Passenger rights in the event of a delayed flight by Spirit Airlines

When you fly, the trip may not go quite as you imagined. The flight may accumulate a long delay before leaving the airport.

When a flight is delayed by Spirit Airlines, the passenger may not be entitled to compensation but rather to food when the cumulative delay on the flight exceeds two hours, and to assistance from the airline.

The air carrier is liable for damage resulting from a delay in the air carriage of passengers, baggage or goods. He cannot dismiss his responsibility, and be exempted from reimbursing the passenger and providing him with assistance and food at the airport while waiting for his plane to take off from the airport. It will not be enough for him to invoke difficult atmospheric circumstances, technical incidents or, even more vaguely, security imperatives: he will have to justify them.

What is important for the passenger is not the delay itself but the consequences of this harmful delay. The traveler who, due to a three-hour delay, has missed his connection and bought a ticket at full price will ask for a refund, if necessary in court.

If the passenger suffers damage as a direct result of the delay recorded on his flight with Spirit Airlines, such as a hotel night lost or an important business meeting he was unable to attend, he cannot claim a compensation to the American company, but only a refund.

Support for flight delays

In the event of a delay of 2 hours of additional waiting in relation to the departure time (departure delay), or in the event of cancellation or overbooking, you are entitled to support:

– Reasonable amount of food and drink;

– Phone calls;

– One night and transfer if necessary.

In the event of a delay of more than 3 hours, you can cancel your flight and request a full refund from Spirit Airlines.

Right to housing near the airport

If the expected delay between the scheduled departure time and the actual departure time increases to such an extent that you are obliged to extend your stay by one or more days, the airline is also obliged to provide accommodation. Transportation between the airport and the place of accommodation is included. Spirit Airlines does not offer you accommodation? Then you can look for accommodation yourself in a reasonable proportion and request reimbursement of the costs from the airline later. It is also important to retain proof of purchase.

Missing a connection due to a delay

Booked a connecting flight and your flight was delayed as a result of which you missed your connecting flight? You may also be entitled to assistance in this case. In the event of a missed connection, the delay you will experience after taking a replacement flight will be taken into account. If this delay is more than three hours, you may be entitled to a refund.

When to request a refund after a flight delay?

You can choose to cancel your trip if your flight is delayed for more than three hours. If you choose not to travel further, Spirit Airlines is required to refund the ticket price for the parts of the journey you did not complete. If you are only halfway through your trip, you are entitled to a return flight to the first departure point.

In the event of a delay due to exceptional circumstances, you are entitled to care and accommodation if necessary. If Spirit Airlines does not offer this, you can request reimbursement from the airline later.

Have you requested a ticket refund and have not received your money? Then you can reclaim your refund from Spirit Airlines by contacting their customer service.

10 Replies to “Spirit Airlines: Delay”

  1. Jennifer Richie

    Now I see why it’s NOT worth it to try to save a few bucks with Spirit. First time I ever experience a flight delay, flight changed from 6:30am now to 9:30am. Thanks for throwing my whole Saturday off Spirit. Get it together already.

  2. Lori Robinett

    Your customer service is a joke. Had a flight to Vegas on 05/18/2023 that was scheduled to leave at 9:48 pm. While waiting to board, received notification that our flight had been delayed till 10:15 pm, then another one for 10:30 pm, then another one for 11:48 pm, but wait there is more. At midnight the ticket counter person told everyone that the flight had been rescheduled for 10:15 am that morning. We were told that it was due to weather, but more on that later. As per your policy, customers are entitled to care and support if the delay is over 2 hours. This care and support is to include food, drink, phone calls and one night and transfer if necessary. If over 3 hours we are allowed to cancel our flight and request a full refund. Your counter people offered none of these options as soon as all passengers were notified that their flight had been delayed for 10 hours. They turned the lights out and left leaving passengers, some who had travelled over 2 hours to get to PDX with small children, to fend for themselves in an airport with no food or drink options available at midnight. Passengers went back to their vehicles in the parking garage and slept, some slept on the floor of the airport, which is gross, others curled up where they could till the new departure time of 10:15 am. When we finally boarded the flight, your flight staff told some of the passengers that they had to be flown in that morning from Vegas in order for our plane to leave PDX. Are you kidding me. What kind of business plan is this? I understand that your tickets are at a discounted price, but once you add up for purchasing your seats, paying to either check your luggage or pay for your extra carry-on, it is comparable. Spirit you need to do better.

  3. Debi

    Never fly with them. I was scheduled to leave vegas 5:40pm, changed to 6:218pm sat in the aircraft for 2 hours, advised to get off and get food. Scheduled for (the next day!) 12:00am, rescheduled for 6am. Offered $50 bucks. Have to find a new flight out, missing work. Disgusted

  4. Christian De la cruz Gonzalez

    We have a flight from myrtle beach SC to Chicago IL on 5/8/2023 flight was supposed to take off at 12:05pm it is now 1:35 pm and we are still waiting to take off. no updates while waiting and the gate attendants were nowhere to be found, until 1:00pm when the flight attendants started opening the gates to board the flight. No communication to any of the passengers until we boarded the flight, and now they are low on fuel so they are refueling the plane horrible experience

  5. Yael Santiago

    I just wanna express my absolute disgust with spirit airlines. yesterday I was supposed to take a flight out of Orlando at 6:15 PM and the flight got delayed three times. We did not board the plane until 8:38 and did not get home in Connecticut until three in the morning because the flight did not land until 11:30 p.m. no one ever gave us an explanation as to why the flight was delayed. We were under the impression that we would get a free snack throughout the flight however, that was not the case. They charged for whatever we bought and they did not have much of a selection. No kids snack box or coffee. I probably wouldn’t have mind the delay but I lost a day of work due to getting home so late and my daughter was not able to go to school due to the delay. I was traveling with three children one of the age of four the other is two and they were very very tired, aggy and uncomfortable due to so much time we had to wait in the airport. My 12 year old who is autistic head tantrum after tantrum after tantrum. It was just chaos. I have very bad experience. I’m not sure I ever wanna fly Spirit again. While I understand Things happen sad that there is nothing to compensate for our troubles. It gets really frustrating.

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