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Travelers’ confidence in Spirit Airlines could decline after thousands of cancellations over the past week essentially halted commercial air traffic to and from the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, industry experts say.
The airline, the only carrier at Unity Airport, has canceled daily flights to and from Florida destinations such as Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, as well as Myrtle Beach, SC, stranding some travelers and leaving others to cope with last minute changes in plans.
“When you have major meltdowns, it takes a while for an airline to rebuild the trust of its customers,” said Paul Hudson, president of FlyersRights, a nonprofit airline consumer group based in Sarasota, in Florida.
Spirit CEO Ted Christie said Thursday cancellations have been brewing for months after staff shortages, technology issues and an increase in travel, according to CNBC. He said the cancellations will continue as the Florida-based low-cost carrier recovers after “tens or hundreds of thousands” of customers were affected by the disruptions. It was too early for him to assess the financial impact.
“We couldn’t face it,” Christie said.
We are experiencing operational difficulties in certain areas of our network. Before heading to the airport, check your email and current flight status here: https://t.co/yuPJDPxeNu. The fastest way to get help is to visit our online chat: https://t.co/QnlZcUCMtk. pic.twitter.com/E176h8KHjN
– Spirit Airlines (@SpiritAirlines) August 2, 2021
North Huntingdon’s Meagan Bilik-DeFazio was among those clients when her flight home from Orlando was canceled on Monday after a family vacation. She remembers seeing long lines and upset and angry customers at the Spirit counter. Some had waited days with their jobs in danger at home to see their second and third new reservations canceled.
“I would have hoped to see some sort of situation on the bridge,” she said. “Everyone was scrambling to get some sort of advice, and we were told to just go and wait in that line.”
Bilik-DeFazio said he has started checking other airlines and rental cars. Enterprise gave them a one-way rental to drive the 5½ hours home. She said her family returned just in time on Tuesday morning to work as a judge at the Westmoreland County Courthouse.
She knows they were lucky.
“We’re just thankful to be home,” she said. “I will always travel with a buffer day in between.”
Six Spirit flights were canceled and two delayed at the airport outside Latrobe on Friday, according to tracking site FlightAware. This was equivalent to all commercial flights inside and outside the facility.
Spirit canceled seven flights and delayed four more on Friday at Pittsburgh International Airport. Only two other flights at the airport were canceled. Spirit Airlines canceled 37% of its total flights nationwide on Friday, up from more than 70% earlier in the week, according to FlightAware. Another 9% was delayed.
While expressing disappointment at the situation and sympathy for the passengers concerned, Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, said this week he remained optimistic that Spirit would resolve its issues and restore service. regular at Arnold Palmer Regional.
“I have no doubts it will come back,” he said of Spirit’s flight schedule, noting that the airline was “replacing some of the flights in the system”. It’s encouraging.”
“I’m sure if it were a prolonged situation we would be much more worried,” he said.
Recent investments at the airport, including widening and strengthening the runway and expanding the passenger holding area, were aimed at accommodating more frequent commercial flights. These improvements paved the way for a potential second commercial carrier.
There hasn’t been any development on this front, but Monzo said “the conversation is still open. I think there is always a chance. When airlines see an opportunity, they take advantage of it. They are very competitive.
Travelers have several options when faced with a canceled flight – getting a refund, finding another airline, and requesting hotel and meal vouchers, among others, said Omar Kaywan, co-founder of Goose Insurance, a smartphone app. which offers travel and insurance products. Such a situation can affect a traveller’s confidence in an airline, particularly after more than a year of restrictions on daily living intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Kaywan said.
“It leaves a bad taste in the mouths of consumers,” he said.
Disputing charges on a credit card can be a way to get money back in the event that refunds are not granted. Consumer complaints can be filed with the US Department of Transportation, and Hudson said those complaints can be copied to FlyersRights.
Bilik-DeFazio said she had no problem getting reimbursed for her family’s canceled flight.
Flight cancellations and delays have increased over the past month and a half as carriers have found themselves without sufficient staff available for an increase in air travel. Hudson advised travelers to have an alternative plan no matter who they are flying with.
“You can’t expect the flight to arrive on time or to arrive at all,” he said.
It was not known how long Spirit’s woes would continue to affect travel plans. Christie, the CEO, told reporters the airline plans to work hard to regain the trust of travelers. In the meantime, officials are working to fix the current issues.
“We start to take the turn and put our legs under us where we can start to rebuild where we were before,” Christie said.
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