Spirit Airlines for a cross country trip

tstidm1 · Feb 28, 2015

I'm thinking about going to Disneyland in late October from BWI (Baltimore, MD main airport) and am seeing spirit at $206 RT ($200 less RT). I realize fully that I'm going to have to pay for bags, drinks, change fees and everything except a Seatbelt and air. How have people's experiences been flying across the country? Are they relatively on time? Are the seats at least somewhat decently comfortable? Can I take Breakfast on the flight along with my personal bag? I am finding not much even like for the airline, so I want some thoughts before booking them.

TinkOhio · Feb 28, 2015

We've only flown Spirit once. Snagged a super-cheap rate and it worked out well. Our flight lasted less than 2 1/2 hours and we were comfortable, even though the seats don't recline. My advice is to pay the small additional fee for extra leg room seats. All of the other seats are squished together. I have long legs which would have literally been touching the seat in front of me if we didn't spend the small extra amount of money. The leg room seats have lots of room to stretch out. We almost felt guilty about it. With you long flight, paying the small extra amount to stay comfortable is a must-do!

lost*in*cyberspace · Feb 28, 2015

I think it would be torture to fly Spirit from BWI to LAX (or whatever LA airport you go to).

You can bring your own food onto any airline, as long as it meets the liquids rule for getting through security.

Yellowjj · Feb 28, 2015

Don't subject yourself to torture. 28" pitch might be ok for about 2 hours, any more time than that and your back and knees will be in agony. Spirit also runs its small fleet tightly. Any delay in the system cascades through the day. This is true for most small operators. Unllike the big legacies they can't afford to have 3 or 4 planes sitting as spares in case something goes tech on a plane. If you give me your dates perhaps I can find something better available. Your going to Disneyland which is near Orange County Airport (SNA) in Cali. However LAX might be the best for prices due to the intense competition. Im seeing Alaska from DCA nonstop at $343. I'm also seeing Southwest to Vegas for $107 or $214 roundtrip. You can then rent a car and drive the 3 hours to L.A. Would still come out cheaper than Spirit plus fees.

mikehn · Feb 28, 2015

If Spirit is offering that fare for that route, its a good chance some other carrier, ie virgin or alaska, will probably match it or come close some time soon. Having said that, if the spirit flight is a nonstop, I would probably chance it.

tstidm1 · Feb 28, 2015

Yellowjj said:
Don't subject yourself to torture. 28" pitch might be ok for about 2 hours, any more time than that and your back and knees will be in agony. Spirit also runs its small fleet tightly. Any delay in the system cascades through the day. This is true for most small operators. Unllike the big legacies they can't afford to have 3 or 4 planes sitting as spares in case something goes tech on a plane. If you give me your dates perhaps I can find something better available. Your going to Disneyland which is near Orange County Airport (SNA) in Cali. However LAX might be the best for prices due to the intense competition. Im seeing Alaska from DCA nonstop at $343. I'm also seeing Southwest to Vegas for $107 or $214 roundtrip. You can then rent a car and drive the 3 hours to L.A. Would still come out cheaper than Spirit plus fees.

I could do a day in Vegas. They have Megabus to anaheim (don't drive.) My dates are 10/22 through the 26th or 27th or 29th to November 2nd or 3rd.

OrangeCountyCommuter · Mar 1, 2015

mikehn said:
If Spirit is offering that fare for that route, its a good chance some other carrier, ie virgin or alaska, will probably match it or come close some time soon. Having said that, if the spirit flight is a nonstop, I would probably chance it.

I think there is a good chance that the other carriers won't match. . I have noticed that the other airlines completely ignore the Spirit sale offerings. For example right now I can fly to MCO for $98 on Spirit, it's over $200 on SW, Delta, United, USAir and American. And this is normal I see this just about every time I check.
(And if Spirit paid me to fly them I would still say "no". I have decided that if Spirit is all I can afford I am just not going)

CarolMN · Mar 1, 2015

Yellowjj said:
Don't subject yourself to torture. 28" pitch might be ok for about 2 hours, any more time than that and your back and knees will be in agony. ......(snip)......

I agree! My DH & I flew Spirit RT non-stop from MSP non-stop to LAS - about a 3 hour flight. We both ended up with a backache after both flights. First time that ever happened. Seats were very uncomfortable! (I'm 5'5" with short legs and of average weight. My DH is 5'8", about 165 lbs, so we are not big/tall people).

Other than seating, everything else was good - service was good, planes were very clean and flights were on-time or early. Even so, we will not fly them again due to the seats. If that's the only choice, we stay home. I'd consider SPIRIT only if the Big Front Seat option was less expensive than other carriers.

bianca · Mar 1, 2015

That is an excellent price for a RT! Sometimes I feel like the lone defender of Spirit airlines, but the service they provide for the price is great to me. As a consumer I have a CHOICE about how I spend my money. I don't need peanuts or crackers. I don't carry extraneous luggage (we travel with only free under the seat bags) and I have the luxury of not being tall and needing the extra legroom. Airlines are almost all the same, so make the best choice for YOU! Sounds like you scored a great deal.

We travel Spirit all the time, but I have traveled both Southwest and Delta a few times in the last year. I have found their timing to be impeccable, as they almost always arrive a few minutes early. Their planes have been clean, or at least no worse than Southwest and certainly not as dirty as we found Delta! The staff has always been nice.

