Spirit Air has no soul, won't refund dying vet's ticket

Jerry Meekins is dying. The 76-year-old Vietnam veteran recently found out his esophageal cancer is terminal, and his oncologist says he's too sick to fly. That means he can't use the Spirit Airlines ticket he bought to help his daughter with her own medical issues, but when he explained his situation to Spirit, they refused to refund the ticket price. A company spokesman helpfully suggested that Meekins should've purchased the airline's "affordable travel insurance" to cover "unexpected circumstances." You know, like a terminal cancer diagnosis.

Meekins is currently picketing the airline at Tampa International Airport. "They just -- excuse the expression -- want to screw you when it comes time to do it right," he said.