Spirit Airlines dumps toll-free number 'to better assist you'

(Photo: Alaskan Dude / Flickr)
(Photo: Alaskan Dude / Flickr)


Want to call Spirit Airlines? Chat up a friendly res agent? Maybe change a flight date or time?

You'll search long and hard on the airline's website to find a phone number. And when you do—I finally tracked it down by following the links to "How do I change a reservation?"—you probably won't recognize the initial three numbers in 801-401-2222.

Is that yet another variant of the 800 code used for toll-free numbers?

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There's nothing toll-free about it—801 is the area code for the Wasatch Front in northern Utah, specifically Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, and Weber counties.

That's right. Spirit has replaced its toll-free number with a toll-charge number. (Call the old number, 800-772-7117, and you'll be greeted by a chirpy recording advising that "we recently updated our phone number to better assist you.")

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So if you do have occasion to call Spirit, mind the toll charges. And since the conversation is taking place on your dime, you might ask the res agent how exactly the new number better assists you.