Spirit Airlines?

[Caribbeanprincess]

So, JetBlue is wayyy to expensive for us this Christmas so we're thinking of taking Spirit for at least one of the ways. How is it? Is there any in-flight entertainment? Is the service good? We've never flown this line before and I always get nervous with new airlines...

 

[WDWisTheBest]

So, JetBlue is wayyy to expensive for us this Christmas so we're thinking of taking Spirit for at least one of the ways. How is it? Is there any in-flight entertainment? Is the service good? We've never flown this line before and I always get nervous with new airlines...

First, what are the two city pairs involved?

Second, they have a good safety record but they charge for everything. What specific service are you trying to investigate. It might help to be a bit more specific.

 

[Caribbeanprincess]

Sorry, I completely forgot to write things down. We're flying between Puerto Rico and MCO. I know they charge for baggage and such, but we would be saving quite a bit.

 

[Mattsmommy]

We flew them when we went to Orlando last month. They are pretty good. They nickel and dime you for everything. It was worth IMO. We saved hundreds of dollars. You have to buy a r/t ticket in order to get the best pricing.

 

[jsilvers]

Is the service good?

The words "Spirit" and "service" rarely appear in the same sentence, unless also accompanied by the word "bad."

Many tales could be told about Spirit's legendary disdain for its customers, but this one sums it up nicely: http://consumerist.com/2007/08/spirit-air-ceo-learns-the-dangers-of-hitting-reply-all-when-callously-responding-to-consumer-complai.html.

 

[DarleneW]

We live in NJ and about 45 minutes from Atlantic City so we almost always fly Spirit. If you belong to their $9 fare club you can sometimes get really good deals. My DH and I flew down in January for $9 each both ways. The trip cost us less than $100. There is no entertainment on the planes and yes they do charge now for carry ons and it is more than if you check your bags but the last time we flew Spirit it really did make a difference in the boarding and unboarding in the time because not may people had carry ons. $9 club members do get charged less for baggage. I always compare prices for Spirit, Continental, Jet Blue and Southwest and Spirit is always the cheapest and for us the Atlantic City airport is the easiest to get to and it is nice and small which we love. Plus (at least for now) the charge to park is cheaper than at the bigger airports.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Many tales could be told about Spirit's legendary disdain for its customers, but this one sums it up nicely

I'm finally old enough and have enough money to base my travel choices on more than price. I personally would never support an airline with such poor customer service.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

So, JetBlue is wayyy to expensive for us this Christmas so we're thinking of taking Spirit for at least one of the ways. How is it? Is there any in-flight entertainment? Is the service good? We've never flown this line before and I always get nervous with new airlines...

All other things equal, I would pick Air Tran since they use the Boeing 737 rather than the Airbus that Spirit uses.
And, Spirit has only 1nonstop flight SJU to MCO, the others stop at Fort Lauderdale.

But, if you are flying after 12/17 maybe Spirit has a Red Light or other special fare? And, maybe Air Tran can't match that fare.

Have you tried joining the Spirit $9 club?

 

[Caribbeanprincess]

We're flying to Orlando on the 28th of December and flying back January 5. We were thinking of going to Orlando via JetBlue and returning via Spirit since we would save almost $100. But now I'm not so sure...

 

[Daddio]

If the savings are good, there is nothing wrong with Spirit. When people refer to poor service, it is quite possibly the attitude of the head honcho that they are referring to and the policies set in place by the management. However, it is these nickle and dime policies that enable them to offer LOW rates.

It has been our experience that the flight crews will do anything within their power to ensure you have a safe and comfortable journey. Just don't expect complimentary beverages, peanuts, pretzels or carry on baggage. You'll almost always get a free smile.

David

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

So\How is it? Is there any in-flight entertainment? Is the service good? We've never flown this line before and I always get nervous with new airlines...

1. If NOTHING goes wrong and you don't mind being crammed in like a sardine.. it's fine.

2. In flight entertainment will be the Flight Attendants selling water, cokes, etc..

3. Service? It's Spirit. See #1. And then go to Trip Advisor, go to the forums, Air Travel and do a search... No service!

If everything goes well you will be fine. If there is ANY problem you will be on your own. The employees take thier lead from the head guy who thinks that service is a waste. Plus the fact that they have fewer flights means that something like a weather delay can take a while to recover from. There's a guy on Trip Advisor right now saying it was something like a two day delay for a recent one.

Also be sure to check the fees! They charge for carryons, not just checked luggage It can add up.

I would never get on them!

 

[jsilvers]

When people refer to poor service, it is quite possibly the attitude of the head honcho that they are referring to and the policies set in place by the management. However, it is these nickle and dime policies that enable them to offer LOW rates.

It has been our experience that the flight crews will do anything within their power to ensure you have a safe and comfortable journey.

That may have been your experience with Spirit flight crews, but it hasn't been everyone's experience. See http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/09/20/30450.htm.

 

[Lewisc]

Spirit is introducing non-reclining seats with less legroom (smaller pitch).
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/news/fl-airline-leg-room-20101007,0,7849427.story

Spirit is known for poor service and low fares. Just make sure you add up all the extras. Make sure you're saving enough money.

 

[Daddio]

That may have been your experience with Spirit flight crews, but it hasn't been everyone's experience. See http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/09/20/30450.htm.

Thank you. I did read that article and am thankful that I have not been in that situation. I am not a Spirit advocate, although they used to be my favorite airline until the turned cheap.

But, I've got to give credit where credit is due. I have had a couple of issues recently that required a call to their customer service line, and much to my surprise, I was treated well and issues were handled without delay. Let me say again, "much to my surprise". Which leads me to beleive that maybe they are changing their focus towards customer service.

That said, it is not poor service to advertise lower rates while disclosing the tradeoffs. It gives the consumer choices that they didn't have before. How far will they go? That depends on the consumer. How much is one willing to give up in lieu of lower fares? I will probably have my limits at some point, but at least I know the situation I am going into.

Spirit is introducing non-reclining seats with less legroom (smaller pitch).
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/news/fl-airline-leg-room-20101007,0,7849427.story

Spirit is known for poor service and low fares. Just make sure you add up all the extras. Make sure you're saving enough money.

Again, I feel that making seats smaller and reducing prices has nothing (in my mind) to do with service. You get what you pay for and Sprit does a good job of announcing that you get nothing extra on their flights.

David

 

[ReneeA]

We've flown from Detroit to MCO via Spirit roundtrip 4 times. Like others have stated, it is definitely a no frills airline...they charge for carryon, checked bags, as well as seat assignments, water & snacks on the flight. Be sure to add up all the hidden costs to make sure you are really getting a cheap flight.

That being said, we have never had a bad experience with them. They leave on time, they arrive on time, they don't tend to move flight times around like other airlines I read about on here, and they have low cost nonstop flights with times that are desirable to us.

We've never paid more than $700 for nonstop 4 RT tickets. That price includes the cost of 2 checked bags and no carryons. We leave Detroit on the earliest flight and arrive in MCO by 10am and have a full day of vacation our first day. They also have late flights leaving between 8 - 10 pm so you can have a full last day as well. I have found if you do not pay for seat assignments, but check in right at the 24 hour mark, you will be seated with your family members.

I've read alot about their poor customer service, but never actually witnessed it. What we have gotten is really affordable transportation.