Spirit Airlines Cartagena Sale: 'More Bang for Your Buck!'

                                                                                                 (Image credit: Spirit.com)

Leave it to Spirit Airlines. They're always coming up with some sort of catchy, yet borderline offensive, way to capitalize on news headlines. This time it's a sale on fares to Cartagena, Colombia, named . . . wait for it . . . More Bang For Your Buck. Oh yes they did.

Cartagena, in case you've been out of town, is where a group of Secret Service agents got themselves into hot water over allegedly cavorting with prostitutes (and refusing to pay at least one) before President Obama's state visit last week.

But Spirit only flies to Cartagena from Fort Lauderdale. Not only that, the airline does not even specify on the sale page how much it actually costs to fly between the cities. It does tell us, however, that travelers can fly to plenty of other cities for as little as $19.80 one-way.

This is far from the first time Spirit has marketed an attention-getting of questionable taste. 2011's Anthony Weiner scandal prompted Spirit to launch "The Weiner Sale, With Fares Too Hard to Resist." There was also the M.I.L.F. sale (Many Islands, Low Fares) and the sale timed with the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court: "Justice Ochita Suprema Ruling against high fares. Fares as low as $8 each way!"

After the oil spill in the gulf, Spirit's "Check Out the Oil on Our Beaches," offended some. As did the MUFF (Many Unbelievably Fantastic Fares) Diving Sales to diving destinations. Some people are so uptight, aren't they?

One more note on the Cartagena sale: You must pay before you fly.