Spirit airlines refused to give us a cup of water at first

[canadiandisneymommy]

My brother and I flew from orlando to Detroit last night. The cabin was quite dry and my bro became a little dehydrated. They announced that they only sold water if you had a credit card which my brother does not own and I only had cash. My brother was so desperate he asked for a cup of water from the sink in the washrooms (I know, gross) and the attendant told him it was not meant for drinking. He just looked at us awkwardly and then walked away. We asked another flight attendant for a cup of water for the reasons above and she reluctantly gave us one 20 minutes later (no idea where it came from) for which he was so grateful for. So now I am curious as to whether even a charter airline should be obligated to give their customers cups of water on a flight if you are unable to pay for their bottled water. What are your thoughts?

 

[bsblady01]

all the airlines we use give you free drinks and snacks

 

[jdb in AZ]

I've always been given water/soft drinks for free too. If you're ever concerned it will be an issue (future reference) you can buy a bottle of water -- with cash -- after you go through security.

 

[KathyTX]

Spirit isn't a charter airline, they are an ultra low-cost carrier where EVERYTHING from carry on luggage to printed boarding passes to all beverages (including water) carry an additional, ala carte charge.

They make no secret of their policies, it would probably be wise to purchase a drink in the terminal before your flight if you travel with them again.

 

[DisneyBill]

Gosh, remember the days when people gladly accepted cash?

 

[bcla]

Gosh, remember the days when people gladly accepted cash?

No airline wants to deal with the possibility of employee theft or accounting with cash.

As far as Spirit goes, passengers have a whole boatload of things to be prepared for, whether it's picking the right baggage choice, arriving with snacks, or showing up on time. They are the least lenient airline in the US should a passenger make a mistake, forget to print up a boarding pass before arriving at the airport, etc. They will charge for everything unless you know exactly how to avoid these charges.

The one advantage I've seen is that they charge more for carry on than they do to check in luggage. They also make everyone prepay. The disadvantage is that they have a ridiculously low 40 lbs checked in baggage weight. The advantage is that very few people choose to pay more to carry on. The last time I flew Spirit there couldn't have been more than 15 carry on sized bags and pretty much no delay as people stood in the aisles or went searching around for an available overhead bin space.

 

[DisneyBill]

No airline wants to deal with the possibility of employee theft or accounting with cash.

If you're saying no airlines currently accept cash, that is inaccurate.

 

[bcla]

If you're saying no airlines currently accept cash, that is inaccurate.

Perhaps a bit of hyperbole since I'm not up on regional airlines, but what major US airline still takes cash for in-air purchases? In the past few years I've flown domestic on Southwest, Alaska, United, and Spirit and none have accepted cash onboard.

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/inflight/dining/beverages/default.aspx

Beverage options and product availability may vary by flight. All flights accept credit and debit cards only.

http://www.spirit.com/content/documents/en-us/Skymart_menu_card.pdf

Spirit snacks and drinks are available for purchase on-board with a credit card or debit card only. Products are subject to change/availability.

https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/inflight-experience/index-pol.html

Peanuts or pretzels are always complimentary as well as an assorted list of non-alcoholic beverages. Cocktails, beer, and wine may also be purchased onboard. All major credit cards are accepted, but we no longer accept cash. Use your Rapid Rewards® Visa Card from Chase for your onboard drink purchases and receive Double Reward Dollars.



This article was from all the way back in 2009:

Airlines want your money, but not your cash
Nearly all domestic carriers require plastic for onboard purchases
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/34331231/ns/travel-travel_tips/t/airlines-want-your-money-not-your-cash/

And there are plenty of benefits for flight attendants. “Personally, I love working a cashless cabin, said Heather Poole, a flight attendant who blogs frequently about flying. “Passengers don't spend the entire flight asking me if I have their change yet. And there was always that one passenger who would hand you a $100 in an effort to score a free drink or meal.”

This article only states one airline that still accepts cash as of 2013 (Sun Country):

http://www.farecompare.com/news/how-to-pay-for-snacks-and-drinks-on-your-airline/#/

But apparently it's out of date.

https://www.suncountry.com/page/1/buy-on-board.jsp

Buy On Board
Sun Country accepts the following credit cards for purchases onboard our aircraft: Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Please note, cash is not accepted.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

This is why we always take our own drinks on flights and I carry a credit card at all times. I probably would have just waited until I got off the plane to buy something. No telling where that water came from and I sure wouldn't drink from the sink.

 

[mom2rtk]

I wish they flew out of our city so I would even have the option of a lower cost carrier. I would gladly carry a bottle of water.

