Spirit Airlines

[njmomtoone]

I have never flown them before. They have a good deal for our trip. Any thoughts or feedback on how they are?

 

[jmasgat]

Ah, Spirit. They may seem cheap, but keep in mind they will charge you for EVERYTHING, including carry on bags. So carefully add the fees up before you book.

Their customer service has been awful, in my experience. Difficult to get a live person to talk with if the need occurs.

Flights were okay--once you get past them trying to sell you their credit card at the gate. Don't know if they still do this, but they actually had a person trolling the gate trying to get you to sign up.

Most of this can be lived with IF you make sure of the TOTAL cost of your flight--not just the airfare portion.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The seat pitch (the distance between rows of seats) for Spirit economy cabin is just 28 inches, which is the least of any airline in the United States.

In comparison, the seat pitch on Southwest is typically 32-33 inches. That's adequate, but not generous.

Now imagine trying to sit with 4 to 5 inches less knee room and leg room than on Southwest. Welcome to Spirit!

 

[brandonmc]

No leg room, but very cheap. They do nickel and dime for everything, but they will get you there. I have used them many, many times for trips to FL and Las Vegas.

 

[bianca]

I am probably the biggest champion of Spirit on these boards ...... It's a lonely job. That being said, we fly them regularly (most recently just 3 weeks ago). For us, they offer convenient, non-stop flights to Orlando. That is the biggest draw. Most of the other airlines have a stop, and that for us, is a deal breaker for a 2 1/2 hour flight. We can't complain about the price, as we are always able to snag low fares. We bring "under the seat" luggage only and don't pay for bags. The few times we have paid for bags, they have been beaten up badly. We have never had a late or bumped flight. To their credit, they are usually early in taking off. As for seat purchases, we do usually purchase big seats which brings the price up. Totally worth it IMO.

I tend to see that certain airports have more Spirit related problems than others. That may be part of the problem. All I know is that it works for us.

 

[slykrab]

I've never had a problem with Spirit. As long as I add up all the fees and know what I'll be paying (luggage, seat selection, etc), it's sometimes a good deal.

You can avoid carry on fees and checked bag fees if you just bring a larger soft bag or backpack to put under the seat in front of you, like another poster said.

The last time I flew Spirit, the plane was much more roomy & comfortable than the AirTran planes I've been taking recently (booked through Southwest) - I was shocked.

Tip: I've always found I have better luck waiting to check-in until I'm at the airport. I go to a self-service check-in kiosk and when it assigns me a seat, I can press "change seat" and have my pick of any seat for free, except for the large ones up front. I usually snag an exit row that way since people seldom pay to reserve them ahead of time and unless the flight is packed and you're one of the last to check in you won't get assigned one randomly.

I fly 1-2 times roundtrip per month right now. Because of the flexibility, Rapid Rewards, inexpensive fares, free bags, and free snacks & drink, I usually book Southwest, but I do occasionally grab a Spirit flight and like I said, I've never had a problem. I've used Spirit about 4 or 5 times this year.

 

[Suziannie]

I haven't flown with them yet. Our first flight is next Wednesday afternoon and I'm more than happy to answer or research anything you'd like.

There's a lot of negativity surrounding Spirit but when I choose to book with them I did so because even after all the fees, the taxes, the $9 Fare Club membership and even a rental car it still came out to nearly $300 cheaper than everyone else including Southwest. Plus, it's non-stop. We're flying with a two year old and I know I can entertain her in an airport terminal where we can walk around but on a plane for 5 hours? Not so sure about that.

Because I was starting to get downright scared about my choice in airline I looked at a ton of blogs, customer reviews, Trip Advisor posts etc and found a common theme:

1) Most complaints about delays and the airline not wanting to "help" get customers to their final destination started off "we were late to check in" or "by the time we made it through security the plane had left without us.". Lesson: Get to the airport within more than enough time to park, check bags, security etc. Be generous in your estimates of each task and understand that an hour at the airport restaurant near your gate will be far less stressful than the hour spent in the security line as you pray the line moves quickly enough that you can get on your flight. Flying weekends, holidays and even Monday mornings can increase airport traffic. Apparently this isn't common knowledge.

2) A lot of complaints were about flight delays-but a lot of people were complaining that they were "delayed" because the flight changed schedule and they didn't have time to get on either the earlier flight, or didn't like the flight option presented to them. Other reports were airline related 100% but what can you do about that? Lesson: When you pay bargain rates...there's a give and take that happens in most cases. We're flying mid-day but I'll be fairly diligent about checking flight times as much as 24 hours or more in advance.

