Several Spirit Airlines passengers have filed a federal civil lawsuit against the carrier alleging that the carrier's cheap fares, which become much more expensive after fees are tacked on, are deceptive. The 11th Circuit has ruled that Spirit Airlines may be liable under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act for hiding a "passenger usage fee" among government-imposed fees and taxes.
The case, Bryan Ray et al. vs. Spirit Airlines, alleges that Spirit committed "predicate acts of mail and wire fraud involving the concealment and misrepresentation of airfares and user fees."
Spirit Airlines charges a passenger usage fee for online ticket purchases, provides nothing for it, and hides it among government-imposed fees and taxes, a customer claims in the federal class action. "Spirit is employing an 'ancillary revenue model' which forces consumers to pay unbundled charges that have traditionally been included in the total price of an airline ticket," the lawsuit claims.