MillauFr · Mar 2, 2015

OrangeCountyCommuter said:
I think there is a good chance that the other carriers won't match. . I have noticed that the other airlines completely ignore the Spirit sale offerings. For example right now I can fly to MCO for $98 on Spirit, it's over $200 on SW, Delta, United, USAir and American. And this is normal I see this just about every time I check.
(And if Spirit paid me to fly them I would still say "no". I have decided that if Spirit is all I can afford I am just not going)

Nor should they. You wouldn't expect Mercedes to match the price of a Yugo. I can't wait until Spirit starts charging people by the pound and charges them to use the bathroom.

Yellowjj · Mar 3, 2015

tstidm1 said:
I could do a day in Vegas. They have Megabus to anaheim (don't drive.) My dates are 10/22 through the 26th or 27th or 29th to November 2nd or 3rd.

The cheapest pricing I'm seeing is where the competition is and that's not BWI. DCA/IAD has non-stops to LAX for $345. Of course that doesn't include baggage. Southwest is about $360 from DCA/IAD to LAX. But of course you get two free bags. If you can only travel through BWI then the LAS price i mentioned earlier in the thread is the best I can find. About $225

I see Megabus for $5.00 one way from Vegas to LA. It's a 5 hour journey though, not sure if you'd want to sit through that. Or if your time is limited.

Thus Spirit might be your only alternative for a cheap flight as Southwest is not going to match them on price. If you have only one checked bag you would be paying at most about $300 RT (including paying for selecting a seat). Keep in mind however. The returning flight from LAX to BWI is a red-eye on Spirit.

mieuxmew · Mar 3, 2015

MillauFr said:
Nor should they. You wouldn't expect Mercedes to match the price of a Yugo. I can't wait until Spirit starts charging people by the pound and charges them to use the bathroom.

So funny

Got an email from Spirit yesterday about "saving the poor peanuts."

Happy National Peanut Month! Contrary to popular belief, Spirit loves peanuts – and that’s why we don’t have them on our planes. We want them to live long, happy, legumey lives in the wild. You can always bring your own peanuts, if you’d like. We won’t judge (too, too much). But if you’d like to join the cause for the ethical treatment of peanuts, book a Bare Fare with this deal:

Good grief!

LBIJim · Mar 4, 2015

I flew Spirit cross country (Atlantic City to LAX with a stop in Detroit) about 10 years ago. It was fine, but basic. And that was before they reduced their seat pitch to 28". Now I don't fly Spirit unless their "Big Front Seat" is a good value. Sometimes it is. Even a 2 hour flight to Florida is torture in those cramped seats.

I don't have a problem with Spirit other than the seating. The planes are clean, I don't mind paying for a beverage (or I buy one before boarding), the "nickle and diming" is a non-issue as long as the overall cost is reasonable.

Delays? There's been a few, but no more than any other airline. Fortunately, I've never had the bad experience of a cancelled flight. I believe the horror stories I've read. So be aware of what you're potentionally facing.

As previously mentioned, other airlines don't match Spirit's fares. Those airlines are quite content to let Spirit have a small piece of the pie. They really don't want the "typical Spirit passenger" anyway.

LBIJim · Mar 4, 2015

mieuxmew said:
So funny

Got an email from Spirit yesterday about "saving the poor peanuts."

Happy National Peanut Month! Contrary to popular belief, Spirit loves peanuts – and that’s why we don’t have them on our planes. We want them to live long, happy, legumey lives in the wild. You can always bring your own peanuts, if you’d like. We won’t judge (too, too much). But if you’d like to join the cause for the ethical treatment of peanuts, book a Bare Fare with this deal:

Good grief!

I really like a lot of Spirit's advertising, especially when they poke fun at current events or celebrity scandals.

mikehn · Mar 4, 2015

What is the "typical spirit passenger"? I googled it, but no answer

LBIJim · Mar 4, 2015

mikehn said:
What is the "typical spirit passenger"? I googled it, but no answer

Probably should be "stereotypical." Infrequent passengers concerned only with getting the lowest possible fare. Complains about everything concerning Spirit, vows to never fly with them again, yet flocks back next trip because of the low fare. From the legacy airlines' viewpoint, the low end passanger who yields little if any profit.

mikehn · Mar 4, 2015

LBIJim said:
Probably should be "stereotypical." Infrequent passengers concerned only with getting the lowest possible fare. Complains about everything concerning Spirit, vows to never fly with them again, yet flocks back next trip because of the low fare. From the legacy airlines' viewpoint, the low end passanger who yields little if any profit.

lol, ok

MillauFr · Mar 4, 2015

LBIJim said:
Probably should be "stereotypical." Infrequent passengers concerned only with getting the lowest possible fare. Complains about everything concerning Spirit, vows to never fly with them again, yet flocks back next trip because of the low fare. From the legacy airlines' viewpoint, the low end passanger who yields little if any profit.

Agreed

OrangeCountyCommuter · Mar 5, 2015

I think it's the person who only looks at the first price and then whines like a baby when they have to pay for seating assignments, shows up with the 50 lb steamer trunk and gets charged extra etc... And of course there is the last rant on Trip Advisor the passenger who waltzed into the airport about 45 minutes in advance and then proceeded to have a hissy when told "check in is closed too bad"

lost*in*cyberspace · Mar 5, 2015

OrangeCountyCommuter said:
I think it's the person who only looks at the first price and then whines like a baby when they have to pay for seating assignments, shows up with the 50 lb steamer trunk and gets charged extra etc... And of course there is the last rant on Trip Advisor the passenger who waltzed into the airport about 45 minutes in advance and then proceeded to have a hissy when told "check in is closed too bad"

My sister told me about that thread last night! This is the Spirit passenger going to a job interview, right?

Spirit Airlines for a cross country trip

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