FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Chantel Otero, a wheelchair user, was among the Spirit Airlines customers who said they had been stranded at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for nearly three days.
Otero was traveling with her two children from Puerto Rico. Amid a series of cancelations, she was at FLL and her husband was at San Juan Airport Monday trying to get back home to Houston. But the ultra-low-cost carrier headquartered in Miramar released a statement saying they were still dealing with “operational challenges.”
“Unacceptable, disfunction and a headache to my children,” Otero said describing the experience after several cancelations.
For most customers at FLL’s Terminal 4, the issues began this weekend. There were people of all ages sleeping on the floor and taking turns to charge their phones. Some took public buses to get food and come back. Despite the risks of the Delta variant, there was a lack of social distancing.
“We needed to make proactive cancellations to some flights across the network, but the majority of flights are still scheduled as planned,” Erik Hofmeyer, Spirit Airlines director of communications said in a statement.
A video showed customers who needed to get to FLL were stranded in the Dominican Republic. Some chose to bang objects on the plastic dividers at the counters and shout. On Sunday at FLL, a woman described the situation at the Spirit Airlines counter as “a Zoo.”
“First they delayed it one hour, then it was delayed a second hour, and then it canceled on us, and it was a mad rush. It was like everybody ran for the ticket booths,” Bill Chambers said Sunday morning about his flight to Philadelphia, adding he is considering taking the train back home.
Officials at FLL said an operations team was helping some stranded travelers and said the airlines’ difficulties had nothing to do with any pilot/crew strike action.
“You get what you pay for,” Jim Harris said, adding he was considering taking a bus back home.
Some Spirit Airlines customers like Sandra Yepes decided to walk over to the neighboring terminal for United Airlines to find flights back home to Denver.
“The problem is buying tickets at the last minute is not easy and they are very expensive, like three times more expensive than a week ago,” Yepes said.
Spirit Airlines released a statement Monday:
We’re working around the clock to get back on track in the wake of some travel disruptions over the weekend due to a series of weather and operational challenges. We needed to make proactive cancellations to some flights across the network, but the majority of flights are still scheduled as planned. We understand how frustrating it is for our Guests when plans change unexpectedly, and we’re working to find solutions. — Erik Hofmeyer, Spirit Airlines director of communications
Related social media
Waited in the airport for 6 hours yesterday due to a cancelled flight and spirit said they would cover our hotel. We just spent $40 for 9 people to cover What spirit said they would 🤬 #spiritairlines
— Hayden Henson (@henson_hayden) August 2, 2021
The @FLLFlyer airport was packed this morning. Half of @SpiritAirlines flights were cancelled. I was lucky to still be able to fly, but an hour and a half after the scheduled departure 😤. What’s going on with Spirit? Bad experience.
— Elijah Manley (@iElijahManley) August 2, 2021
There are no flights going out. Not just in Orlando but throughout the country. Pilots are on strike till Monday. #spiritstrike #spiritairlines #spirit #flightsCanceled pic.twitter.com/Dzt2cjzQHD
— Matilda Lucas (@chilumat) August 1, 2021
@SpiritAirlines still waiting for my dm to be answered 🗑 🗑 Two days stranded at Newark airport. 🗑 t 🗑
— Julio (@jrios695) August 2, 2021
Line for @SpiritAirlines front desk at Austin international Airport. They cancelled everyone’s flight from Austin to Atlanta at 9:33am when the flight boarded at 1:15pm. Earliest reschedule is August 5th. Good thing we gave them billions of stimulus money #fuckspirit pic.twitter.com/78V9r7IU9H
— David J. White (@_DavidJWhite) August 2, 2021
Local 10 News Reporter Janine Stanwood contributed to this report.