Christina Spicer  |  July 7, 2021

Category: Covid-19

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(Photo Credit: Skycolors/Shutterstock)

A Florida couple says that Spirit Airlines duped consumers into purchasing “shortcut boarding” upgrades despite knowing that strict loading and unloading protocols mandated during the coronavirus pandemic would render them useless.  

Lead plaintiffs, Anthony Pochiro and Barbara Kuhns, want to represent other Spirit passengers who they say were duped into paying $5.99 for a boarding upgrade that the airline knew they would never be able to use. They say that despite regulations enacted at the start of the pandemic, the airline continued to market the upgrade into January of 2021. They accuse Spirit of deceptive business practices.  

Spirit’s “Shortcut Boarding” upgrade purports to offer passengers on the “no frills” airline the option to get on the plane sooner and have first dibs on coveted overhead storage space.  

The couple says that they paid a total of $11.98 for the Shortcut Boarding upgrade on their Spirit flight to Cleveland in December, but watched helplessly as the plane was loaded from back to front per COVID-19 health regulations mandated by federal and state authorities during the pandemic.  

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, various state, federal, and local regulations made Shortcut Boarding either impracticable or illegal,” says the class action lawsuit. “Yet nine months into the pandemic, Spirit continued to sell Shortcut Boarding as an option and retain the money it charged from these sales.” 

The plaintiffs say the airline owes them and other passengers refunds for the deceptively marketed service. They accuse Spirit of breach of contract, violating state consumer protection laws, and unjust enrichment.  

Pochiro and Kuhns want to represent a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased Shortcut Boarding upgrades for their Spirit flight at any time after April 1, 2020. They are seeking damaged from the airline on behalf of the Class Members, as well as a court order that would force Spirit to stop deceptively advertising the Shortcut Boarding upgrade.  

Did you buy a “shortcut boarding” upgrade from Spirit during the pandemic? We want to hear about your experience! Tell us in the comment section below.  

The plaintiffs are represented by Joshua Harris and Michael J. Pascucci Eggnatz of Eggnatz Pascucci, PA, and Jay R. Carson of Wegman Hessler.  

The Spirit “Shortcut Boarding” Class Action Lawsuit is Pochiro, et al. v. Spirit Airlines, Inc., Case No. 0:21-cv-61343-XXXX in the U.S> District Court Southern District of Florida Fort Lauderdale Division.  


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16 thoughts onSpirit Sold Useless ‘Shortcut Boarding’ Upgrade During COVID, Says Class Action Lawsuit

  1. Charlotta Walker says:

    Add me

  2. barbara says:

    Bought it in Oct. 2021 for myself and my husband. Also paid to pick my seat . I didnt get the ones we chose

  3. danielle barnes says:

    I thought I was the only one. I purchased shortcut boarding and boarded last. And my friends I traveled with didn’t pay for shortcut boarding and got on way before us. Made absolutely no sense. I’m glad someone’s calling them out.

  4. Kathryn says:

    Add me

  5. Annette Ochoa says:

    I purchased this add on in March 2021 not only did they not honor the add on but I checked in thru the spirit app and when I arrived at the airport they told me I never checked in and would not allow us to board the plane because they said I wouldn’t have time to get thru security (mind you the airport was empty) AND the flight was boarding earlier than expected. I missed my flight and never got a refund or discount not even a sorry

    1. Lisa patton says:

      Same happen to me in Las vegas during covid 2020

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