<p>My s is planning to book a flight with Spirit because of its cheap prices. Does anyone has any experience with this airline? We’re from Canada and has never heard of it. I’m always wary of cheap prices – too good to be true?</p>
<p>Spirit is one of those airlines that take the “nickle and dime” mind set to an extreme. Cheap flights, but you pay for pretty much everything including your carry on as well as your checked luggage. You are allowed one small personal item (small purse, jacket, small backpack, etc) if it can fit under the seat in front of you at no additional charge. They reserve the right to determine your personal item is actually a carry-on size.</p>
<p>You can get cheaper baggage fee rates by joining their 9 Fare Club for $59.95.</p>
<p>Carry On fees (one way):
Member of 9 Fare Club:
Online during booking: $20
Online check-in or over phone: $25
Non-member:
Online during booking: $25
Online check-in or over phone: $30
All passengers regardless of membership:
At airport counter/kiosk: $40
At airport gate: $45</p>
<p>It just gets worse with the checked baggage fees. You can see the details of above and the checked baggage fees here: [Spirit</a> Airlines - Baggage Policies](<a href=“Spirit Airlines”>Spirit Airlines)</p>
<p>The cheap airfares are to lure you in so yes, the cheap prices are too good to be true unless you are able to fly with just the clothes on your back and a small personal item (or the cost of the flight on another airline is more even with all the extra fees added on). They subsidize those flights by charging for everything they possibly can at ridiculous prices. My advice would be look somewhere else or at least compare all of the actual fees you will incur with what it would cost you to fly on a different airline (including their baggage fees if applicable).</p>
<p>We’ve used them before and they were fine. As Kender mentioned, just add up the fees for any services you intend to use and see how they compare. Sometimes they are less.</p>
<p>Yes, we just flew on Spirit in May. The flight was fine, on time, with nice flight attendants. However, I did feel nickel and dimed. I think the cost did even out with the other airlines, and it is the one airline where we can get a direct flight to the airport closest to our final destination. However, after all the extra fees for things, they were happy to hawk their “free” credit card during the flight and in prominent places in the terminal. Ha, that tells you a lot.</p>
<p>We’ve flown on spirit every year ever since the early 90’s until about a year or two ago when we stopped flying altogether. We never had any problems with the airline at all in that time. We only ever had one notable delay in that time and Spirit gave us each a free round trip another time to make up for it. There is significantly less leg room than in the other major airliners but it was nothing I had a problem with.</p>
<p>This was the only way we could afford to take the trips that we did, so I would presume that at least back then the fees were not such that it evened out. Times have changed. We would pay for baggage but otherwise we are just accustomed to never buying any of the extras, it sounds like that’s the way to go.</p>
<p>We fly Spirit frequently (LGA-MYR).</p>
<p>Yes - they nickel and dime you to death. Fees for seat selection, baggage, etc. usually are more expensive than the fare itself. BUT, we have never had an issue with the flights being delayed or cancelled. </p>
<p>Our primary reason for using them, despite the annoying fees, is that they offer a DIRECT flight. It is worth it for us to drive a couple hours from northern CT to LGA for that flight, rather than flying out of BDL (10 minutes away) and dealing with connections.</p>
<p>We like to fly out of Atlantic City and Spirit is about the only option, but I hesitate because they do really nickel and dime you to death and they are not reliable on take-off times. They have limited equipment and if the flight coming from some other leg of its trip has delays, there is no back-up equipment. I would not fly them if I absolutely had to be on time for something and was trying to count on a flight to get me there. If I have the luxury of not caring when I arrive, I am fine with them.</p>
<p>D just used Spirit - one way was fine, the other a disaster. It was not totally the airline’s fault, but they were not helpful in providing information.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. s ended up booking Delta, because of the specific schedule that he needs. But all the info is helpful for later trips.</p>
<p>^^^ Ironic timing – Just got one of those funnies from Spirit about their $9 sale.</p>
<p>Have made the Wash DC to Fort Lauderdale round trip about eight times, no problem. Like all airlines with the Southwest exception they are now charging for luggage.</p>
<p>^^^ Ha-Ha. It said “Have you seen our Weiner?” With fares too HARD to resist…</p>
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<p>Not only does Spirit charge for luggage, but the also charge for carry on. Checking your bag, I believe, is cheaper. Not a good idea to check luggage AND bring a carry-on!</p>
<p>Yes, Spirit Airlines charges for checking a bag and for use of the overhead bins. D took Spirit last month because it is the only airline with non-stop flights from NYC to Myrtle Beach. They advertise an unbelievably cheap rate, but that price is only to book the flight - by the time you add in the price of an actual seat and to carry on a bag, the price is the same as booking with any other airline. On Ds flight the charge to carryon a bag and use overhead space was $30 and the price to check a bag was $28.</p>
<p>With Spirit, you have to pay attention to add-on costs. I’ve flown them dozens of times from DC to Ft. Lauderdale over the last 6 years and I’ve never had any serious issues. In fact, I flew them at Christmas for about $50 round-trip. I didn’t check a bag and I only carried on a backpack, small enough to tuck under the seat in front of me.</p>
<p>TuTuTaxi, that’s the flight that we take all the time too. 
If there was a direct flight from Bradley to MB, I’d take it in a heartbeat, even if it WAS more expensive!</p>
<p>I fly them frequently , not out of love but because I live rather close to Atlantic City Airport and they fly to Boston.
I try my best to avoid their fees. I pay to check a bag so I don’t have to worry about the shampoo and other things I may have packed ( I actually brought some of my cookware last time ). I do not pay to choose my seat or insurance…blah, blah. I agree with some of the previous posters who mentioned that you shouldn’t count on them if you absolutely have to be on time since I have had more delayed flights than on time.</p>