Great Stepping Stone to a Career in the Airline Industry
Very exciting place to work where no two days are alike.
Spirit was my first airline job and it's easier to be hired by them than by any other airline. That makes it a great way to get airline experience on your resume, which is half the battle if you're trying to break in to the industry.
The work is similar to any other airline customer service job: checking in people at the ticket counter and overseeing disembarkation and boarding at the gate. However, people seem to get angry much more easily when traveling, especially considering Spirit's "unbundled" business model where they charge for everything separately. This isn't a job for the faint of heart: you will be yelled at (this is mostly beyond the airline's control) and you will be expected to keep a positive and calm attitude throughout the transaction. If a flight gets delayed or cancelled, you may not be going home until all those passengers are taken care of. Your shift ending time is really more of a suggestion, but that's true of any airline.
I think it's worth it, though, because the high stress of the job means you form a close bond with your coworkers that I haven't really seen in other customer service industries. I had no issues with the management who, in my observation, treated all agents fairly. It was easy to pick up additional hours or give away shifts and you were free to work as many extra hours as you wanted. After 3 months, you get free standby travel privileges (you only pay taxes) on Spirit
This would be an amazing job, and an amazing company, if management wasn’t so caddy and played favoritism. It’s actually quite comical running my own business now and seeing just how badly ran this airline was and is today. I no longer fly on or use this Airline for any purpose!!!!! I’ve seen things that really bothered me, safety wise, That’s just me. You also need to take into consideration that I was let go by the company. You decide. I’m just telling you like it is. The Union is a JOKE. I was a “Line Holder” coming in on a turn. A plane sat for hours. No crews. No supervisors. Just two ramp agents and a gate agent that was obviously messing with the ramp agent. Standing there telling you all that you have a flight. I said where is my supervisor. Where is anyone. Such urgency. I was later fired for trip refusal. My trip the day of Fire was yet another pickup trip while on a trip for an injured flight attendant. Scheduled trips are A134, when they change they go through the alphabet. Mine were AAA387 they had changed my trip and flight so many times in one day they had no idea where I was. I was fired while deplaning my PAX, by post it note. They said they contacted me. I didn’t have a cell phone that month. The crew never received a call. Supposedly only myself. Also the very next month. Same exact line. Same exact trip. Same exact flight. Same exact issues. A young Female Flight Attendant was fired. For the same exact thing. She NOT BEING a Line Hold. At her hearing th
ProsTravel
ConsNever home, horrible pay, travel is impossible. Awful scheduling and management to owners.
When you get hired by a company, regardless of the experience you bring to them AND ESPECIALLY IN commercial aviation,you're going to work the graveyard shift. That said, for newbies in commercial aviation learning the A320 IF you don't have any experience on the Airbus, the graveyard shift is where you need to be. IN FACT, if you want to actually WORK on commercial aircraft and do all the other fun stuff that comes along WITH that privilege, like run ups and taxi and so forth, when you learn the 3rd shift life style,this is actually THE shift to be on! >>>UNFORTUNATELY<<< and through my personal experience, THE LAST PLACE you'd want to "do" the graveyard shift is actually at the airport many want a career, AT ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT! (MCO) The very pathetic agenda, of your co-workers, across the board, is a narcissistic troubling one that makes an employer bad enough, let alone on a shift where most are NOT accustomed to in the first place and where the NORMAL STRESS is already at it's peak due to the fact that the aircraft MUST depart on-time in the morning.BUT, connect this fact with a group of mechanics, lead mechanics, QA inspections, supervisors,ESPECIALLY supervisors and an entire "other shift" AND a station maintenance manager that will embrace the of baring false witness against others and do so "just because" DOES NOT make for work environment conducive to longevity. And, isn't that fact, the name of the game?
