How bad is Spirit Air?

[Greysword]

If you want the real scoop from those that fly Spirit, then I recommend you visit the Flyer Talk board that has threads on the airline:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-north-south-america-frequent-flyer-programs-472/

FlyerTalk is the DIS for air travel and frequent flyer programs. The body of experience is fantastic, and you'll get a lot of insight by lurking there.

On a personal note, I have not flown Spirit, and I doubt I will. If enough people volunteer information about how bad a restaurant is for service and food quality, then I don't think I'll even go there "just to see", even if they have fantastic prices. Same goes for airlines, amusement parks, and everything else.

However, I agree with Brian. If we are on a seriously tight budget and it was either fly Spirit or don't go, we'd give them a shot. However, I've found other ways to get the same level of discounts (and more) via other avenues (credit card signup bonuses, perks, airline price tracking apps, etc).

 

[Baliezer]

You're not generally not entitled to compensation if a flight is cancelled due to weather issues. Flying the morning of your cruise isn't a good idea. Travel insurance might have helped you.

Not weather related. The airplane was having mechanical issues.

 

[Ipaythemouse]

They have the worst customer service and change polices. May sure you read all prior to booking. They are a smaller airline so if there are any delays you are sure to be in for a long day of travel....

 

[CPT Tripss]

Spirit pros:
* They are cheap, and generally get you where you are going.

Spirit cons:
* They fly infrequently and have no interline agreements, so a cancellation or delay is more likely to have a significant impact on your plans.
* The rows are the narrowest in the sky.
* They aggressively charge for extras; not planning ahead can be costly.

Can go either way:
* They tend to fly out of smaller airports. Easier to get in/out and cheaper parking (pro) but a lot less in the way of in-airport services (con).


My advice: Do not fly them unless you are on such a tight budget that it was fly Spirit or don't go. Even then, it might be worth it to save up for a little while longer instead. I will not fly them, but I'm in a position to be able to fly someone else.

Pretty much hits the nail square on the head.

They have the worst customer service and change polices. May sure you read all prior to booking. They are a smaller airline so if there are any delays you are sure to be in for a long day of travel....

I'll never forget the day and evening I wasted waiting for them to fly a mechanic in from Detriot to diagnose a problem and then fly the needed part in from Detriot for the mechanic to install, and then fly a new crew in from Detroit because the original crew had been "on duty" too long.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Pretty much hits the nail square on the head.



I'll never forget the day and evening I wasted waiting for them to fly a mechanic in from Detriot to diagnose a problem and then fly the needed part in from Detriot for the mechanic to install, and then fly a new crew in from Detroit because the original crew had been "on duty" too long.

And all the other airlines have agreements to basically buy those services. So when my Delta jet breaks in "middle of nowhere" the contract service can do a basic eval and some fixes. Of course if it is major then Delta may have to do something, but at least they didn't have to fly the mechanic in from Atlanta to do the diagnosis.