Spirit Airlines
We’ve all seen the memes about Spirit Airlines and heard the jokes on Twitter about how unreliable the flights are, as well as their extra fees. In 2018, Spirit was one of the lowest rated airlines in the U.S. For years, I swore that no matter how rough times got, I’d NEVER fly with Spirit. Years later, I ended up eating those words.
In February 2019, I decided that I needed a quick getaway since I hadn’t been on a vacation in 3 months. I know, first world problems! I was scouring Google Flights Explore Destinations options, and as always, I unchecked Spirit when filtering by airlines. All international destinations were out of my price range as a round trip ticket was minimum $400 just to the Caribbean. I filtered in Spirit flights to see what my options were and the world literally opened up. I was seeing flights priced at $100 - $300 round trip throughout the U.S., Central and South America. I didn’t have a destination in mind since I just wanted a quick getaway, so a 3 – 5 day trip.
I saw a flight to Cartagena for $248 for roughly 5 days and bookmarked it. I started searching for hotels on Orbitz to see the quality and amenities offered in Cartagena and the average price range. I was looking at $60 a night at 4 star hotels! I then checked to see what were some of the main attractions of Cartagena. I searched Cartagena in my travel Facebook group, and a few of my friends’ blogs and Instagram feeds. Apparently, I had missed the Cartagena boat a long time ago as it had been a go-to destination for the past few years. By now, I was set on Cartagena. I booked my flight on Spirit within 3 hours and prayed that all would be fine.
Apparently, on some international fights, Spirit gives away 5,000 miles to one lucky passenger, which is good enough for one round trip flight. Either I was asleep for the first leg of my trip, or the flight attendants didn’t announce it, but a sticker is placed on the tray table of the lucky passenger. If no one is sitting in the seat assigned, flight attendants will play trivia and whoever answers the question correctly first, wins the free miles. Also on board, if you apply and are approved for a Spirit credit card, you earn a total of 35,000 miles, which is good for 7 round trip domestic flights. Even if you are not approved for the credit card, you’ll receive 1,000 miles just for applying.
After 4 roundtrip flights in 2019, including a trip to Vegas, all of my Spirit flights departed and arrived close to on time. The boarding process was a breeze, although it took closer to 45 minutes to board each plane. All flight attendants and gate agents were professional, and I did not experience any problems. I have yet to experience any issues with baggage, since I’m #teamcarryon and my bag was within the measurements of a personal item.
Honestly, I look forward to booking more flights with Spirit. If you are still skeptical and on the fence, I would tread slowly and book a domestic flight first. I also recommend keeping in mind the type of ticket(s) you purchase, and what amenities are included i.e. baggage allowance, seat type, and boarding group. Since Spirit is a low cost carrier, the cheapest tickets offered are generally for the bare minimum and include only a seat on the plane. There is an added cost for everything including carryon luggage & checked bags, priority boarding, snacks on board, seat assignments, larger seats, a printed boarding pass. If you are prepared before booking and traveling, you’ll have a smoother and stress free experience, and won’t be shocked by surprise charges.
There’s one additional draw that pushes Spirit to be one of the best low cost carriers in my opinion. Spirit, and most other low cost carriers charge a Passenger Usage Charge for ticket purchases placed online and over the phone for each flight. The charge is anywhere from $20 - $40 each way; so for each round trip ticket, you’re paying anywhere from $40 - $80 per person. A way around this charge is to buy your ticket in person at the airport. Now depending on other factors, such as your time driving to and from the airport, possibly waiting in line and parking at the airport, this may not be a good enough deal for you. Like, who wants to go to the airport if you don’t have to?
To make the process easier, I recommend:
Researching your flight information beforehand. So, go to the airport knowing your destination, dates and times that you’d like to book. This is not the time to receive white glove service and ask the check-in agents what are all of your options.
Arrive at the airport during non-peak times to experience shorter wait times. Spirit lists the preferred ticketing hours for each airport.
If you’re purchasing tickets for multiple people, ensure you have their correct information such as their date of birth and name as it is on their ID.
Perform a cost analysis to see if this is really worth it for you. Just getting to the airport is not an easy feat for most people. If you have to take a Lyft/Uber each way to the airport, or train/bus I would factor those costs in. If you are able to drive to the airport, check to see if your airport offers short term parking, and the rates.
You can purchase tickets at any airport that Spirit operates in, so if you happen to be traveling through a different airport than you plan to depart/arrive in you can still purchase tickets to and from any destination.
Pros:
Lower priced flights across the U.S., Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
Super fun and friendly attendants on board.
Cons:
Seats do not recline.
Added costs for amenities such as carryon luggage, printed boarding passes, on board beverages.
Since the base fares only includes your personal item with measurements of 18in x14in x8 in, even carryon luggage has to be purchased. If you purchase additional baggage when purchasing your ticket, you can purchase at the lowest cost. However
No in-flight entertainment.
Tiny tray tables.
Below average legroom. Their standard seats have 28” legroom, while the Big Front Seats offer 36” of legroom for an added cost.