3) Fees. Fees. And more fees. Not sure how so many people missed the memo on the "extras" Spirit charges. I was surprised at first to see that they even charge for seat assignment but since we want to fly as a group I'm willing to pay it. Again, I did my research at every stage a fee was added and it STILL was cheaper. They are very clear on the website about what it costs, why and there's even a few options. Lesson: As with anything you buy, it's important to understand what exactly you are paying for and where possible extra costs may rise.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Last winter I know people who were told "it's going to be 7 days before we can get you home" Their original flight was cancelled due to weather.... And it took them 4 hours to find that out.

My original flight was also cancelled due to weather (we were all in the same place together) Delta got me home one day late and I got that info with a 30 minute phone call.

Yep, my flight was $100 more. But I saved six nights in a hotel or a new plane ticket (Yes my friends wound up buying a full fare ticket on another airline to get home. Spirit refunded the flight cost they missed..

I won't go if Spirit is my only option

 

[Lewisc]

Spirit, at least their newest planes, have the smallest seats and the lowest pitch (legroom) of any domestic carrier.

Seatguru has a yellow caution tag for virtually every seat A321.

Spirit is now spinning this as a positive.

By adding seats and reducing seat pitch slightly, we can reduce our fares and be more environmentally-friendly. In fact, our seat configuration means our flights emit up to 68% less CO(2) per passenger than other major US airlines. After all, we’re Earth’s favorite way to fly

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

There are many, many threads here discussing Spirit. Ty a search - you'll find a lot of information.

 

[MillauFr]

Last winter I know people who were told "it's going to be 7 days before we can get you home" Their original flight was cancelled due to weather.... And it took them 4 hours to find that out.

My original flight was also cancelled due to weather (we were all in the same place together) Delta got me home one day late and I got that info with a 30 minute phone call.

Yep, my flight was $100 more. But I saved six nights in a hotel or a new plane ticket (Yes my friends wound up buying a full fare ticket on another airline to get home. Spirit refunded the flight cost they missed..

I won't go if Spirit is my only option

I completely believe it as I've read several stories similar to yours. I can understand people flying Spirit when that is their only option, but when you have another non-stop option???? That is crazy to fly Spirit. Spirit is a damaging force in the airline industry. In 5 years from now when you are paying a boarding fee, safety fee, bathroom fee, paying by your weight fee, blame Spirit.

 

[aubriee]

I haven't flown with them yet. Our first flight is next Wednesday afternoon and I'm more than happy to answer or research anything you'd like.

Because I was starting to get downright scared about my choice in airline I looked at a ton of blogs, customer reviews, Trip Advisor posts etc and found a common theme:

1) Most complaints about delays and the airline not wanting to "help" get customers to their final destination started off "we were late to check in" or "by the time we made it through security the plane had left without us.". Lesson: Get to the airport within more than enough time to park, check bags, security etc. Be generous in your estimates of each task and understand that an hour at the airport restaurant near your gate will be far less stressful than the hour spent in the security line as you pray the line moves quickly enough that you can get on your flight.
2) A lot of complaints were about flight delays-but a lot of people were complaining that they were "delayed" because the flight changed schedule and they didn't have time to get on either the earlier flight, or didn't like the flight option presented to them. Other reports were airline related 100% but what can you do about that? Lesson: When you pay bargain rates...there's a give and take that happens in most cases. We're flying mid-day but I'll be fairly diligent about checking flight times as much as 24 hours or more in advance.

3) Fees. Fees. And more fees. Not sure how so many people missed the memo on the "extras" Spirit charges. I was surprised at first to see that they even charge for seat assignment but since we want to fly as a group I'm willing to pay it. Again, I did my research at every stage a fee was added and it STILL was cheaper. They are very clear on the website about what it costs, why and there's even a few options. Lesson: As with anything you buy, it's important to understand what exactly you are paying for and where possible extra costs may rise.

Excellent post. Some people just don't do their research and then get upset when they are surprised. We've flown Spirit several times and have never had a problem. But I did my research going in and knew about all the fees. Even with the extra fees they were alot cheaper than the other airlines and could get me to my destination nonstop, so I went with them. Due to reading several bad reviews, I was a little concerned my first flight, but was pleasantly surprised. Like you most of the bad reviews had to do with things like people being pissed they had to pay for carryons, didn't get snacks on board, having to pay to choose seats, small seats, and people who were mad because they'd missed their flight for one reason or another. For my first flight with them, I chose to pay the 50.00 to upgrade to their 'Big Front Seats', but since I was one of the first on board and was making another flight with them in a couple of months, I did go back and check out the smaller 'coach' seats. I really didn't notice that much difference and so for the second flight chose not to upgrade to the bigger front seats. The other seats were fine. I was used to flying Air Tran and paying for my seats anyway, since I like aisle seats close to the front, so paying for airline seats doesn't bother me. I knew going in, that Spirit did not serve snacks on the flight, so brought snacks with me and bought a soda just prior to boarding. I round up sharing my snacks with the family across the aisle who apparently didn't do their research and didn't know Spirit doesn't serve snacks, so were complaining to the FA. Since Air Tran pulled out of DFW a couple of years ago, the only airlines that fly direct/nonstop from Dallas to Orlando are Spirit and American. Even though I have never had a bad flight on Spirit all the negative reviews are enough that if the price is close I will choose American, however if Spirit is quite a bit cheaper, I would have no probems choosing Spirit. Again we have flown Spirit several times now and have never had a problem.

