spirit airlines - yeah or ne?

[WendyLovesPeter]

I found best pricing with one ways on Spirit. I don't know of this airline. Any experiences here... I am trying to budget my money.... yes, I want it cheap......I just got flamed on the Transportation board because I stated I don't agree with baggage fees. Some people on that board don't want to save money?

 

[princessfionasmom]

I'm curios too, we r using them for our June trip because they were the cheapest. Hopefully someone will come along soon with some input.

 

[Disney st8 of mind]

We flew as a family for the first time ever in 2007 to go to Disney. I didn't have anything to compare it to so we chose Spirit based on price and schedule. It was ok. They got us there and home. So 2008 we flew them again. 2009 we flew Spirit down and AirTran home (price was the same but the flight time was better for us). For the same price I was amazed at how much nicer it was then Spirit! Seats were cloth (as opposed to sticky leather), floor was carpeted, and they even offered free pretzels and drinks! Would I fly Spirit again ... sure, but only based on price and schedule and not on comfort and cleanliness.

 

[JandJ]

DH and I flew Spirit for the first time last December. The flight was fine - no frills at all though. They charge for a soda, chips, etc. but I bought a snack in the airport and brought that on board. It's cramped but IMO no more cramped than any economy class flight. They charge if you want to pick your seat in advance, I think $12/person, but we didn't do that and had no problems getting seats together when we checked in at the airport. They do charge for bags. I think it was $25 in advance and $50 at the airport (could be wrong on the prices so please don't quote me ). We had to check one bag and each had a small carry-on. At the gate they said they were tight on carry-on space and anyone who wanted to could check a carry-on bag for no charge, so we did that on the return portion of the trip. I would fly them again if they had a cheap rate but I wouldn't pre-pay for my seat and I'd try to just have a carry-on. I don't mind checking it if they have the "free check at the gate" option.

 

[cglaura]

I usually travel Spirit so I can fly out of AC instead of driving up to Philly. Even with the baggage fees, for the price of the flight that you can get watch for them (I've never paid more than $100 r/t) it can't be beat. We bring our own water bottle and fill up after security, or buy from the gift shop. We don't eat on planes anyway, so the fee for that doesnt' matter. You can bring your own snack if you want though, just not liquid or jelly stuff.

You can sign up for their email alerts for deals, I've found they usually run sales on Tuesdays. Also, in general, if you can plan your vacation around it Tues./Wed./Thurs. are usually alot less expensive to fly.

 

[donac]

we flew them last Aug. Their priice was the best for our trip but we decided that we would not fly them again.

They charged for luggage (we did carry on since we were only going for 4 days) They charge for preferred seating. we did this so that we could sit together. If you didn't do this they would not guarantee you sitting together. $12 for window and aisle and $7 for the middle seat. They charged for food and would not take cash only credit cards. They may have been the best price but they charged for everything else.

The worst part was how tight the seats were. Not side to side but front to back. The guy in front of dh put his seat back and the seat was almost in dh's face. He couldn't even read with the tray down and his paper on it.

The previous year we flew Jet Blue. They had free snacks and sodas. They have tv screens in the seat in front of you so most people did not put their seats back. I also think they had a couple more inches from front to back.

The only good thing about Spirit is that they fly out of AC and the parking is so much easier than Newark.


Good luck

 

[BBGraph]

i will agree with abovr posters only ok if price and schedule is right and you can get away with carry on only I took them to the Dominican republic and price was great but schedule there was fine but back they give far to big of cusion for there domestic connections.

 

[Wendy*Darling]

We've flown them a couple of times. We were planning on driving one trip but they had $9 flights from Atlanta to Orlando! We had to shift our dates by one day but it worked out for us and we were able to fly for less than we would have paid to drive. I was fine with Spirit. They do charge for everything but the times we have flown them the flight has been so cheap that it was still less expensive to fly with them.

I would fly them again if they had a nonstop flight for less than other options. If I could get the same price on AirTran, I'd pick AirTran.

 

[MsSpinShady]

We won't fly with them again. They left our 5-year-old dd in a row by herself and moved my dh and I to the back of the plane even though we had reserved seats and I had confirmed them before we left home. Long delays, charges for everything (including the bottled water THEY OFFERED a mother to calm her crying baby before take-off and then insisted she pay for), rude agents, terrible customer service...

