Cheapest Airlines from DTW or FNT, Michigan?

[resqteacher]

Hello All,
We're flying AirTran out of Flint this summer for our first trip to WDW. I like the non-stop times as they give us almost a full extra day at Disney and I have vowed to never ever fly Spirit again.
They canceled our flight out of DTW last year to LaGuardia and made no attempt to get us on other flights or other airlines. The excuse used was that it was weather related when no other airlines had any cancellations to LaGuardia that day. Turns out that the weather issue was due to the crew having gone over their hours the day before - yet they made no attempt to bring in another crew - even later that day. Just canceled - sorry about your luck!
I was able to track down and contact the VP of Customer Service directly with my complaint - she generously offered to waive our seat assignment fee the next time we fly with them! (if there was a "sarcasm" font I'd be using it right now).
They will absolutely nickel and dime you everytime and the only way to fly with them at a comparable rate is to luck out with their $9 deals. You might fly cheaper - but sometimes you can't put a price on service and peace of mind.

 

[jenseib]

Bumping.

I am flying with Spirit out of Detroit in Aug. Amazingly, even with bag fee (no carryon for me, as I am alone this flight) it was MUCH cheaper than Delta or Airtran and had decent arrival and departure times for me. I needed the dhepaest arifare at the times that worked for me, and airtran and Delta couldn't deliver. So even though I don't care for Spirit, I am flying with them in Aug.
Doe Detroit have curb side checkin? (it's been a long time since I flew myself out of Detroit) I am thinking if they do, that will be all the easier for me. If they do, is there a charge per bag for that service?

One other question, I did not pay for a seat choice. I figure since I am alone, I can take whatever. Do they assing you a seat at check in...or online check in? Or do you wait till everyone has boarded and then do general boarding and take what ever seat may be left? (which is how Allegiant does it out of Toledo)

 

[Colleen27]

One other question, I did not pay for a seat choice. I figure since I am alone, I can take whatever. Do they assing you a seat at check in...or online check in? Or do you wait till everyone has boarded and then do general boarding and take what ever seat may be left? (which is how Allegiant does it out of Toledo)

I don't know for sure about curbside check-in but I doubt it, at least in the south terminal where Spirit flies out of. We've never noticed it anyway.

Spirit randomly assigns seats at online check-in for those who haven't pre-paid assignments, and you board by row/section based on that seat assignment. On our last flight our seats did change between online check-in and checking in at the airline counter, but that was because they were doing something to the row we were supposed to be in and the physical seats we were assigned were disassembled.

We like flying Spirit when the price is right; the charge for carry-ons makes boarding and deplaning so much easier than the other airlines where everyone (me included) is trying to pack for an entire trip in their carry-on allowance. And since you're solo (I'm SO jealous of the work trip, BTW) maybe you'll make it to the Earl of Sandwich in the terminal so you can let me know what I missed.

 

[jenseib]

I don't know for sure about curbside check-in but I doubt it, at least in the south terminal where Spirit flies out of. We've never noticed it anyway.

Spirit randomly assigns seats at online check-in for those who haven't pre-paid assignments, and you board by row/section based on that seat assignment. On our last flight our seats did change between online check-in and checking in at the airline counter, but that was because they were doing something to the row we were supposed to be in and the physical seats we were assigned were disassembled.

We like flying Spirit when the price is right; the charge for carry-ons makes boarding and deplaning so much easier than the other airlines where everyone (me included) is trying to pack for an entire trip in their carry-on allowance. And since you're solo (I'm SO jealous of the work trip, BTW) maybe you'll make it to the Earl of Sandwich in the terminal so you can let me know what I missed.

I was thinking about EOS too. But I fly out at 9:45 am, so not sure if it would open that early, but I could hit it on the way home!

Is it pretty crowded there. I am so used to Toledo now. We flew Spirit in 2008, and I barely remember it, except I had no leg room. But if I do remember right, it took quite a while to get through security. I'm sure it's worse now. Would arriving early 2 hours be enough time.

 

[jenseib]

You said South Terminal, but I swear I read it was the North one. Of course we'll just follow the signs, and I know it's not the same one as Delta.

 

[Colleen27]

I was thinking about EOS too. But I fly out at 9:45 am, so not sure if it would open that early, but I could hit it on the way home!

Is it pretty crowded there. I am so used to Toledo now. We flew Spirit in 2008, and I barely remember it, except I had no leg room. But if I do remember right, it took quite a while to get through security. I'm sure it's worse now. Would arriving early 2 hours be enough time.

On our last trip security was pretty slow, but we were still good with showing up 1.5 hours ahead of time (meant it to be 2, but DM seldom gets anywhere on time... ). That left us enough time to browse Borders a bit, pick up a snack and some drinks, and only sit around waiting at the gate for about 15min. And had we felt like hauling to the other end of the terminal we could have gotten through with no lines - there were two Spirit flights leaving about the same time so security near the Spirit desk was busy, while security at the other end of the airline check-ins was a ghost town - but we had time so we waited it out where we were. Since the remodel I think the security is much more efficient, and with so few flights going out of that terminal (relatively speaking) it just doesn't seem to back up the way I've seen security at the big terminal or MCO or other major airports do.

I had it wrong, BTW; it is north terminal. For some reason I never remember the direction even though we've flown out of there a dozen times. It is just McNamara (the big terminal, with Delta and the other legacy carriers) or "not McNamara" in my mind.

 

[jenseib]

On our last trip security was pretty slow, but we were still good with showing up 1.5 hours ahead of time (meant it to be 2, but DM seldom gets anywhere on time... ). That left us enough time to browse Borders a bit, pick up a snack and some drinks, and only sit around waiting at the gate for about 15min. And had we felt like hauling to the other end of the terminal we could have gotten through with no lines - there were two Spirit flights leaving about the same time so security near the Spirit desk was busy, while security at the other end of the airline check-ins was a ghost town - but we had time so we waited it out where we were. Since the remodel I think the security is much more efficient, and with so few flights going out of that terminal (relatively speaking) it just doesn't seem to back up the way I've seen security at the big terminal or MCO or other major airports do.

I had it wrong, BTW; it is north terminal. For some reason I never remember the direction even though we've flown out of there a dozen times. It is just McNamara (the big terminal, with Delta and the other legacy carriers) or "not McNamara" in my mind.

I have that thought too! I have taken my parents to Detroit a few times over the past few years, and that is how I term it as well.