These are the words of the CEO at Spirit Airlines regarding a Vietnam Vet…To ill and dying…to make his flight and the outcry over
refunding the man $197.
“A lot of our customers buy that insurance and what Mr. Meekins asked us to do was essentially give him the benefit of that insurance when he didn’t purchase the insurance. Had we done that, I think it really would’ve been cheating all the people who actually bought the insurance … and I think that’s fundamentally unfair.”
“We feel very badly for Mr. Meekins, however, this is a country and society where we kind of play by the rules. And he wanted to really not do that and that’s really not fair to the 10 million other Spirit customers and that’s why we made that decision.”
Yep, that’s Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza.
Oh…He had OTHER things to say too…Regarding customer complaints which his company is collecting at more than twice the rate of any other carrier and that was BEFORE his refusal to refund the $197 to Mr. Meekins…A United States Marine…Retired.
Of customer complaints, Baldanza said, “That’s an irrelevant statistic.”
Allow me to address Baldanza directly.
LISTEN UP BALDANA…YOU SORRY WASTE OF BREATHABLE AIR…..
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THIS COUNTRY!!!
YOU WOULDN’T MUCH LIKE THIS COUNTRY OR THE RULES WERE IT NOT FOR MR. MEEKINS AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS LIKE HIM!!!
MEEKINS PUT ON A UNIFORM AND WENT TO A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE AT A VERY DANGEROUS TIME TO FIGHT IN A VERY UNPOPULAR WAR!!! THERE IS A DAMN GOOD CHANCE THAT HE WASN’T WELCOMED HOME WITH A TICKER TAPE PARADE EITHER.
IN FACT, YOU WEASEL, I WOULD BET HE WAS SPAT AT WHEN HE WALKED DOWN THE STREET, CALLED BABY KILLER AND GENERALLY SCORNED ALL BECAUSE HE WORE HIS NATION’S UNIFORM!!
HE DIDN’T START THAT WAR. HE DIDN’T DECIDE IT WAS WORTH OUR SOLDIER’S LIVES. HE WENT ANYWAY BECAUSE HE DID PLAY BY THE RULES!!!!
YOU SAY YOU HAVE 10 MILLION SPIRIT CUSTOMERS. HAVE YOU CHECKED THAT NUMBER TODAY? CHECK IT AGAIN 
TOMORROW. AND THE NEXT DAY AND THE DAY AFTER THAT. I’LL BET YOU START SEEING A TREND!!!
Those who have any stock in this blathering fool’s airline…sell it now while it’s still worth more than the paper upon which it is written.
Those who work for Spirit Airlines should polish up their resumes. They could well soon need them.
Before I call you a greedy heartless excuse for a human being, readers should know that Spirit is one of only 2 airlines that charges for carry on bags…And that charge is going up…To $100.00 per bag!!
Now then…YOU GREEDY HEARTLESS EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING…
FACEBOOK IS STACKING UP LIKES ON A PAGE DEDICATED TO BOYCOTTING YOUR LOUSY AIRLINE FASTER THAN YOU CAN COUNT YOUR DWINDLING CUSTOMER BASE!!!
HOW MANY OF YOUR SOON TO BE FORMER 10 MILLION CUSTOMERS, I WONDER, ARE IN THE MILITARY, RELATED TO SOMEONE IN THE MILITARY OR KNOW SOMEONE IN THE MILITARY? I’M GUESSING IT’S QUITE A GROUP!!
YOU…YOU EARTHW
ORM…HAVE ALIENATED A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO STICK TOGETHER REGARDLESS OF THE BRANCH OF SERVICE TIGHTER THAN 3 SKYDIVERS TO A SINGLE CHUTE!!!
Now, allow me to explain this Marine, Jerry Meekins, to you.
He made plans and booked his seat on YOUR airline to fly from Florida to New York to be at his daughter’s side when she was to go into a hospital for surgery. That was before he discovered that his throat cancer was terminal and his doctor advised him not to fly.
