Spirit Airlines from Latrobe Airport to MCO

[goodferry]

I know there are a few people waiting for a review of this relatively new direct flight on Spirit Airlines. We flew down last Thursday, the 28th and returned on Tuesday, the 3rd. We were a little nervous about flying Spirit because even though the flights were very reasonable, we had heard the nightmarish stories of baggage fees, seat assignment fees and terrible customer service. Add this to the stories we had heard about overbooked flights out of Latrobe Airport and numerous "mechanical issues" causing delays and flight cancellations, let's just say I was very nervous and I am not sure I would ever fly out of Latrobe if I was in a hurry to get somewhere (to a wedding or a cruise) because if there is a mechanical issue with the plane or a case of overbooking, there is no other plane for them to bring in, there is no other airline in Latrobe to fly our on, so you are out of luck.

With that said, we had a decent experience. We live about 10 miles for the airport, so to say that it's convenient is an understatement. We were able to leave work at 3, shower, change, load up the car and be at the airport well before 4pm. The parking is free and there is also a free shuttle van that rides around the airport in case you are parked kind of far from the entrance.

When we arrived we checked one bag and then went to the restaurant upstairs to have a drink. Quite a few passengers did the same thing.
With just the one flight going out, there was no line at all for security, it took us all of about 2 minutes to get through security and downstairs. In addition to our checked bag, we had one carry on and we each had a personal items. No one checked the size of our carry on or our personal items and the staff was generally very nice. We had reserved the big seats in the front because DH has a bad hip and can't be cramped for too long without a lot of pain. The seats were very roomy and comfortable.

Our flight to MCO did leave on time and actually arrived early. Our flight home was not the same experience. We were delayed about 2 hours leaving and the gentleman at the luggage check in desk told us that this particular flight is almost never on time, it originates out west and makes several stops before arriving in Orlando. Once it arrives in Latrobe it is the flight that turns around and flies back to MCO. It was very nice being just 10 minutes from home once our flight arrived! That drive home from Pittsburgh after spending the day traveling is a drag.

In conclusion, we would probably fly Spirit again if it was DH and I only, but I am still not sure that I would fly with four kids adding the stress of delays and cancellations to the stress of traveling with kids. I think the flight itself cost us about the same as flying Southwest, but the free parking and the location probably bring the cost of flying Spirit a little under driving into Pittsburgh. If you are considering this flight, I would pay to reserve a seat ahead of time and I would be prepared for delays, because it appears that is the norm.

 

[aubriee]

I don't know anything about Latrobe airport, but I flew Spirit for the first time last May out of Dallas Ft Worth airport and also had an excellent flight. I too was nervous after reading alot of negative reviews, but decided to give them a try. With a $50.00 off coupon they sent me when I signed up on their website, I was able to get the flight for $148.00 r/t. Even with all the fees they charge, they were still alot cheaper than the over $400.00 everyone else was charging for that time period. In fact, I used the coupon twice and also got flights for my upcoming Sept trip for the same price. Out of curiosity I'm still checking prices and no else has even come close to that $148.00. For the May trip I did carryon only and also upgraded to those Big Front Seats, which of course guaranteed Boarding zone 1. The plane was clean, seats comfortable, and the flight crew professional, but also very funny. Of course no snacks were served, but I brought an empty water bottle from home and filled it after security, adding a flavor packet to it and brought a piece of fruit and a large bag of granola, so was prepared (as was most people on the plane, who I saw doing the same thing).

One thing that I noticed though (after the guy sitting next to me pointed it out) was that people who were boarding much later, were bringing on carry on size items (not personal size) and putting them in the over heads. After explaining to me that paying for a carry on guaranteed you Boarding zone 1, so it should be obvious to the flight crew that these people had not paid for their carryons like we did, he called the FA over and asked her about it. She said that technically Spirit does require you to pay for carry ons, but once everyone was loaded if there was empty bin space, they didn't really push it and allowed anyone to place bags up there. Fine, but those people apparently knew that and was coming onto the plane with both a personal item and a carry on without paying for the carry on, because they knew they could get by with it. That didn't seem very fair. The day I flew home, I was talking to a lady sitting next to me that had a carry on and a personal item and happened to notice she was in a lower boarding zone. Out of curiosity I brought the subject around to Spirit's carry on fees and she said she had flown Spirit several times and never paid the carry on fee. She just carried the bag and on and no one ever says a word to her. She then laughed and said she figured she'd get called on it one of these days, but figures if she ever has to pay the fee at the gate, that it wouldn't be a big deal, considering all the, money she's saved by just walking on without paying. What was funny is that we had the exact same flight crew going home that we did a week before when we flew down there. Again people were boarding later with carry ons (so obviously didn't pay for them) and the flight crew wasn't saying a word. In fact, the pilot came over the speaker telling everyone to put their bags in the overhead if they could. It didn't seem fair to those of us who followed the rule and paid.

 

[ollyg]

With that said, we had a decent experience. We live about 10 miles for the airport, so to say that it's convenient is an understatement. We were able to leave work at 3, shower, change, load up the car and be at the airport well before 4pm. The parking is free and there is also a free shuttle van that rides around the airport in case you are parked kind of far from the entrance.


In conclusion, we would probably fly Spirit again if it was DH and I only, but I am still not sure that I would fly with four kids adding the stress of delays and cancellations to the stress of traveling with kids. I think the flight itself cost us about the same as flying Southwest, but the free parking and the location probably bring the cost of flying Spirit a little under driving into Pittsburgh. If you are considering this flight, I would pay to reserve a seat ahead of time and I would be prepared for delays, because it appears that is the norm.

Thanks for the update!!!

Although I love the convenience of Arnold Palmer being 20 miles away, I did not like that they do not participate in the Resort Airline Check-in, the flight times, and the other cons you mentioned. I booked Southwest for our flight to MCO and Airtran for our flight back to PIT. I liked Airtran's times and prices better.

It seems since Southwest took over Airtran, there is no competition and it shows in the fares.