Spirit fares - do they generally stay the same or are they known for increasing?

[ColinCodyMom]

We usually fly delta or southwest but omg are those prices high right now. I can get 4 roundtrip tickets on spirit for 611. I think that's half of what I paid last time we flew. It's been the same price for days now and I am not familiar with this market at all so I'm not sure if they're infamous for increasing their prices and maybe I should just book this right now. I know it's anyone's guess, but does anyone have personal experience with this?? TIA

 

[grimley1968]

I have no idea if Spirit raises prices later on, but if you're really saying that you can get 4 roundtrip tickets for $611, and you know you're going on the dates you've put on their website, I would jump all over that in a heartbeat. I'm assuming you're in Michigan by your profile info, which is almost twice as far from Orlando as I am in Kentucky, and I can't find pricing for even double that amount.

 

[ColinCodyMom]

I have no idea if Spirit raises prices later on, but if you're really saying that you can get 4 roundtrip tickets for $611, and you know you're going on the dates you've put on their website, I would jump all over that in a heartbeat. I'm assuming you're in Michigan by your profile info, which is almost twice as far from Orlando as I am in Kentucky, and I can't find pricing for even double that amount.

Yep 611 for four roundtrip flights. We've flown spirit many years ago quite a few times and never had problems that a lot of people seem to be having. We're out of DTW. I can't come anywhere near that on any other carrier even with all the fees. I'm actually in shock at how low it is. Thanks for the reply!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Be sure to check the fees. Remember the charge for carryon! And if you weren't happy with the service on Delta... RUN! LOL!

Personally I won't go if Spirit is my only option, but other's have a higher pain/risk tolerance then I do.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

Definitely check your fees - particularly baggage and choice of seating. Baggage could easily be $50+ per person each way.


For non- $9 club members, fees are $30 for a carryon; $25 for first checked; $35 for second checked if purchased before you get to the airport. Add $5 per bag if you pay at the airport.

They provide one personal item free of charge per customer. Personal items (e.g. purse, small backpack, briefcase, etc.) must fit underneath the seat, so the dimensions must not exceed 16 x 14 x 12 inches (40 x 35 x 30 cm).

 

[grimley1968]

Definitely check your fees - particularly baggage and choice of seating. Baggage could easily be $50+ per person each way.


For non- $9 club members, fees are $30 for a carryon; $25 for first checked; $35 for second checked if purchased before you get to the airport. Add $5 per bag if you pay at the airport.

They provide one personal item free of charge per customer. Personal items (e.g. purse, small backpack, briefcase, etc.) must fit underneath the seat, so the dimensions must not exceed 16 x 14 x 12 inches (40 x 35 x 30 cm).

That could be true. assuming $50 baggage fees for 4 people, that would be as much as $200 added to their total fare. However, that comes to $811, which is still hundreds cheaper than anything else I've seen even around here, which normally has inexpensive flights to Orlando.

 

[aubriee]

That could be true. assuming $50 baggage fees for 4 people, that would be as much as $200 added to their total fare. However, that comes to $811, which is still hundreds cheaper than anything else I've seen even around here, which normally has inexpensive flights to Orlando.

True! I flew Spirit for the first time last May and liked them so much I flew them again in Sept. I knew the fees going in and even with all the fees, still came out ALOT cheaper than any other flight I could find for those dates. I had read about their bad reviews, but we had two very pleasant r/t flights. I knew they did not serve beverages or snacks, so brought my own snacks and grabbed a bottle of water after security. I had read about how small the seats were, so for my May trip paid to upgrade to the 'Big Front Seats'. However, once I boarded I checked out the seats right behind me and didn't find them that bad, so chose not to upgrade our seats for the Sept trip. We were fine in the cheaper seats. I got cheap, direct, nonstop flights with great times, cheaper than the nonstop flights with bad times on the other airlines. I would have no problem flying Spirit again, if the price was right.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

True! I flew Spirit for the first time last May and liked them so much I flew them again in Sept. I knew the fees going in and even with all the fees, still came out ALOT cheaper than any other flight I could find for those dates. I had read about their bad reviews, but we had two very pleasant r/t flights. I knew they did not serve beverages or snacks, so brought my own snacks and grabbed a bottle of water after security. I had read about how small the seats were, so for my May trip paid to upgrade to the 'Big Front Seats'. However, once I boarded I checked out the seats right behind me and didn't find them that bad, so chose not to upgrade our seats for the Sept trip. We were fine in the cheaper seats. I got cheap, direct, nonstop flights with great times, cheaper than the nonstop flights with bad times on the other airlines. I would have no problem flying Spirit again, if the price was right.

This is the standard review... until something goes wrong.

Then you see the REAL difference. As bad as service is with the old "mainline airlines" with Spirit it reaches a whole new level of incompetence. Do some searches.. below is typical

"Flew LaGuardia/Fort Lauderdale/San José - Costa Rica on December 21. Flight from La Guardia was delayed, making me miss my connection in Fort Lauderdale. The check-in agent told me point-blank that they can't put me on another flight until the 28th. A full week later. Hands thrown in the air, and a mere 'well, it's the holidays, sir'."

"They just cancelled the flight my wife and child were supposed to be on from FLL to DEN (Flight 355 12/26/12). Counter staff told my wife that they might be able to get them on a flight on the 31st, 5 days from now. What are they supposed to do, live in the airport for 5 days?"

(And I didn't have to look too hard for this I read trip advisor.. its a weekly occurrence the "I am never flying Spirit again post" Sure the other airlines get them too, but consistently Spirit leads the pack in over and over and over again having issues)


You have to be wiling to take the risk that when something goes wrong you will realistically be on your own. I am not willing to take that risk.

