Wednesday, May 10, 2017

That's the Spirit!

Globe doesn't have it:

"Stranded passengers’ melee at Spirit Airlines should be no surprise" by Christopher Muther Globe Staff  May 09, 2017

While video of the brawl among stranded passengers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport over delayed and canceled Spirit Airlines flights was disturbing, the incident comes as no surprise, given Spirit’s abysmal record on delays and cancellations, combined with its long-running dispute with pilots over contracts.

They never even got off the ground?

The melee occurred Monday night as hundreds of passengers demanded to know why they were stranded. The cancellations stemmed from an ongoing labor dispute between Spirit Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association, International. Pilots are arguing for better contracts, which they say are currently below industry standards.

The US District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a temporary restraining order against the pilots union to stop a work slowdown that has resulted in hundreds of flights being canceled. The slowdown has yet to cause disruptions at Logan Airport, but a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Port Authority said, “We are expecting there to be cancellations in the coming days,”

Tempers often flare at Spirit’s ticket counters and baggage-claim areas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The terminal is under construction and is often overcrowded. Somerville-based pilot and blogger Patrick Smith said he once witnessed a similar scene at the airport.

“It was like nothing I’d ever experienced at a US airport,” he said. “A great, noisy, sweaty throng that acted less like a group of people waiting for their bags than a gang of barbarians preparing to sack a city. There were women shrieking, babies crying, and people throwing things. Total mayhem.”

The move comes less than a day after skirmishes broke out in Spirit Airlines’ Fort Lauderdale terminal because of canceled flights.

The Monday night showdown had been a long time coming. No-frills Spirit was already infamous for cancellations and delays, even before its dispute with the pilots. It was inevitable that angry, frustrated customers would act out....

All of the sudden the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting makes sense. He lost his mind because of the lines.

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Stay away from airports and cities as society collapses.