Well this is it, I leave tomorrow. What an odd feeling, vacation in Pa and NJ and home to Costa Rica. I had a great time! A HUGE thanks to all the friends and family that gave me such a warm welcome, took me shopping, transported me from here to there and back again, and just made me feel sooo happy to come back! But I miss my Mario and Costa Rica so I am leaving with mixed emotions. My leg is awful. I am really worried, the wound is black and the skin around it is red. I went to an internist and he wouldn't even touch it. He wants me to go to a surgeon for a possible skin graft. I explained that I was leaving on Sunday so he put me on stronger antibiotics and advised me to get to a doctor soon in Costa Rica. Mario made an appointment for Monday so I will go then. I think it is looking pinker and I have been icing it so the redness is less. Who knows how much damage I will do tomorrow with all the planes.
I was supposed to fly out of Atlantic City to Ft Lauderdale and then on to Costa Rica. When I got the confirmation today I noticed that it said Atlanta and not Atlantic City. I am flying Spirit for the first time since a) they are cheaper and b) I could buy a one way ticket. Costa Rican law says you need a ticket out of the country within 90 days when you enter. When I came in April I had a round trip ticket. That's how I just got back. Now I don't want to commit to a date so I didn't want to buy a round trip ticket this time. I bought a bus ticket to Panama. I read that this is acceptable. It is an open ticket that needs to be used within 3 months. Let's see if I can get by with this $14 purchase.
Anyway, I called Spirit in a panic because obviously I cannot leave from Atlanta. They say no problem for a mere $270 I can switch my ticket to Atlantic City, but wait there are no flights tomorrow. So I look and there are 6 flights from AC to Ft Lauderdale. Oh but the flight from Ft Lauderdale to Costa Rica is full so I cannot reschedule for tomorrow. OK I am not a rocket scientist, but if I HAVE A TICKET from Ft Lauderdale to CR why would I not be able to get a seat? Well it seems that the ticket is from Atlanta so you cannot reschedule only 1 leg and the flight is booked to CR. So I try again - if I reschedule then my seat is not being used so therefore there is room on the plane. Again I get the same answer. I demand to speak to a manager. No luck she reads from the same script and cannot think on her own. She tells me to call the Spirit desk in Ft Lauderdale and see if they will let me board the plane if I fly there from AC without changing the reservation (which would cost $150). So I look up the number and call, there is no Spirit desk in Ft Lauderdale but I can have baggage. The woman there tries to help, but there is no one I can talk to. She directs me to someone else who is a supervisor but that woman tells me she is much too busy to talk to me, can I wait on hold? 20 minutes later I give up. So after this 2 hour stressful interaction with Spirit I decide fine I will pay the extra money and book the flight on Monday. So I get the next moron err customer service rep on the phone and he says he will be more than happy to rebook. He rebooks me for a Tuesday PM flight. While he is confirming etc. I check again online for a flight tomorrow and voila! Now there is a seat. So I have him look again and he tells me oh yes a seat has opened - DUH could it be MINE that you just switched???!!! You could hear the light bulb click as he realizes this is what I had been saying all along. He says but I just booked you for Tuesday. I practically reach through the phone to strangle him but say in my sweetest voice through clenched teeth - but I really want to go tomorrow. I am waiting for him to say he can reschedule for another $270 but to my relief he says OK hang on and books me on the f-ing flight I asked for 2 hours ago. But now I get to leave AC - fly to Orlando - fly to Ft Lauderdale and then fly to CR. I will be travelling for 12 hours but dammit I will be home tomorrow!
Needless to say I won't be travelling Spirit again.
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Spirit... my love affair ended with them a long time ago. At first I was also lured in with cheap tickets but having to deal with them is a pain in the butt as you found out for yourself. If you have a problem with the whole 90 day visa thing and they do not accept your bus ticket to Panama in the pass I have purchased a refundable ticket at the desk and once I get to Costa Rica I go to there main office and receive a full refund. That's just in case, they get fussy. I now fly with American Airlines, they have decent prices and it really adds up to be the same if you think about because Spirit charges you for luggage and AA doesn't. Jet Blue flies out from Orlando, haven't tried them yet but have heard good things. Hope your leg gets better. Have a safe trip.:-)
ReplyDeleteI've had great experiences flying from Chicago to San Jose (or vice versa) on Mexicana, 4 times so far. They're consistently the cheapest, the always serve free meals and booze, they're polite, and they let you have 2 checked bags free. I liked Spirit for their prices too, but they don't allow pets EVER and like you noted, they're jerks.
ReplyDeleteWow Sounds great - but it looks like I have to fly out of NY and there's no way anyone would bring me there! My parents live close to Atlantic City so I think I am stuck with Spirit.
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