Spirit Airlines pilots declared a strike at 5 a.m. Saturday, and walked-out on labor contract negotiations after more than three years of bargaining for better salaries and benefits.
The discount carrier immediately canceled all its flights for Saturday.
At noon Saturday, about 20 uniformed Spirit Airlines pilots were crowded at the far ends of the terminal, holding up signs and walking in a circle four at a time.
Passengers were at the terminal dealing with agents who were refunding the costs of the tickets, but several passengers were irate because they say they are receiving no further guidance about how they can get back home on other airlines' flights that are much more expensive than the original ones purchased through Spirit.
Tony Ward, 55, and his wife, Thea, of Chicago are trying to get back after a Caribbean Cruise Line trip. Tony Ward said, I have to come out of my pocket to get back to Chicago." He added: "They don't want to talk to me. I'm kicked to the cub".
He said that because he booked everything through Caribbean, Spirit is refunding his money to his travel agent rather than to him.
"I won't mind if those pilots stay out for a long time and bankrupt them," Tony Ward said.
Many passengers expressed empathy for the pilots and are upset with the way they are being treated by Spirit, saying they are not getting much help beyond the refund for their one-way tickets.
Rubi Davidson, 31, of Ontario, Canada, was trying to fly back to Detroit. The cost of the flight from Fort Lauderdale to Detroit on Spirit was $100. Flights she is looking at now are at least $900. She said she is frantically calling family members to get funds to return to Detroit, then drive back to Canada.
She expressed disappointment not only in Spirit, but with the pilots, also. "I'm upset with the pilots. I think they got good offers they refused," she said.
In a news release, Spirit Airlines said it had offered pilots 30 percent pay increases totaling $70 million over five years, net of productivity improvements. They also would have retained a four-day off break between each trip, the statement said.
"We are frustrated and disappointed that our pilots have turned down an over 30 percent increase at a cost of over $70 million over five years, while disrupting thousands of our customers and jeopardizing the livelihoods of our over 2,000 employees," Spirit Airlines President and CEO Ben Baldanza said.