To THAT END, when co-workers attitudes revolve
ProsThere are NO PROS at Spirit MCO Aircraft Maintenance Department
ConsI believe I've made it crystal clear
1.0
Customer Service Representative | Florida | Jan 17, 2015
Any job is healthier for $9/hour
At the initial orientation, Herb Sklar will inform you that Spirit must be the first priority in your life (literal and actual statement). They mean it. Not one tardy, sick day, bereavement day- No exceptions, no matter the circumstances within the 6 month probation period. Not much better after probation. My original FLL class began with 12 trainees. After 3 months there were 3 of us left. You are expendable and Herb and Sonia will reward your countless hours of effort by letting you and all co-workers know it. All seats are over sold. This is done intentionally because it is still legal. What this means is that in the absence of "no shows" the latest check-ins WILL be bumped. Also, as an employee, you'll have little chance in enjoying your Stand-By flight benefits; even if you're able to board, there's no guarantee of return date. If you miss your shift, you're fired. Vacations are difficult enough to plan- at Spirit you get 2 days off/week. Arrangement for shift coverage- good luck. Planes are utilized round the clock. Expect PLENTY of mechanical delays and angry passengers (*Note- if ATC can detect weather, Spirit will cite weather over mechanics as reason for delay/cancellation. Passengers receive no accommodations) You will be prisoner until passenger issues are resolved- several times weekly. Volatile encounters and environment. Supervisors- anyone whose willing to shoulder additional liability in exchange for a $4 pay hike; often times not the most "qualified" or "p
ProsFree travel when it can happen (rarely)
ConsPay, treatment, stress, benefits, lacking appreciation for ethical employees, etc...
Working on the ramp at Spirit was an extremely physical position, the culture at Ft. Lauderdale was very segregated with various ethnic groups requesting to work together. In the airline business it's all senority based. Managers, Supervisors and other leaders all came and went quickly, therefore leads to hiring underqualified agents to replace leader positions with no understanding of the operation, nor the education or problem solving skills needed. The ramp is a very dangerous work environment not for the weak mental or physical, everyone must work as a team in order to accomplish such tasks asked of everyday. The key to a good fair work day are the ramp coordinators, they assign your flights accordingly, they play favorites with longer tenured agents, and friends, it was a horrible unfair experience for me and my crew. The company allows some very questionable behavior, so unless you damage an aircraft, you'll always have a job. The Union has gotten a lot better, the pay took years to jump up but now it's at fair starting rate.
I Learned a ton about the airline business and loved the job, everyday was different, I became a leader quickly there and was proud of my position. It's very easy to advance, with in just 1 year I've seen agents become supervisors. If you show good character and reliability the company moves you up quickly. Opportunities were endless. Flying perks are okay but flying standby can be very tricky. I loved my schedule, and also liked the
HORRIBLE PLACE TO WORK....RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!! DONT DO IT!!!
As I see yet another job posting for Customer Service Supervisor for Ghetto Spirit Airbus of an airline I just cringe.....
In all of my years in the airline industry this is by far was the WORST place I ever worked. Not only dont they not care for their customers, but the employees are treated even worse.... the management team in FLL promotes setting up employees for failure....there is little to no encouragement to succeed.
I actually got to witness and hear management discussing how to set up employees to be ultimately be terminated. Most were employees that have been there for a while. There was always the threat of getting written up looming over them.
I actually was given a performance review and the manager stated.."YES u do a great job but you dont write enough employees up". They had me do these idiotic performance evalutions on agents to find their weaknesses and write them up for it, instead if encouraging and mentoring to do better.
And don't let start how many employees I saw get fired that did not deserve to be..and .the backstabbing between managers and supervisors alike was horrible.
In the short time I employed in this place...I would come home completely drained physically...because the "title" of Supervisor in this company means you take the brunt of everything that come from passengers, from employees and management.
Its really is a shame how this company gets away with these tactics. No incentives for the employees, bad treatment
ProsGoing home at the end of day without a migraine...
Ats been a long time since things have been happening and now it seems like things are falling apart. There are no real benefits and what is there can be turned off on you at a moment. I and other employees saw that happen to use last fall. The hours are up and down so if you truly want 40 hours you’ve got to ask your co-workers if they’re willing to give you some hours. Management seems to be a bit heartless now a days. Many of the experienced workers are jumping ship so at the moment they are short staffed.
Not really an interesting job the pay is a bit better than other airlines but after that there are no interesting perks. We don’t have any relationships with other airlines so you’ll have to pay full price. The only thing you can look forward to is the paycheck every two weeks. That’s about it. Supervisors are watching what staff they do have left like a hawk would. Your left alone a lot especially being short staffed.
I gave the rating a two star mainly because of the pay but not a job to go to if you want to advance in the airline industry. It’s more of a starter job if you want to get your foot into the airline industry and then it’s better after you have your experience to go and work for the big three airlines or even international.
