Source: FOX News
MIRAMAR, Fla. -- It's been 24 hours of turbulence for Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza since he waved off his airline's "irrelevant" industry-worst customer complaint record in an exclusive interview with FOXNews.com.
Spirit stock has been dropping since the company announced that putting a bag in one of the airlines' overhead bins could soon cost $100, or more than the airline's average ticket cost of $76. The airline had already been under fire after its denial of a dying former Marine's refund angered veterans groups.
Meanwhile, as support for a "Boycott Spirit Airlines" Facebook page jetted past 30,000 supporters early Friday, up from 700 earlier this week, a second Facebook page is now calling for Baldanza's ouster.
"Facebook facilitated the fall of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak ... now we must force Ben Baldanza out," the group's description reads. "His actions towards a dying veteran and his airline's customers are reprehensible. We have the power to make him resign!"
Another entry called Baldanza "not smart enough" to predict the backlash for not refunding veteran Jerry Meekins $197 for a ticket from Florida to New Jersey after his doctor told him he was too sick to fly. Meekins, 76, of Clearwater, Fla., ultimately drove to New Jersey, spending more than $300 in gas to fill his Ford Explorer.
"Was [Baldanza] really not smart enough to see the backlash this would create? Or does he really not care? Either way ... bye Spirit," the post read.
Baldanza acknowledged Meekins' "tragic situation" on Thursday, but stood his ground on nixing the veteran's refund request.
In recent trading, Spirit Airlines stock was down 1.6 percent to $22.54, down from a 52-week high of $24.75 on Thursday.
Read More: Bumpy post-interview flight for Spirit Airlines CEO, as group calls for ouster
