Looking for information about Spirit airlines. I’m traveling from the East Coast to the Midwest for a high school union in a few days. I booked my flight with Spirit in May because it was the cheapest flight (less than $150) on the Kayak website. I was telling my daughter about my plans and she said she had traveled on Spirit once a few years ago and that she’d never travel on Spirit again. Apparently, the tickets are cheap because everything else has a fee–you pay if you have a carry-on bag or if you check your bag and the fees are high $40-$50 (D doesn’t remember exact amount.) Even water costs $$$. Has anyone ever used Spirit? Is it that bad? D also says she heard Spirit cancels flights at the last minute and doesn’t reroute people. That concerns me most and I’d be willing to eat the fare and rebook on another airline.
I used Spirit about a year ago to go to Florida from Boston and it was an awful experience. The seats are terrible. They’re very small and so close to the row in front of you. It’s impossible to be comfortable. I would never use Spirit again.
Yes, Spirit is that bad. All of the above is true. On the other hand, my sister has flown Spirit from Latrobe to Ft. Lauderdale many times and she has had no complaints. Maybe she was just lucky, or maybe that route is more trouble-free than others. But Spirit is the airline that has the most angry mobs at Ft. Lauderdale airport on any given day.
Yup. It is that bad. But now you are at least forwarned.
The ala carte pricing…bleh. You couldn’t pay me to fly this airline.
I think the biggest issue is that there are few Spirit flights and if yours is cancelled, you are SOL. They don’t have partnerships with other airlines, so you are stuck waiting for Spirit to rebook you or you must find your own way home.
If you are committed, then do it. Another option is to book on SW for a later flight on the same day and then if the Spirit works out, just cancel your SW flight and you’ll get a credit to use for another flight within a year. It really depends on how close you are to traveling. If you don’t have at least a week, SW might not be any cheap to book today than it would be on the day of flying.
Pack light as you will be charged. I think it is a little cheaper to ‘reserve’ checked luggage before the flight?
Ditto on all your daughter’s comments. After all the charges, when you get on the plane, they start hawking the free credit card. Argh!
But they have a direct flight for us to Myrtle Beach, so we have used them 5-6 times a year. And we will continue to do so. There are no other low priced non-stop options.
Years ago we flew Spirit to the Bahamas. My luggage was lost and despite numerous calls to Spirit, no luck. When we got to the airport at the end of our vacation, the agent told me I could look in an office. My bag was sitting there. You couldn’t pay me to fly them again.
I’ve never used them. My sister uses them to fly to a specific destination where there aren’t a lot of flights and puts up with the nickel and diming.
They look cheaper on Kayak but that’s before you add in the fees for baggage, etc. That’s how they sucked you in.
Just for an alternate point of view: Flew Spirit from Philadelphia to Chicago in August. Early flight out, late flight back 5 days apart. No problems at all, although agree that the seats are tightly packed. Also weather was good at all airports/ flight times so that greatly lessened the chance of delays or cancellations.
We checked two bags. Yes the per bag fee was costly but the fare was reasonable and so still cheaper overall than other options, even with the extra fees. Baggage arrived promptly at each end of the flight in good condition. Staff was pleasant.
Agree that because they have a small fleet, using SW as a backup may be wise since a reunion is something you don’t want to take a chance on missing.
I am also one of those who says never again, having flown Spirit once. It turned out not to be the cheapest option after paying the various fees. I hate what I consider deceptive advertising. Having said that, I might actually fly on them again, as a last resort, but I wouldn’t be thrilled. At least I wouldn’t be surprised by all the extra fees if I flew them again. I tend to fly Southwest. I also like Delta, but Southwest is almost always cheaper, many times because of no bag fees. Also, changing itineraries is pretty hassle free on Southwest, and there is no extra fee to change.
We recently opted against Spirit. Even with extra baggage fees it would have been cheaper, But I was concerned about all the complaints I read online regarding cancelled flights.
Well, it is booked and probably paid for so go with it. Minimize add-ons by printing out boarding pass at home, bringing a small piece of luggage, and bringing your own food on the flight. Not much else you can do at this point. At least you know what the story is.
I have only flown Spirit as a charter going to Club Med. Yes, they lost few passengers’ bags. We also missed our connection because of their mechanic problem.
I’m going against the grain here. As long as you know what to expect I do not think it is so bad. I booked a spur of the moment, last minute flight from LAX to Dallas at a huge savings on Spirit. Yes, they do nickel and dime you but I was just going for the weekend and was determined not to pay any extra. I crammed all of my stuff into my one allowed tote- not a carry-on as that is extra. My daughter and I did not pay extra to sit together but we did end up together. We took snacks and water. I did not really feel that crammed in.
It would not be my first choice but at a reasonable cost savings, I would do it again.
The fees are ridiculous…$2 to print your boarding pass at the airport!!! We won’t fly them if there are other reasonable options. If you know what your baggage will be, pay now. The price goes up as you get closer to the flight.
https://www.spirit.com/OptionalServices
I fly Spirit from Dallas to Las Vegas once a year. I have purchased a small bag that meets their “personal item” measurements and pack very lightly for a two or three night stay. I carry a light jacket with fairly large pockets which I fill with snacks and my book. I have also worn my small cross-body handbag hidden under the buttoned-up jacket instead of stuffing it into my “personal item.” I have never paid a bag fee.
My flights have never been cancelled and have always been on time. I never pay more than $105 for a round-trip ticket and sometimes much lower. As big as DFW airport is, Spirit and American are the only airlines who fly direct to Las Vegas. American costs much more, and the last time I flew with them, my departing flight was canceled and I was rescheduled the next day on a flight connecting in LAX. That chopped 24 hours off of my vacation.
The plane is very cramped. I have never paid extra to choose my seat, but have lucked into an aisle seat most of the time, which is much more comfortable since I can stretch my legs into the aisle occasionally as needed. I have short legs (5’4") and still find the rows of seats really close together. I can see how it would be uncomfortable for tall people.
Still, I will fly Spirit again.
Keep an eye on your flight status. I found out at 10 pm (2 yrs ago) that my 7 am flight for the next morning to South Carolina had been cancelled for no apparent reason, as the weather all up and down the East coast was fine, but they blamed the weather. I think it was underbooked…They wanted me to re-schedule for the next day (as if I wanted to lose 1 day of my 5 day trip) and I refused because who knew if they’d cancel that flight too. They might have emailed me around 7pm, but I’m not sure if they even did notify me, or if I just happened to look it up. Can’t believe they wold cancel for weather 12 hours in advance with NO storm in sight. I was able to cancel my hotel and we drove to VA beach instead. The only good thing I’ve heard is that they are cheap as long as you have no luggage. It makes me worry what else they skimp on? Sometimes you get what you pay for.
Fares are even cheaper if you buy them at the airport instead of online.
You can print your boarding pass at the airport for free at a kiosk, but not at the desk.
Sharing a bag with your travel partner saves baggage fees,but weigh your bag. Bags over 40lbs cost more.
Downside, the seats do not recline, so pretty uncomfortable. Ok for short flights.
They could give a lifetime of free flights and I would never fly with them again. My H and I were horrified at how dirty the plane was which included ripped and stuffing falling out seats. The plane seemed that it might fall into pieces enroute.
We had no issues with any of the add ons.
It is a digusting outfit.