 

[Jaymie]

Personally I won't go if Spirit is my only option, but other's have a higher pain/risk tolerance then I do.

I could not agree with you more!!

 

[aubriee]

This is the standard review... until something goes wrong.

As bad as service is with the old "mainline airlines" with Spirit it reaches a whole new level of incompetence.

Last Feb I posted a negative review about American Airlines. My husband and I were taking our then 3 y/o GS down to WDW (his first WDW trip and also his first time ever flying). I booked us together with him having a window seat. A few weeks before we left we got an email, my husband's itinerary had been changed. Nothing was said about mine or my GS's, so I went online, just to find that they had moved me and my husband to another flight that left MCO an hour earlier than our previous flight. Fine, except they left my 3 y/o GS on the first flight by himself. When I called to get it fixed, I had some ditz on the line that couldn't seem to comprehend the problem with this scenario. Her response was that your grandson will just be an hour behind you and you guys can just meet up in Dallas an hour later. At which point, I said, "You actually expect me to leave a 3 y/o by himself in the Orlando airport with instructions to get himself on the next plane and we'll meet him 2 1/2 hours later in Dallas when he gets off the plane by himself?" At that point the rep laughed and said, "Oh, I didn't realize your GS was that young, but I see now he is three". I had told her multiple times that he was a 3 y/o, plus I had checked the 'children 2-11' box, when I first booked the flight. She just wasn't listening and didn't look at the reservation details. Thankfully she did finally manage to get all three of us on the same plane. When I asked her about making sure at least one of us was sitting by him, she said she had fixed it. When we got our boarding passes the day we left Orlando, we found that the three of us was all over the plane. Thankfully the MCO gate agent was able to fix it. I had booked the three of us together, one itinerary, one transaction, one credit card and had designated him as a child aged 2-11. Why the heck would they move two of us to a different plane and leave a 3 y/o by himself on the first flight. Why didn't the computer pick up on it? Talk about incompetence!

 

[NJRRK]

Last Feb I posted a negative review about American Airlines. My husband and I were taking our then 3 y/o GS down to WDW (his first WDW trip and also his first time ever flying). I booked us together with him having a window seat. A few weeks before we left we got an email, my husband's itinerary had been changed. Nothing was said about mine or my GS's, so I went online, just to find that they had moved me and my husband to another flight that left MCO an hour earlier than our previous flight. Fine, except they left my 3 y/o GS on the first flight by himself. When I called to get it fixed, I had some ditz on the line that couldn't seem to comprehend the problem with this scenario. Her response was that your grandson will just be an hour behind you and you guys can just meet up in Dallas an hour later. At which point, I said, "You actually expect me to leave a 3 y/o by himself in the Orlando airport with instructions to get himself on the next plane and we'll meet him 2 1/2 hours later in Dallas when he gets off the plane by himself?" At that point the rep laughed and said, "Oh, I didn't realize your GS was that young, but I see now he is three". I had told her multiple times that he was a 3 y/o, plus I had checked the 'children 2-11' box, when I first booked the flight. She just wasn't listening and didn't look at the reservation details. Thankfully she did finally manage to get all three of us on the same plane. When I asked her about making sure at least one of us was sitting by him, she said she had fixed it. When we got our boarding passes the day we left Orlando, we found that the three of us was all over the plane. Thankfully the MCO gate agent was able to fix it. I had booked the three of us together, one itinerary, one transaction, one credit card and had designated him as a child aged 2-11. Why the heck would they move two of us to a different plane and leave a 3 y/o by himself on the first flight. Why didn't the computer pick up on it? Talk about incompetence!

What does this have to do with Spirit airfares going up or down?!? OK AA screwed up, stuff happens, they fixed the problem and everything was fine.

When the PP was talking about Spirit customer service this issue would not have been taken care of.

 

[aubriee]

What does this have to do with Spirit airfares going up or down?!? OK AA screwed up, stuff happens, they fixed the problem and everything was fine.

When the PP was talking about Spirit customer service this issue would not have been taken care of.

Maybe, maybe not. The poster who quoted me was putting Spirit down for their "incompetency". All airlines have some incompetent employees (like the one at AA that I had to deal with last Feb). I've never had a problem with Spirit, but have with American Airlines more than once. Even so, I would fly American again. I can't help but wonder if some of the people who put Spirit down have actually flown with them. If you do a search you will find some negative reviews about every single airline out there.

 

[NJRRK]

Maybe, maybe not. The poster who quoted me was putting Spirit down for their "incompetency". All airlines have some incompetent employees (like the one at AA that I had to deal with last Feb). I've never had a problem with Spirit, but have with American Airlines more than once. Even so, I would fly American again. I can't help but wonder if some of the people who put Spirit down have actually flown with them. If you do a search you will find some negative reviews about every single airline out there.

I really don't want to get into this, but ...

You said the employees at AA were incompetent, yet your problem was taken care of. A bit slow, yes, kinda stupid maybe, but since your problem was fixed not incompetent. I've been in Customer Service and sometimes you can't always see the information on the same screen, you have to go here, then there etc. I understand you were upset but to call people incompetent after they solve issues is just wrong.

And I still don't see what this has to do with the OP's original question on Spirit's airfares.

 

[mikehn]

From the DC area, Spirit is a 2 hour nonstop flight, cant be that bad

 

[Sandi]

From the DC area, Spirit is a 2 hour nonstop flight, cant be that bad

Assuming the flight actually goes. I've been twice burned by Spirit out of DTW (direct, nonstop flight to MCO) and will never fly them again. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me a third time --- you're good, not going to happen.

To the OPs original question, the prices for our Spirit flights did not change after we purchased. Make sure you calculate in all of the fees, etc. into your total price so you're doing a true comparison. I can't say if they change the cost of the various fees they impose.