 

[Dizlvr]

My brother and I flew from orlando to Detroit last night. The cabin was quite dry and my bro became a little dehydrated. They announced that they only sold water if you had a credit card which my brother does not own and I only had cash. My brother was so desperate he asked for a cup of water from the sink in the washrooms (I know, gross) and the attendant told him it was not meant for drinking. He just looked at us awkwardly and then walked away. We asked another flight attendant for a cup of water for the reasons above and she reluctantly gave us one 20 minutes later (no idea where it came from) for which he was so grateful for. So now I am curious as to whether even a charter airline should be obligated to give their customers cups of water on a flight if you are unable to pay for their bottled water. What are your thoughts?

I don't think they should be obligated. You are the consumer purchasing the ticket so its your responsibility to know the airline policies. If they don't take cash, make sure you have a CC on you, or buy water after you go through security.
If it was a true emergency that is different, but no I don't think the airline should be obligated to give a passenger something because they failed to be prepared.

 

[Laura66]

How long was the flight? He just all of sudden became dehydrated?
I don't know - that's a no-frills airline abd that's how they keep costs down. They had water available for purchase - it's not their fault if passengers don't have cash or a credit card.
While it would have been nice - I don't really have or see a problem with the way they are operating.
You could have had a drink at the water fountain in the terminal or purchased water there as well.

 

[3Gsandme]

How did the both of you travel with nary a credit/debit card between you? I don't understand this idea.

Otherwise, spirit charges for their water. The person who paid 2.50 for their water probably isn't going to be thrilled if your brother is given a cup for free. They're a cut rate carrier so you pay for extras. Period.

 

[Jennasis]

They are not obligated nor should they be. Spirit is a mega budget airline, and I assume you were aware of this when you bought your tickets. I don't believe water from the bathroom sink is potable on airplanes so they likely couldn't give you a cup.

Had I been sitting next to/near you, I likely would have offered to buy him the water and let you give me cash.

 

[mnrose]

Sorry this happened to you. But, Spirit is NOTORIOUSLY a low cost carrier. I'll bet anything the reason you flew on Spirit (rather than another airline) is that they were the cheapest option for you. I don't know how anyone could get on a Spirit flight and be unaware of their policies. And, I've not been on any airline in YEARS that accepts cash. If you travel, you need a credit or debit card, period. I'd be very reluctant to travel without one regardless of any airline's policy on accepting cash. Unexpected things can happen when you travel, and you need a credit/debit card to cover the everyday things that can crop up.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Orlando to Detroit would be about a 2-3 hour flight. Unless your brother was already feeling the ill effects of dehydration, he did not become dangerously dehydrated on the flight. He was thirsty, and you should have been prepared for that too. As others have mentioned, you should have known their policy before boarding.

 

[BrianL]

Just so you know, the water from the sink in the lavatory really is not intended for drinking and it could make you sick (there is always a little sign on planes I've been on), however there is should be water available in the galley, which they use to make coffee and tea. Then again, on Spirit airlines, I dunno if they even have coffee and tea.

 

[Sparkly]

We fly with a airline that offers free drinks and in flight meals (transatlantic) and still buy a bottle of water from Boots before the flight.

 

[bcla]

I don't think they should be obligated. You are the consumer purchasing the ticket so its your responsibility to know the airline policies. If they don't take cash, make sure you have a CC on you, or buy water after you go through security.
If it was a true emergency that is different, but no I don't think the airline should be obligated to give a passenger something because they failed to be prepared.

Or bring your own empty bottle and fill it in the terminal. There's also an exception to the liquids rule if you've got an infant or even a toddler. We brought a few bottles of water on board, and even forgot a couple of cans of Coke. The TSA screener said that the Coke was a no go since a really young kid probably wouldn't drink it (but mine would). Then they'll take any water and put it through their explosives detector. In my experience, maybe two is the max allowed per child.

 

[bcla]

Just so you know, the water from the sink in the lavatory really is not intended for drinking and it could make you sick (there is always a little sign on planes I've been on), however there is should be water available in the galley, which they use to make coffee and tea. Then again, on Spirit airlines, I dunno if they even have coffee and tea.

I take the train all the time, and at places where they load water there are "potable" and "non-potable" fill hoses. It's the same water source, but I've heard that the non-potable connections are allowed to touch the ground. There might even be standards for maintenance with drinking water tanks compared to non-potable tanks. In any case, I've occasionally had some of the water on the train, and it's really odd tasting, like it's been absorbing all the metals in the tank. I suspect commercial planes are similar.