Are Spirit Airline Tickets Refundable?
Now, to answer the question: are Spirit Airlines tickets refundable?
Basically, Spirit Airlines is among the leading low-cost air airlines with very attractive fares. But as you will see, it is one of the cheapest airlines, so a lot of people who are planning to fly with Spirit Airlines ask themselves a natural question: Are Spirit Airlines tickets refundable if I change my mind? Everyone is aware that airlines have strict refund and cancellation policies, and this article will help you understand these procedures at Spirit Airlines.
Spirit Airlines' Regular Tickets
The regular economy class ticket that you can book directly on the official site or in the application does not apply a refund policy. But it is possible to cancel your flight so as to make the necessary adjustments and get a travel credit. As a way of receiving a travel credit, there is the requirement that you have to cancel the flight at least 7 days before the flight. This travel credit is valid for 6 months from the date of purchase and can be used to purchase another flight with Spirit airline. cancellation policy is as follows: cancellation before 7 days before the date of the departure; no charges, cancellation between 3-7 days before the date of the departure; 25% of the total amount will be charged, cancellation less than 72 hours before the date of the trip, 100% of the total amount will be charged.
You can also opt to alter your flight for a particular fee rather than getting a refund. The cost of making modifications depends with the airline but expect it to range from $70 and other charges that may include the difference in fare of the new flight. Changes are needed at least 48 hours before your planned first departure or the change will cost a fee equal to one night's stay.
If you are refunded for your travel and Spirit Airlines cancels your flight, you are given a full refund to your mode of payment. You also get the opportunity to rebook with no change fee.
How Spirit Airlines use the Bare Fare Tickets?
On its website, Spirit gives Bare Fares, which is a category of fares on its own. These tickets are known to be the bare-bones version of getting a flight and they don't offer much in terms of service and they cannot be canceled or changed for any reason at all. If one has to cancel their Bare Fare Spirit ticket, then the money gets converted into the Travel credit, which does not have any expiry. This credit cannot be used to purchase any goods or services other than a future flight with Spirit Airlines.
Bare Fare tickets on Spirit do not allow the passengers to change or transfer their ticket to any other person. The sole circumstance is when Spirit decreases the speed or abandons your Bare Fare flight, thus making the client qualified for a refund.
Applying Travel Credits to Spirit Airlines
To wit, the spirit travel credits from a cancellation can only be used in the acquisition of other travel on spirit airlines. They cannot be transferred or used to pay for other charges, which may include extra fees. At least, this credit becomes rather useful because the credits can be used only with Spirit travel, and they do not expire; thus, one can use them whenever he or she wants.
If one is to make use of a Spirit travel credit to rebook a flight, then you will be required to incur an amount of airfare in case the fares have risen. You also must provide taxes and fees that are pertinent to the new ticket as well. When the new flight you book costs less than what you used under your original credit, Spirit is not legally bound to refund you for the difference.
Spirit Airlines Refund Times
Regarding when the money will appear once you are qualified for an actual refund to your original method of payment with Spirit, when exactly will that be? Spirit handles refund request procedures within 7 business days. In that case, you must allow some more time for the amount to get reflected on your credit card statement or any payment account of your choice. The majority of Spirit customers receive their refund through the credit card within a single billing cycle; nevertheless, this might not always be the case.
How to Claim a Refund because of COVID-19
Spirit Airlines has not been very flexible with their refund policy, even though they had some lenient measures due to coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, most COVID refund exceptions ended in the tax years 2020 or 2021. At the time of writing, customers are being directed to standard policies and travel credits in case flights are affected due to COVID.
Contractual immunity means that you cannot receive a full cash refund for a non-refundable Spirit flight solely because of COVID. However, some flexibility can be applied based on the request if you can present a proof of official COVID diagnosis for you or any person in your traveling party, ideally within the time frame of your travel planned.
Spirit Airlines has established itself as one of the leading low-cost airlines in the United States and one thing that sets it apart is the fact that it does not joke with its passengers™ comfort.
In most cases, the refunds or credits eligible from Spirit are not automatically issued and therefore, you have to write to get them. Spirit Airlines allows you to request a refund through their Contact Us™ page on the company's website. You are going to be asked for the confirmation code and other essential ticket information.
If you cancelled your flight through phone, then the agent might have already issued your eligible refunds or credits. It also does not harm to submit the request online too so that it can be as sure as possible. Documents and archives regarding refund claims are easier to find online.
Communicating with an actual contact person
In the case of other situations that are not clear regarding flight cancellation, the easiest way to proceed is to contact the customer service line of Spirit Airlines. Of course, COVID is a reason to have high call volumes, but speaking to a live agent is the best way to explain special circumstances why you could not fly and plead with them to lift the refund restrictions. A real person who answers the phone in the customer service department may also find the records of prior cancellations or credits faster than the automated instructions on the website.
PASSENGER RIGHTS Advocating for the rights of passengers has also become common, especially in cases where passengers feel that their rights have been infringed on.
It is always not a pleasing experience for both the airline and its customers to deal with flight changes and cancellations. Spirit Airlines is an ultra-low-cost airline company, and this makes it one of the companies that have strict policies for refunding and tickets that have been booked as non-refundable. Nevertheless, passengers are not fully deprived of some rights in some extraordinary circumstances.
This article will help you understand why Spirit Airlines may be considered grossly negligent by denying compensation or changing flights during large-scale disruptions and report your complaints to the US Department of Transportation if needed. They assist in defuse inflamed situations where airline companies are involved on one side and the complaining consumers are on the other.
The Bottom Line
The easiest way to get acquainted with the change and cancellation policies of Spirit Airlines is to look at the rules that are current at the time of your booking on its website. The fact that Ultra Low Fares are offered is in line with the understanding that tickets cannot be canceled under the standard conditions. Nevertheless, Spirit does attempt to take care of customers with travel credits where possible when there is a major schedule disruption. It is as easy to plan a trip with the policies in mind as it is to take advantage of the low flights offered by Spirit.