He called your airline and asked about a refund. Your airline said no way.
Marine Meekins DROVE to New York…BECAUSE HE IS A MARINE AND FAMILY MEANS MORE TO HIM THAN HIS OWN HEALTH.
Two days ago, this Marine was on Fox and Friends. THEY handed him $200.00 because you WOULDN’T REFUND HIS $197.00. You know what he said?
“Thank you but it’s not about the money.” THAT’S WHAT HE SAID BECAUSE HE IS A MAN OF PRINCIPLE WHO WAS NOT AND IS NOT LOOKING FOR A HANDOUT!!!
Then he said he would GIVE THAT $200.00 TO WOUNDED WARRIORS!!!
IS ANY OF THIS GETTING THROUGH TO YOU…YOU MEAT HEAD????
THIS MARINE…76 YEARS OLD…IS DYING…AND HE GAVE THE $200.00 TO WOUNDED WARRIORS!!!!!
There is no such thing as an EX Marine and this guy is still trying to save his brothers and sisters while he himself is dying.
BALDANZA…YOU DECIDED TO STAND ON PRECEDENT RATHER THAN SHOWING AN OUNCE OF HUMANITY. IS IT WORTH IT?
IS IT?
FOR $197…YOU COULD HAVE MADE YOUR MONEY GRUBBING CARRY ON BAG CHARGING COMPLAINT RIDDLED AIRLINE A HERO TO HEROES. BUT NO…YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE IT THE VILLAIN INSTEAD. YOU COULD HAVE TRANSFERRED THE TICKET TO A DYING MARINE’S DAUGHTER…BUT THAT ALSO WENT AGAINST YOUR PRECIOUS PRECEDENT.
Am I being too hard on this moron and his airline?
According to Fox News, Spirit was “fined $100,000 in 2010 by the federal Department of Transportation for not recording and responding to the complaints regarding the treatment of disabled passengers. In 2009, Spirit paid a $215,000 fine after the Department of Transportation penalized it for the way it bumped passengers from oversold flights and handled lost or damaged baggage.”
Remember those complaints which Baldanza says are… “an irrelevant statistic?” Here’s how Baldanza responded to one such complaint in 2007 when, instead of sending his email to a colleague he hit “reply all” and sent it to the person who actually FILED that complaint: “Please respond, Pasquale, but we owe him nothing as far as I’m concerned. Let him tell the world how bad we are. He’s never flown before with us anyway and will be back when we save him a penny.”
Since you don’t give a damn about those who fly on your airline, why then should they give a DAMN about you OR your airline?
YOU HAVE MADE THE MOST EXPENSIVE $197.00 MISTAKE IN HISTORY BALDANZA AND IT’S GOING TO COST YOU MILLIONS!!!
I AM ASKING OUR READERS TO SPREAD THE LINK TO THIS ARTICLE EVERYWHERE. ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND THROUGH THEIR EMAIL. I AM ASKING IT TO BE SENT TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE THEY KNOW IN THE MILITARY AND TO ANYONE THEY KNOW WHO KNOWS SOMEONE IN THE MILITARY!!!
IF YOURS WAS THE LAST ARLINE ON EARTH, I’D WALK TO WHERE I NEEDED TO GO!!!
I AM NOT CALLING FOR A BOYCOTT, BALDANZA…I AM CALLING FOR THE VOLUNTARY GROUNDING OF YOUR ENTIRE FLEET BY PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THOSE WHO STAND UP FOR OUR COUNTRY.
BALDANZA…KARMA IS YOUR MOTHER AND THAT MAKES YOU ONE WORTHLESS SON OF A…!!!!!
UPDATE!!!
After days of hammering by media and bloggers and 1.5 hours after the posting of THIS article through social media outlets INCLUDING the Boycott Spirit Airlines FB page…Spirit Airlines the the Weasel CEO have reversed their decision.
I stand by my commentary…every word of it…and continue to feel this airline NOT be flown!!!
