Spirit Airllines

[aclov]

I'm searching for airfare to Aruba which anything right now with fuel prices is high, but Spirit is the lowest so far. I've never flown them before, they charge a baggage fee which us normal now, I'm just used to SW.

Any feedback on them?

 

[secretpantssam]

I stopped flying spirit because they started charging for everything...bags, seats, carryons. They also would raise prices on the bag fees after I purchased tickets, which is annoying for budgeting. And the one time they changed my morning flight to an afternoon flight and then made a different morning flight at the exact same time. Then when I tried to change my flight back to the morning at the original time, they tried to charge me. They were a headache and a half and I just had enough.

 

[amcnj]

Compare costs carefully. Spirit is know for listing a seemingly low fare, but adding many extra charges. Besides baggage charges, there can be carry-on fees, boarding pass fees, seat assignment fees, etc. Check what the total price with them will be for what you need versus the total with other airlines before committing to purchase. Not saying they might not be the eventual cheaper way to go, but just make sure you are comparing apples to apples.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree - read Spirit's website carefully before purchasing your ticket. Make sure that you understand all the additional fees you will be charged above the price of your ticket.

 

[ZehnJahren]

If you do a search for "Spirit Airlines complaints," you may not care about their prices.

They do charge many fees once you buy your ticket, including fees for your carry-ons, checked luggage, seat assignment (regardless of whether or not you pick your own) and more. Also, their luggage weight threshold is lower than other airlines, and I've read that sometimes the bathrooms on the planes don't work!

They can be a good deal if you're traveling light and are on your own. I don't know that I'd take kids with me on that airline!

 

[aclov]

That's what I was afraid of hidden fees and schedule changes. I want to know what my cost are now, not later! Thank u all for the feedback!

 

[shelwoj]

I'm a very laid back traveler and even I won't ever use Spirit again.

*The most uncomfortable seats ever.

*One bathroom for the whole plane.

*Ridiculous luggage sizes, weight limit and fees.

*Unfriendly flight attendants.

*Charge for anything to eat or drink, even water.

The list goes on, just bad business.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

Don't fly Spirit Airlines. I do not know how they are still in business. They re the worst airlines in the industry. They have the most complaints. There are so many hidden fees. Not to mention lost travel time due to malfunctions and just plain disorganization due their lacking qualified customer service. My mom was a travel agent and told me to never fly them and I never would and I will talk anyone out of flying them. In fact my brother in law just booked with them last week through expedia and as soon as I found out, I called expedia and got them to cancel his flights. And thank God they were able to do so without charging any fees and he received a full refund because it was less than 24 hours since he had booked his flight.

 

[SnowPeas]

It's been said, but I feel as if it needs to be said again...in bold.

Do. Not. Fly. Spirit. Airlines.

Their $9 fare club sounds like a great idea. Do a search. EVER see $9 fare? I have NEVER seen it. I have seen fares less than the regular fares, but NEVER for $9 to ANY destination.

They seem cheap, until you add up all their charges...including Unintended Consequences of DOT Regulations Fee. WHAT?!

Or...Charge for printing Boarding Passes at Kiosk (Fee starts 30 June 2012) WHAT, WHAT?!

Ick! They should be shut down.

 

[girli565]

It's been said, but I feel as if it needs to be said again...in bold.

Do. Not. Fly. Spirit. Airlines.

Their $9 fare club sounds like a great idea. Do a search. EVER see $9 fare? I have NEVER seen it. I have seen fares less than the regular fares, but NEVER for $9 to ANY destination.

They seem cheap, until you add up all their charges...including Unintended Consequences of DOT Regulations Fee. WHAT?!

Or...Charge for printing Boarding Passes at Kiosk (Fee starts 30 June 2012) WHAT, WHAT?!

Ick! They should be shut down.

You have to be signed in as a member of the $9 fare club in order to see the $9 fares. I was a member about 3 years ago and I did see $9 fares all the time. I'm not a member now so I odn't know if they're still around but I do get alerts from airfarewatchdog.com of $9 fares on spirit (short flights like Miami to Tampa) at least once a week for members. So they must exist from time to time.

I'm not defending the airline because I truly will never fly them again but I did want to point out that they do have the $9 fares sometimes.

 

[rella's fan]

Wow, just wanted to say I fly Spirit A LOT, are they my favorite? No way, but even with the extras they are much cheaper than most other airlines. I fly out of Detroit and can usually get direct flights to NewYork and Florida for around $50 return everything included but baggage. I also do LasVegas and LA quite regularly for under $200. They definitely are "no frills" but I've never found them to be that bad. I never pay for a carry on, just bring a good sized purse and I don't pay to pick my seats (if you check in early online and bypass the seat selection they will assign you.)

 

[jodifla]

I gave up flying Spirit five years ago. I might do it...but only under true duress. And I wouldn't bring my family on the plane.

 

[aclov]

This is why I love the DIS boards, you are all so honest and helpful I was on another website forum board and happen to run across a thread echoing pretty much the same negative comments. Don't want to take the risk and prefer to pay more especially on a longer flight!

 

[Hasil72]

RUN!!!! Do not pass go, do not collect $200, run as far as you can!