They do offer some good prices on flights, but by the time you pay for everything else it's not a great deal. And the inconvenience and lack of customer service isn't worth it to me anymore. We'll take our dollars elsewhere.

 

[Yensid_MD]

I have flown them once, will never fly them again, not worth the $100 bucks I saved in total. Awful experience and nickel and dimed me to death. In the end I should have paid the extra $100 on Southwest and had less stress and a more enjoyable flight.

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

thank you for the responses. I will prob keep looking for a good mix of budget and nice plane.. travel with 5 kids we need several inches to not drive the people around us crazy

 

[fakereadhed]

I have no problems flying spirit. You get what you pay for but you can score some really CHEAP flights, especially a few weeks out. My parents flew from Detroit to SanFran for under $40 RT incl taxes and fees. They are my first choice for MCO because the terminal is really close to the end where DME is located. When you gate check your stroller it will be thrown in a heap at another terminal, but overall I think it works. Just bring empty water bottles and fill them after TSA and work the extra fees into the total cost when comparing.

 

[sweetdana]

They charge more per seat than Delta or Airtran. I think it was 20 and 25$. They also charge more for luggage. I think it was 25$ If you get 40$ more off your seat then else where each way, go with it. If it is 20$ less, Delta lets you pick your seats for free in the back of the plane or pay 10$ or less for seats. Also luggage was 15$ instead of 25$. good luck!

 

[debster812]

For me it's not the money for luggage or seat selection that keeps us away from Spirit, but their complete and utter lack of customer service when it's needed most.

We flew them for a long weekend to Myrtle Beach a few years ago. Our flight from BOS to MYR was canceled because the flight crew could not make it into Boston, we waited at Logan for nearly 8 hours until our replacement flight left. So we lost the 1st day of our long weekend.

Coming home there was heavy fog in the Northeast and Logan (and other airports) were opening and closing all day. Our flight was significantly delayed (as in our plane had not left where it was coming from by the time our flight was supposed to leave MYR). We were told when we checked in our bags that there was a delay, and that was it. There was never anyone at the gate desk to answer questions, and multiple attempts to reach Spirit via phone were fruitless.

I understand that neither of these delays were within Spirit's control, but how they dealt with them sealed it for us. We will avoid flying with them whenever possible.

 

[Lady V]

We have flown with Spirit several times. Each time I told myself it was worth the lousy customer service for the great price. Well not anymore. A couple years ago we board the plane and there is a girl in my moms seat. She won't get up. I showed her the ticket and said my mom was reserved there. She just turned her head and wouldn't budge? So we got the stewardess. She wouldn't do anything either. She kept telling my mom she would find her a seat. I was like..she has a seat and its right here! The stewardess said she could put my mom on the next flight? Are you kidding me? And when she looked at the other girls ticket she saw the girl was in the wrong seat and she still didn't make her move. I'm sorry but there is no excuse for that. From now on we only fly Delta. Worth the $ to be treated well. My kids always joke about how bad Spirit is when we see the signs at the airport.

 

[momejay]

I was at one time a loyal Spirit customer. We traveled with them 3-6 times a year. I was delayed a few times but never ended up without a ride home. Always well compensated for remaining in FL for an extra night. (if I wanted to)
They started charging for luggage, so I used carryon bags & checked only one bag.
Then they started charging to select seats. (I have 2 children with autism & one uses a wheelchair.) Selecting seats became a problem, but was usually corrected at the gate. There was one trip where my dad & daughter had to sit in another area of the plane & my son was forced to sit in the middle seat instead of the window I had reserved & paid for. After take-off the passenger sitting between the window & my son was willing to sit on the toilet instead.

I joined the $9 club, had their credit card, collected miles...I was never able to take advantage of my miles. The credit card fees got outragous & I was never able to get one of the special cheepo flights.

My son's wheelchair was damaged on the ride home on our last flight. I had no way to get my son to the car dragging suitcases & carrying him. (He is 14 & weights 180lbs.) I couldn't take him to the car & leave him to get the suitcases. They didn't even have a wheelchair I could borrow. I sat him on a luggage cart I stole & went back for my checked luggage days later.

When they say no frills they mean no frills!