The explanation by Baldanza given today for the reversal is weak…lame…and does not appear sincere. It is a cave in due to the overwhelming response to Spirit and Baldanza’s stupid comments earlier in the week.
I will soar with eagles and NOT fly Spirit and I will continue others to seek other airlines to do business with in the future.
Craig, I object to you calling Baldanza an earthworm. It is offensive to earthworms. They do the gardening world a lot of good. Whereas, Baldanza…
Lynn,
I meant no insult to earthworms.
My description revolves around the fact that earthworms and Baldanza are invertebrate subterranean creatures who’s primary function is to emanate crap. As apt a comparison as I could make.
Tell Conrad I said Hey!!
I am a disabled woman, a mother to both a son and a daughter who did military duty: my ex-husband and my present Husband were both Vets of Vietnam: I am the Mother-in-law of an ex-Marine, and my EX son-in-law is still in the Corps. And for the CEO of Spirit Airlines to treat this disabled Marine vet as he did makes my blood boil. $197?? So little as compared to what this Marine paid with his blood, sweat and tears! The money could have been refunded quietly, with no fanfare, and no one would have been the wiser! But now, everyone in America knows that $197 is more important to Spirit Airlines than a dying man getting to the bedside of his daughter, who is facing surgery. How is THAT publicity working for you, Mr. Baldanza??
What can I say Craig ? That’s a Home RUN for the National Patriot, A Bull’s eye for the sniper ! Great piece Craig … GBU my friend …
B.B.Baldanza is a sociopath who never served the country from which he benefits. He only understands, and cares about, money. To him people are money, honor is money, success is money. He’s spent his life lurking in the background while others risked their lives protecting the commonweal so he could slither in and profit even further from their broken bodies. His brand of evil is a cancer to this republic more devastating then the esophageal cancer now claiming a true hero.
With any luck, history will repeat itself in metaphore – Crassus was the richest of the three Romans in the first Triumvirate. Crassus is said to have have been greedy. As Plutarch says: “before he went upon his Parthian expedition, he found his possessions to amount to seven thousand one hundred talents; most of which, if we may scandal him with a truth, he got by fire and rapine, making his advantages of the public calamities.” He died in pursuit of wealth from Asia. The Parthian king received the dead body and poured molten gold down Crassus’ throat to punish him for his greed.
Spirit Airlines, et alia, deserve no less.
I completely sympathize with this Veteran and hero, but also completely disagree. When he purchased that ticket he entered into a legal contract with Spirit Airlines. He had the opportunity to purchase insurance for $14 but decided not to do so. He voluntarily took on the risk that he wouldn’t be able to use or transfer the ticket. Our country is a country of laws. Contracts are legal and binding. How will capitalism ever work if that’s not true? He made his decision and I don’t see how his position, that he is entitled to something he was offered but chose not to purchase, is the principled position. I don’t care if Spirit Airlines “cares” about me as a customer. What I care about is if they provide the service that we agreed to when I purchased their ticket. If they had allowed him to be a special exception, they open themselves up to claims by everyone else who wants flight insurance without paying for it. I can almost see them lining up behind him waiting for him to win. Bonehead PR move by Spirit Airlines, but I’m on their side in this one.
The way the Spirit manager responded was just disgusting! He wanted it to seem he was just being honest. Yes, America has held pretty decent standards and the majority of citizens still do, in spite of our miserable leaders.
To take this dying man’s money under such circumstances & refuse a refund is unconscionable. Definitely un-American! What did he get for his money? Certainly not the protection he paid for since he didn’t even fly.
Shame on Spirit! I won’t be using them with their so-called lawfulness. No heart and no humanity. Just greed!
You nailed it, Craig. I’ll be sharing with my network of military wives and veterans. Born and raised Navy, married to a soldier with 35 years in, sending my brother off to Marine bootcamp this weekend….Yeah, I have quite a network and we don’t forget easily.