We booked Spirit for our December trip since ACY is only an hour away and the single terminal was less stressful for our DS who is on the Autism spectrum. Fares were decent but, like everyone has said, they nickel and dime you for everything else. That wasn't the worst of it though. We get a call on vacation that our flight home was "downgraded" and we need to contact them asap. In a panic, I call them (in India) and first can't understand a thing they are saying, then I finally get that the flight has been canceled. They wanted me to come home 2 days earlier or 2 days later. Are you kidding me?? Then when I explain that neither of those options will work since I would lose the 2 nights hotel I had already paid and really didn't have the budget for 2 extra days of hotels/meals they put us on a flight the same day we were originally supposed to come home. The hitch....the flight was at 7am and had a 6 hour layover! It gets better, because the flight was "connecting" the fees I paid to assure my family was seated together were only good for the first leg of the flight. I explained that I was traveling with an 8 year old and a special needs 12 year old so we NEED to be seated together even if they break us up into 2 pairs. Nope, too bad, they made me PAY $15 PER PERSON! Total insanity.

Oh, btw, they are quick to tell you that they are compensating you with "free" RT tickets for your next flight however they DON'T tell you that those vouchers #1. have to be booked within 45 days of the flight change so if you want to book for something later in the year and the schedule isn't out, you're screwed. And #2. those "free" tickets only cover the base fare not the fuel fee, the 911 fee, this surcharge or that surcharge not to mention the baggage and seating fees. Our free flight was going to cost us about $500 BUT we couldn't book it because of #1.

 

[debster812]

We've had lots of discussions on the Transportation Board about Spirit. The consensus is much the same as this thread. I've flown them once, had major delays in both directions, and absolutely NO HELP from Spirit with regards to passing along information, or helping us out.

For what they are, I think Spirit is fine, a lower cost, no frills, a la carte airline. When everything is running smoothly, no problem. It's when things start to go wrong that things REALLY go south with Spirit.

 

[aclov]

Yikes sounds like a nightmare! I'm so glad I asked before pulling the trigger!

 

[bianca]

We fly Spirit all the time. Are they perfect?...... Absolutely not. However, from where we stand they do a lot of things right. First and foremost, from Detroit, they offer an abundance of no-stop flights to MCO (and other locations). This allows us to get to Orlando in less than 3 hours fly time. Nobody else does this from DTW. Everybody else has 1-2 stops taking 6-8 hours for what should be a very short flight. As everyone knows, the more stops you make, there is a higher likelihood that something weird is going to happen to your luggage. Spirit removes that from the equation.

Thinking of luggage ...... Yes, they charge for it. However, their personal bag allowance is huge (16 x14 x12) and free and we have learned to pack very efficiently. With optimally sized bags we don't pay those fees. Also, with the $9 fare club, you get $10 off those fees (for each bag).

As for snacks, etc. ...... Because their flight times are so short due to direct flights, we find it unbelievable that anybody would seriously complain about going for 3 hours without a feeding. Now alcohol, that is a different story. Give me a #11, thank you ...... Cranberry and vodka. For $11 you get 2 small bottles of your favorite libation plus the accompanying mixer of choice. If you are going to complain about that price, then WDW is certainly not the proper destination for you.

Their staff is hit and miss in the personality department. We have had some great staff and some that could have used some Disney magic. We just usually brush it off as they are doing the best they can in their particular situation. I know that I would have a difficult time remaining happy if 1/4 of the passengers showed up in their pajamas (yes, they do) and another 1/4 expects to be treated like Donald Trump since they are flying on one of them fancy aero-o-planes. Seriously, just remember that you get what you pay for.

Okay, now for the big bad $9 fare club. We have been members for several years now. Have the $9 flights disappeared? ...... Sure, but so has $2 a gallon gasoline. Now, the great deals all end with the number 9. They regularly offer $19 flights to Chicago......with no extra charges, UNLESS you have to bring a months' worth of clothes or can't make the 1 hour flight without sustenance. Just 2 weeks ago they had a great one-day deal that we took advantage of. 7 of us are booked for $39 flights (each way ... No hidden fees) for a trip from Detroit to ft. Lauderdale. Once there, we will rent a car and drive to Disney's Vero Beach resort where I was easily able to secure a reservation for 4 nights. A nice impromptu trip courtesy of Spirit and Disney that doesn't break the bank. How sweet is that?

The bottom line for Spirit is to be flexible and able to plan well. Don't expect frills, as you won't be getting them. What you will get is the shortest flight possible for a decent price.

 

[fakereadhed]

ITA with Bianca.

Have I ever had a friendly flight attendant? Yes, but not in the past 10 years. It isn't a priority when flying, cuz it really is unlikely to happen. That complaint seems a little silly to me.

Baggage fees and extra fees are out of hand on most airlines. Southwest is the exception, but they seem to have more connecting flights for where I want to go. Mainly Orlando, but you knew that, right? Spirit has direct flights from Detroit to Orlando.

On the subject of bathrooms, I do my best to avoid them at all costs anyway. No thanks! That's where the no free beverages comes in handy.

Spirit is no worse than Airtran and definitely better than Allegiant with their hokey in-flight gambling games.

I would fly Spirit without hesitation if they were lowest with fees included.

 

[jenn1972]

I recently flew on Spirit. After reading the reviews and complaints I was seriously second guessing my frugality, but the price (even after adding in all the "extras") was right.

It's no frills, personality or pity for being unaware of their business plan. The thing I had working for me is I am a planner and a reader. I even printed and read the carriage of contract. I call NERD on myself.

The difference in Spirit that totally trips people up and tends to make them mad when they are unexpectedly hit with an additional fee for luggage (40 pounds vs standard 50) and the stupid seat selection fee or the petty pay to print at a kiosk fee. I think the word has gotten around about the carry-on fee. You also pay more for booking online vs. if you can go to an airport and pay in person. It's odd.

But what is MOST ridiculous.. is that at giant 5"4 my knees were slammed into the seat in front of me. If you are a tall person.... whooosh, sorry for ya.

If it is the only way to get you to a Disney vacation... it's all worth it in the end, right?
Good luck with the travel plans.