 

[aubriee]

deleted

 

[Lewisc]

I chose to pay the 50.00 to upgrade to their 'Big Front Seats', but since I was one of the first on board and was making another flight with them in a couple of months, I did go back and check out the smaller 'coach' seats. I really didn't notice that much difference and so for the second flight chose not to upgrade to the bigger front seats. The other seats were fine.

The seats might be fine to you.

Some facts, from seatguru.

The big front seat is 20" wide vs 17.75" for a regular coach seat. That's a 13% difference. The pitch is 36" vs 28". You might not notice the difference but the difference is significant. I'll politely say the fact that you didn't notice the difference suggests you may not be the best judge of airline seating. The seating might not bother some passengers. It's certainly an issue for many.

28" is the lowest pitch of any domestic airline. Even allegiant gives you 30" and that's low. Spirit is so bad SeatGuru gives virtually every seat a yellow notation.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I completely believe it as I've read several stories similar to yours. I can understand people flying Spirit when that is their only option, but when you have another non-stop option???? That is crazy to fly Spirit. Spirit is a damaging force in the airline industry. In 5 years from now when you are paying a boarding fee, safety fee, bathroom fee, paying by your weight fee, blame Spirit.

They were convinced the savings were worth it...

Plus like some posters on here, they had flown Spirit before and "they have been fine"

And honestly, that's the way it works. People Spirit until something goes wrong and then they discover the CEO meant it when he said "we don't do service"

Now my friends trash talk Spirit which has those of us who know the story laughing... We warned them, they told us we were idiots wasting our $$$$.

 

[njmom47]

I am probably the biggest champion of Spirit on these boards ...... It's a lonely job. That being said, we fly them regularly (most recently just 3 weeks ago). For us, they offer convenient, non-stop flights to Orlando. That is the biggest draw. Most of the other airlines have a stop, and that for us, is a deal breaker for a 2 1/2 hour flight. We can't complain about the price, as we are always able to snag low fares. We bring "under the seat" luggage only and don't pay for bags. The few times we have paid for bags, they have been beaten up badly. We have never had a late or bumped flight. To their credit, they are usually early in taking off. As for seat purchases, we do usually purchase big seats which brings the price up. Totally worth it IMO.

I tend to see that certain airports have more Spirit related problems than others. That may be part of the problem. All I know is that it works for us.

You are not the only one. Spirit out of Atlantic City can't be beat! Pay for your luggage online more than 24 hours before your flight, that's the cheapest way. We flew 3 adults last time, didn't care where we sat, so did not pay for seats. Our personal bags were squishy backpacks so they fit under the seat in front of us. Our carryon was the correct size...not a word was said. Just follow the rules and you'll be fine...especially if you're flying out of AC!
ETA Oh yeah, I did pay for a drink and a muffin..$4 which would cost just about the same at Wawa. I guess we are the "we just wanna get there as quickly and cheaply so we just deal" kind of people. I will say they did change our flight from AM to PM so we changed our flight, same day, just landing at a different airport (I was renting a car and didn't want to drive at night on unfamiliar roads, didn't matter to me, we still got to our destination earlier than taking the night flight.) We will fly them again.

 

[aubriee]

The seats might be fine to you.

Some facts, from seatguru.

The big front seat is 20" wide vs 17.75" for a regular coach seat. That's a 13% difference. The pitch is 36" vs 28". You might not notice the difference but the difference is significant. I'll politely say the fact that you didn't notice the difference suggests you may not be the best judge of airline seating. The seating might not bother some passengers. It's certainly an issue for many.

28" is the lowest pitch of any domestic airline. Even allegiant gives you 30" and that's low. Spirit is so bad SeatGuru gives virtually every seat a yellow notation.

I didn't say I didn't notice the difference. Of course the 'Big Front Seats' were bigger. I said I checked out the smaller seats because we were going to be flying Spirit again in a few months and I was curious if I needed to upgrade to the bigger front seats for that flight too. After looking at the smaller seats, I chose not to. Instead, I went online and paid for two aisle seats fairly close to the front of the plane for that second trip. I'm 5'6" and my mom is 5'9". We were both fine in the smaller seats that I chose for that second trip and neither of us noticed that the seats were any smaller than the ones we usually sat in on Air Tran or American. Smaller than the 'Big Front Seats', yes quite a bit and some smaller than the coach seats we are used to on American and Air Tran, but not significant enough that we were uncomfortable.