the passengers on the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson were originally booked on Spirit but were moved to US Airways because of a problem.
Spirit's call center is off-shore, way off-shore in India. Who'd have guessed ? Their IT dept is pretty clueless on a good day. Too much time and resources are spent internally tracking employee activities.
All this fancy technology is great when it works, But I can only imagine a chaotic world coming to a grinding halt because the electrons are not flowing properly. I still have a manuel typewriter, a mechanical drawing board, and a generator with a full gas tank.
How are WDIV (NBC) and WXYZ (ABC) both CNN Affiliates?
WBNS (CBS) is an affiliate also. So I guess the network doesn't matter.
I flew Spirit yesterday for a third of what it would cost on any other airline. I had absolutely no hassles from the time i purchased the ticket online until the moment I got off the plane at my destination...on-time and inexpensive!
I've flown Spirit several times with no problem. I'm not happy with the new carryon fees, but I've never paid for a seat – I always wait to be assigned by the airline and then change at the airport. Never a problem.
I love to take a direct flight to my destination without having to worry about missing airport delays.
Do I like their customer service – no. But so few companies provide decent customer service these days.
Lucky you. Care to repeat your logic-defying foolishness again? And please report back to us. Thank you.