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The Spirit Airline Boycotters Are The Real Thugs
5/18/12 | John Alan

Posted on 05/18/2012 7:56:31 AM PDT by not romney

All the judge had to hear in the Spirit Airlines vs. Vietnam veteran case was, well just that, dying Vietnam war veteran vs. Spirit Airlines tightfisted CEO Ben Baldanza. In fact these were the precise terms used by Foxnews reporter J. Miller. However the judge in this case ended up being thirty thousand Facebookers threatening a boycott against Spirit Airlines.

Jerry Meekins, a Vietnam vet and cancer patient was told by his doctor not to fly. Spirit Airlines is a no-frills airline and charges for 'every extra' in order to offer rock bottom prices. This is were the problem began. Spirit Airlines has a strict, well publicized no-refund policy and Jerry is a Vietnam vet with cancer. Seems like an open and shut case, Jerry wins


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous; Society; Travel
KEYWORDS: airlines; boycotters; spirit; thugs; vanity

1 posted on 05/18/2012 7:56:41 AM PDT by not romney
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To: not romney

When rules create PR nightmares, it is time to make exceptions. It takes these types of issues to make the corporate types realize that inflexibility can have runious results.


2 posted on 05/18/2012 8:01:46 AM PDT by rstrahan
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To: not romney
They don't have to ask me to boycott Spirit Airlines, I haven't flown with them in 5 years because of their cheap pettiness and lousy service. Delta isn't much better, but they stand far above Spirit...

Mike

3 posted on 05/18/2012 8:02:51 AM PDT by MichaelP (The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools ~HS)
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To: not romney

Contracts are meaningless now that we live in Ubamaland.


4 posted on 05/18/2012 8:03:14 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Do I really need a sarcasm tag? Seriously? You're that dense?)
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To: not romney

No refunds means no refunds, it is a published policy.


5 posted on 05/18/2012 8:12:51 AM PDT by svcw (If one living cell on another planet is life, why isn't it life in the womb?)
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To: MichaelP
Spirit may be petty and cheap, but they have prices to match.

Flight choices are no different than supermarket choices.

We have a local grocery chain called Sav-a-Lot. You pay for grocery bags, bring your own or use empty boxes they may have lying around.

They also have very limited selection.

But their prices are as good as or better than the local Wal-Mart.

So, if they have what I want, I'll go there and skip the quarter mile walk from the parking lot at the local Wal-Mart super store.

A quick in and out is worth the minor inconvenience of bringing my own grocery bags and limited selection. Generally, I view food as food. You eat it to live.

Some people view airline transportation the same way.

6 posted on 05/18/2012 8:17:31 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: not romney
If someone wants to boycott a company because they disagree with a stance a company has taken, that hardly makes them a "thug". It's their money. They can use it how they want. If they want to organize with others who feel the same way and conduct a "boycott", there's nothing wrong with that.

If you disagree, then you can spend YOUR money with that provider to offset one of the boycotters.

It's called freedom.

7 posted on 05/18/2012 8:47:29 AM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: rstrahan

The board should have already FIRED the CEO. He is too stupid to run a lemonade stand, let alone an airline. What the guy should have done was quietly mailed the vet his own personal check, with a nice note thanking him for his service, and hoping that this helps a little but, considering all that the guy’s going through..


8 posted on 05/18/2012 10:51:34 AM PDT by ken5050 (FRACK Obama!!!)
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To: ken5050

The CEO did exactly that. And donated $5,000 to the Wounded Warrior charity on top of it. This information was in the article.


9 posted on 05/18/2012 11:31:16 AM PDT by Turbopilot (iumop ap!sdn w,I 'aw dlaH)
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To: Turbopilot

After the fact..not before all the bad publicity they airline received..


10 posted on 05/18/2012 11:42:00 AM PDT by ken5050 (FRACK Obama!!!)
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To: rstrahan

Sorry I screwded up, I failed to include the link to the rest of the story the first time I posted it. Here is the link to the full article. I’d like to hear you thoughts.
Thanks,
John

http://teapartyorg.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-spirit-airline-boycotters-are-the-real-thugs


11 posted on 05/18/2012 1:10:29 PM PDT by not romney (screw the gop)
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To: MichaelP; E. Pluribus Unum; svcw; Vigilanteman; MEGoody; ken5050; Turbopilot

Sorry guys I screwded up, I failed to include the link to the rest of the the article the first time I posted it. Here is the link to the full article. Please let me know if the full context changes the way you feel one way or the other.
Thanks,
John

http://teapartyorg.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-spirit-airline-boycotters-are-the-real-thugs


12 posted on 05/18/2012 1:26:44 PM PDT by not romney (screw the gop)
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To: ken5050

In other words, after he’d heard of it. How else would the CEO find out? He’s not spending all day in his call centers reviewing every customer service decision.


13 posted on 05/18/2012 1:51:14 PM PDT by Turbopilot (iumop ap!sdn w,I 'aw dlaH)
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To: Turbopilot; ken5050

The point I was trying to make was that now with the internet and fast mass communication it’s even easier than before to churn up emotion against a particular inividual or even a company. I have issues with Ann Coulter on many things, but her book Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America, has to tie into this story somehow. I might even read her book after this all. On this particular incident I just feel Spirit got a raw deal.
John

http://teapartyorg.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-spirit-airline-boycotters-are-the-real-thugs


14 posted on 05/18/2012 2:22:04 PM PDT by not romney (screw the gop)
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To: MEGoody; ken5050; Turbopilot

If someone wants to boycott a company because they disagree with a stance a company has taken, that hardly makes them a “thug”. It’s their money. They can use it how they want. If they want to organize with others who feel the same way and conduct a “boycott”, there’s nothing wrong with that.

My issue with the boycotters is more along the lines of having all the facts. With social media it’s easier than ever to whip people people into a frenzy. Look at OWS, most don’t even know what they’re protesting, I think it was the same thing that happened here.


15 posted on 05/18/2012 2:32:18 PM PDT by not romney (screw the gop)
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To: Turbopilot
Just catching up after being away this weekend..

IIRC, from the original articles when the story first broke..after being turned for a refund by several customer service people, including a supervisor..he then wrote directly to the CEO, and was again rebuffed. That's when the story broke nationally.

Now, EVERY, and I mean EVERY CEO in America has a bright young thing..of more than one...an executive assistant..someone on the fast track..among whose duties is to read every letter and/or email sent directly to the CEO..screen the nut jobs, the cranks...and see the the boss gets to read the important ones...which is what happened..it got bumped up the the CEO..and he initially upheld the airline's no refund policy. And that, I submit, makes him TOO STUPID to be allowed to run an airline..

16 posted on 05/21/2012 6:04:22 AM PDT by ken5050 (FRACK Obama!!!)
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To: not romney

I agree with the author’s premise. Not sure what the headline has to do with it, however. I’d hardly call someone who chooses to boycott a “thug”, even if they are misguided.


17 posted on 05/21/2012 1:06:37 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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