Spirit Airlines - Seat Selection

[Disneyplanners]

Asked this in the transportation forum, and thought I'd ask here too for more responses:

We found good fares flying with spirit out of Latrobe, and are considering a last minute summer trip! I'll be joining the $9 fare club to get these low fares, and am aware of all of the extra fees spirit charges. We would pack light and have just one checked suitcase, and each of us (4) would carry on a backpack (no charge according to the website). I am undecided about purchasing a seat ahead of time. The seat selection costs between $10 and $20 each person, each way, so this would add at minimum $80. The site says that if you don't purchase a seat, that it is selected for you at check in. Can anyone give their experience with this? Do you check in ahead of time online like you do with southwest? (We are experienced southwest fliers!) When they do this, are the seats generally together? Are the seat assignments given after you check in online? We wouldn't all four need to be together, just 2 and 2, so DH could be with one child and I would be with the other. DS's are 10 and 7. Thank you for any help/advice!!

 

[mieuxmew]

In my experience, a lot of Spirit customers pay ahead of time for a seat. When you don't purchase a seat the computer will assign you one. If you don't want to pay for a seat, check in at 24 hour preflight and hope for the best. If you get split up, you can try checking in with Skycaps and ask nicely if there is anything they can do to help (and tip well if they are successful). Spirit customer service is minimal, but sometimes they can also see what can be done. Maybe keep an eye on the seating chart and if a lot of seats are reserved, consider reserving seats as well.

I am not a fan of paying Spirit $20 for a reserved seat. $80 for 4 people really adds to the cost of a cheap flight. We traveled on Spirit a few times before. We paid for 3 out of 4 seats - 2 kids and myself. Husband was very against giving Spirit even $20 more and does not care where he sat so he took his chances and checked in at 24 hours. Most of the time he got a seat near us, either assigned by the computer or reassigned by Skycaps. Keep in mind he was only one seat, so moving him was not too difficult. Most Spirit passengers pay for their seats and most are unwilling to trade because they paid for THAT seat. The middle seats at the back of the plane are the last seats people will pay for. Worst case scenario, you may seriously get split up and assigned middle seats in 4 different rows. It may be difficult at the airport to get reassigned 4 seats together. Maybe at least consider having the 2 kids sit together? Then of you and your husband are split up, it would be easier to ask to try to pair up two seats than four.

Hope it helps! Have a great trip!

 

[bankgirl05]

I called Spirit directly and explained to them that I was travelling with children, and asked if I could be "blocked together. I did not care where on the plane we sat, but did not want to be separated. I think I called a week or 2 ahead of time, and whe I checked in online the night before our boarding passes did have us all together!!!

I can't say that it will work for you, but it is worth a try.

 

[Missy29]

Last time used I Spirit which was November going to Vegas with some friends, me and one of my friend purchased our tickets separately but booked the same day, and my 2 other friend book together. Me and my friend checked in around the 24 hour mark and the same time hoping to get seats together but we didn't, she was 2 seats behind me. My 2 friends that booked together(didn't pay for seat) got seated together. Hope that helps.

 

[Disneyplanners]

Thank you for the replies, they were very helpful. I think we will keep an eye on the available seats, and if they start to fill up, we'll buy. We did buy the tickets today for a great price, 39.80 each way, plus the 59.95 club fee, plus 40 for one bag. $411 for our family of 4 to fly nonstop to Orlando! Even if we buy the seats, we are still under $500 which is pretty good.