Spirit Air's CE says rivals' super cheap seats could backfire

A surge of no-frills seats at the biggest US carriers potentially will backfire as passengers discover all the perks they’re giving up, said the CE of discounter Spirit Airlines. Prohibitions on changing a reservation or bringing a roll-on bag may disappoint some customers of the new fares at American Airlines and United Continental, Spirit CE Bob Fornaro said Wednesday. While Spirit charges for carry-ons and even soft drinks, at least customers know what they’re getting, he said. American and United started selling so-called basic economy fares on certain routes this week, stepping up efforts to win back customers siphoned off by Spirit and Frontier Airlines. “A lot of their best customers can be the most upset,” Fornaro said. “It’s not a brand new product, it’s a pricing scheme.” <br/>