Spirit w/Kids, Do You Pay For Seat Assignments?

[keishashadow]

I know the drill with SWA. If you don't elect to pay for EBIC you take your chances on sitting together with your party.

Spirit flies out of a small regional airport near us. I rarely pay for seat assignments when using them. We typically fly them to MYR and DH & I have always been seated together. Few times i booked my kids along (youngest was mid teens) they were seated in same row as us. I haven't flown with them (yet) with young children.

Sale fares convinced me to book a bonus trip. Taking an adult child and my 5 y.o.GD. Didn't select seats. Now second-guessing that decision. Would like to think they'd seat her with one of the adults, but...

For those who fly with their kids on Spirit (often or recent), do you usually pay for the assignments?

If not, have you been 'lucky' in your assignments?

 

[Gracie09]

If you want to sit with her yes pay for seat assignments. If you don't and are separated you have no recourse except to maybe ask people to switch with you but if they paid for their assignments I wouldn't count on that happening

 

[rwdavis2]

Don't count on the kindness of Spirit. Their CEO brags, "we don't do customer service."

 

[keishashadow]

Baldazana was fired early this year, new CEO is the one who helmed AirTran (which i liked better than SWA).

Had hoped the change in the helm might adjust their vibe just a bit to entice more people to give them a chance.

My thoughts on Spirit passengers paying for seat assignments (and it's just my personal experience out of a very small market & from chatting with others in terminal waiting out the not-unexpected flight delay when flying them) that few bother purchasing them, except for the big front seats. That said, i've neverr flown the route to MCO, might be different with more kids vs mostly golfers.

my DIL says she's always been seated with GD on SWA. Same experience on two flights with Allegiant. Could be as was so young at the time.

still hoping some recent Spirit flyers might be able to share their experiences.

 

[kateandkids]

I fly Spirit with my kids and always pay for seats. I consider it part of the fare. I don't think it's fair to not pay and then expect the airline to seat you together. If you don't want to pay the extra money, you take your chances. That said, a friend of mine never pays and has always been able to sit with her youngest son. Sometimes that means sitting in the last row, but she's been next to him.

 

[keishashadow]

I fly Spirit with my kids and always pay for seats. I consider it part of the fare. I don't think it's fair to not pay and then expect the airline to seat you together. If you don't want to pay the extra money, you take your chances. That said, a friend of mine never pays and has always been able to sit with her youngest son. Sometimes that means sitting in the last row, but she's been next to him.

I understand what you are saying, even if I don't agree. Thanks for the info as to your friend.

Have rarely been on a plane to/from MCO (SWA) where FAs aren't asking for a volunteer or two to move. Interestingly enough, haven't seen it happen on any Spirit or Allegiant flights i've flown, ergo the reason I asked. Either everyone had paid for seat assignments for their families (doubtful) or the really cut-rate carriers tend to seat minors booked on same reservation with an adult if plane isn't sold out.

I'll watch the flight as to open seats, if it starts to fill, will book it then.

 

[splah]

I always purchase my Spirit tickets at the airport because you don't pay the fee that they charge you online. Can't remember what it's called but it's about $35/person. The airport is less than 10 miles from my house so it is a no brainer for me. At any rate the agent at the counter told me it wasn't necessary. If you purchase the tickets at the same time you will be seated together. Whether that holds true 100% of the time or not we have always been seated together. We are a party of 4 and 3 of us are on one side of the plane with the 4th across the aisle in the aisle seat. We have flown Spirit the last 2 trips and that has held true both ways both trips.

 

[keishashadow]

I always purchase my Spirit tickets at the airport because you don't pay the fee that they charge you online. Can't remember what it's called but it's about $35/person. The airport is less than 10 miles from my house so it is a no brainer for me. At any rate the agent at the counter told me it wasn't necessary. If you purchase the tickets at the same time you will be seated together. Whether that holds true 100% of the time or not we have always been seated together. We are a party of 4 and 3 of us are on one side of the plane with the 4th across the aisle in the aisle seat. We have flown Spirit the last 2 trips and that has held true both ways both trips.

thank you for posting! Yes, there is the substantial savings at the airport but i went with the fare club after running the numbers. it (over) paid for it's self on the first trip i booked this year via the $9 fares & lower luggage costs. Again, found low rates for an August trip. Need to stop looking @ the sale emails they send.

Can't say i'll stick with Spirit over SWA but if it's even just decent, will throw more business their way. It's an easy country drive to that airport and parking is free there. The cows in the nearby pasture act as security guards lol.

 

[megster1123]

I flew solo with Spirit in January from Detroit to Vegas. I paid for my seat well in advance because I was NOT getting stuck in a bad seat on a red eye on a Spirit plane.
The flight was almost full. Family of 3 boards, one sits in my row next to me in one of the few empty seats left and then proceed to insist I move so they can sit together. The even approached the attendant who pretty much threw up her hands and said oh well you guys work it out. The family proceeded to get loud and rude with me until a different attendant finally stepped in.
Long story short - pay for your seats if you want to sit somewhere specific or together. Don't plan on people moving. I didn't move, I had paid for the seat, didn't want to downgrade to an even smaller seat and I honesty don't feel badly about it.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I would not have moved either, if I had paid that fee.

If I was going to fly Spirit, and I would not pay that seat fee. It is just wrong. The SW one does not bother me (don't buy that one either). But the Spirit one really does bug me, I think it is because it is on top of the other multiple fees (carry on, checked bags) and I did not even know about the seat fee until I got far into the booking process. When I saw it, I bailed. I considered booking it anyway, because my son is handicapped, and we pre-board, so I assumed they would sit us together. But, that is sort of shady thing to do, too, so I just said it is not worth it.

We used to fly Spirit out of AC before all the extra fees, and liked them well enough. Even the lower weight limit on luggage would be tricky for me!

 

[megster1123]

I would not have moved either, if I had paid that fee.

If I was going to fly Spirit, and I would not pay that seat fee. It is just wrong. The SW one does not bother me (don't buy that one either). But the Spirit one really does bug me, I think it is because it is on top of the other multiple fees (carry on, checked bags) and I did not even know about the seat fee until I got far into the booking process. When I saw it, I bailed. I considered booking it anyway, because my son is handicapped, and we pre-board, so I assumed they would sit us together. But, that is sort of shady thing to do, too, so I just said it is not worth it.

We used to fly Spirit out of AC before all the extra fees, and liked them well enough. Even the lower weight limit on luggage would be tricky for me!

I agree - the Vegas trip was last minute and only for literally 24 hours so just a small carryon was fine. But the thought of those tiny little seats in the back on that flight was enough to emotionally blackmail me into paying the fee. Sidenote - the completely normal size sandwich I made for the flight was actually bigger than my tray table and that was in the pricier seat. And the flight home was delayed about 6 hours.

I am not a fan of Spirit.