Spirit Airlines - No Air Conditioning?

[GE CF34-3B1]

I've been riding on Spirit for a number of years. I've noticed that the air conditioning never works on the ground. Unless it's cold outside, it is always hot and uncomfortable in the cabin. Is there a reason for this? I have been on MD80s on American, Delta, and Continental and the a/c always works fine. Even the a/c on Northwest DC9s works fine.

If anyone who works for Spirit could explain why this is, I'm curious. Maybe it has something to do with cleaning out and/or replacing the packs.

 

[Palerider957]

Maybe the bus has a temp controller in back, and the FA's have it cranked to 150F! You know they would if they could.

 

[bafanguy]

... the air conditioning never works on the ground.

By this, do you mean at the gate or during taxi out ? There MAY be a company policy re use of APU/packs at the gate in certain ambient temp ranges as a fuel conservation measure. External air source would then be used but if no ext air, then you'd have what you describe.

The airplane can get pretty stuffy without some airflow even at modest ambient temps.

 

[Dangerkitty]

I've been riding on Spirit for a number of years. I've noticed that the air conditioning never works on the ground. Unless it's cold outside, it is always hot and uncomfortable in the cabin. Is there a reason for this? I have been on MD80s on American, Delta, and Continental and the a/c always works fine. Even the a/c on Northwest DC9s works fine.

If anyone who works for Spirit could explain why this is, I'm curious. Maybe it has something to do with cleaning out and/or replacing the packs.

GE,

All I know is what AA does. I can't speak for the other MD-80 Operators out there.

AA installed a different APU in all its S-80's about 5-6 years ago. The old APU's couldn't provide enough air to run both packs on the ground. The airplanes would get really hot especially in the summer. With the new APU's both packs run great and really cool down the aircraft.

The TWA 80's that were brought over in the acquisition have the old APU's. You can tell a very big difference in how it cools the airplane.

I was told the new APU's can run about 1 million a pop to replace. I would imagine that Spirit is using the old ones.

 

[njcapt]

The packs on the non-modified MD-80's totally suck. I could never get the cabin cool on the ground over 80° unless you had conditioned air hooked up AND were running the pack off the APU. This short coming crops up when descending in icing conditions as well. If you have any of the anti-ice equipment on, you have to have all of it on - you also need to maintain a minimum pneumatic pressure. You run into a situation where you need to keep the power up to keep the deice pressure light out, but can't descend due to the increased power. The packs just can't keep up with the pneumatic demands at idle thrust.

Not one of my favorite features of the MD-80.

 

[aa73]

I've been riding on Spirit for a number of years. I've noticed that the air conditioning never works on the ground. Unless it's cold outside, it is always hot and uncomfortable in the cabin. Is there a reason for this? I have been on MD80s on American, Delta, and Continental and the a/c always works fine. Even the a/c on Northwest DC9s works fine.

If anyone who works for Spirit could explain why this is, I'm curious. Maybe it has something to do with cleaning out and/or replacing the packs.

More than likely for two reasons -

Spirit probably has the older APUs that put out less air, and

They probably don't use the APU until just prior to pushback, for cost savings, and rely on pre conditioned air, which sometimes doesn't work too well. We do the same.

 

[NuGuy]

Even the a/c on Northwest DC9s works fine.

They work ok for the cabin. The MD-80 probably inherited the same system from the DC-9, but on the -9 there is less cabin volume to try to cool.

As for the cockpit...a few years ago some mech who had their head screwed on right designed sunscreens for the cockpit. To save $$$ they took old seat covers that were going to be discarded, sewed them up and filled them with cardboard and beanbag filler. Man, the difference was unbelievable.

The problem in this particular design was that as the screens got "broken in", they became too flexible to stay in place. But the difference was SO great the company spent some $$$ and equiped each AC with real sunscreens (the stiff, metalized bubblewrap kind you might have on a Cherokee).

Between the keeping the screens in until right before push, and keeping the overhead vents open to right before takeoff, it makes it almost comfortable except on the hottest days.

Nu

 

[MX Rider]

The 80's AC system is definitely not one of its strong points; however, I fly on Spirit a bit as well and believe your words "always" and "never" are most definitely an exaggeration.

 

[TGR]

AA73 is correct. APU ussually comes on about 5 minutes before start IAW company policy. When its on, could still use more air. Output is not great, believe we have the original APUs.

 

[Sluggo_63]

I think it's because the First Officers are lazy and overpaid. They should take as much mil leave from Spirit as they can and come help out their Guard unit a little more.

C'ya
Papa

 

[GogglesPisano]

I saw a Spirit A321 in TPA today. Pretty sweet new paint job. Looks like a slight modification to the blue boxes on white. Now it's mostly blue boxes on a dark grey.

Don't give into to Jacob's cries for concessions! Good luck.

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

I also believe some of their -80s came from a German carrier, they've got a good mixture of Mad Dogs over there...

 

[fly4surf]

wow, AC on the ground, that is how you do it on the mainland.
it's 80 here all year with no APU, or AC unit to plug in. and the FO is directly in the sun all day in the gate. talk about toasty. our ops. man. all but requires us to wear under shirts/ sweat rags.
i was amazed last june jumpseating through detroit that the aircraft were hooked up to the ground AC units, and it was no more than 60 degrees at 7am.
ohh, the good life.

 

[castle bravo]

Blue,
You are correct, some have come from Aero LLoyd.

Goggles,
The general consensus is that we are digging in our heels, recent threats from HQ not withstanding. However there are some who see things differently.......