This is the kind of job to have if you have another one that has good pay every week, good benefits, possibilities of growth. Then you have this one to make some extra money because that’s really all they have as you will be part ti
ProsThe pay is better than other airlines offer, If you already have a good job somewhere else but just need some extra cash.
ConsManagement also acting as HR, revolving door employment, benefits are nothing to write home about, breaks are not really in effect it’s more like when the supervisors remember.
As a new hire flight attendant, you're excited for the journey that you are about to embark on! However, the luxurious lifestyle of aviation quickly crashes and burns there. Your seat is oftentimes a 90 degree make-shift chair that is crammed onto a fully loaded Airbus. This seat that you'll be conducting your safety review at is also dangerously close to the lavatory, which is just a fancy name for the toilet. With all this said, you took this job because you wanted a journey - it definitely was NOT for the pay because you'll only be paid for flight hours. Not for when passengers are boarding or deplaning which oftentimes is the most stressful part of the flight. You will find yourself on reserve for only a few years at this carrier! This is definitely a perk compared to legacy carriers. Spirit Airlines has many interesting US destinations so you'll find yourself routinely exploring cities like Baltimore, Houston and San Juan! Those seem to be the most popular right now as I write this review. Unfortunately, there are only a few select international layovers and those have become scarce with COVID. We were fortunate enough to not have to furlough anyone during the pandemic, however, recent meltdowns have left the company with shortages. There's no supervision and that's something I really enjoy. Most coworkers can be really cool and laid back but there's been an uptick in flight attendants turning in others for ridiculous breaches in company policy for the chance of better s
ProsFlight Benefits, Health Benefits, Many Days Off
No excuse for abuse, harassment and total disrespect !
With little exception, EVERY member of this not-so-illustrious "management " needs an IMMEDIATE crash course in anything and everythiSpiritt the likes of what Dale Carnegie has to offer. In my over 3 decades in the airline industry I've never witnessed such "across the board" pestilence on SUCH a wide-scale The pathetic and obvious lack of experience is witnessed through their collective MISERABLE demeanor and ESPECIALLY during the periods of the NORMAL chaos of a typical flight day. (And FORGET ITwhen the "you know what" REALLY "hits the fan!") The witness of the inability to rationally CREATE A SOLUTION for the conundrum at hand with the work force at hand...as a team...was at times amusing to watch! To witness the drama created for no other reason but for management to EXIT and wash their hands of any particular scenario...in the face of what should be resolve for the flying public...is likely the reason this airline will inevitably fail. This corporation needs to get a genuine grasp of the environment that ITSELF CREATED and PERPETUATED...or they...like so many other examples in the history of commercial aviation, will be nothing more than icon of how miserable and dismal an airline can be. (Especially for its employees)
Just query the employees of those who flew and worked for the OLD US Air...or Eastern Airlines!
SWA is genuinely kicking the booty of the industry for an obvious reason! Best to grasp THAT concept more sooner than later Mr & Mrs Spirit!
ProsThe aircraft environment CAN be thrilling. Not in this case however.
Crazy and Stressful Workplace with Mandatory Overtime Daily
This workplace is very stressful. Management is very poor, therefore, work ethic is also very poor. The workers felt threatened to become Unionized and management fought this very hard, and made lots of fake promises. Workers are underpaid, have long hours, and are subject to mandatory overtime. Customers are rude, and management lack understanding. Most times you have to wait forever to take breaks due to flights and cancellations, and delays. It's a madhouse with operations and the rigorous requirements - standing on your feet in one place for long hours, lifting heavy overweight bags and customers arguing with you constantly! Unless you like stress and standing long hours, and having no set time to go home, and people constantly irate and inconsistent management, I would not recommend working for this airline. Don't waste your time- unless you are like fresh out of high school, and have nothing else going and just need to build up your resume or make some quick cash, do not go there!!! Stay away!!!! Staff members are nice and friendly, but some management really behave as if they have a stick up their butt! Do yourself a favor, and stay away from Spirit Airlines. The culture there is different. It's sink or swim once you get out of training, and an every man for him or herself type of environment.
ProsFlight benefits for you and your family even if you work part-time; giving away shifts after 90 days
