Spirit airlines

[cissy]

Considering flying Spirit from Boston to Las Vegas due to significantly lower fares.
Has anyone recent experience flying this airline? Opinions?

tia

 

[theo]

Considering flying Spirit from Boston to Las Vegas due to significantly lower fares.
Has anyone recent experience flying this airline? Opinions?

tia

No frills, to be sure, and additional charges for any and all luggage or changes --- but if non-stop, timetable works, and available at significant savings, why not?
Didn't even know that they operated out of Logan Airport in Boston...

 

[thinze3]

We asked the same thing last year when we were looking at booking several seats for our DD and her friends. (Houston to Fort Lauderdale) This board blew up with all the bad experiences, restrictions, charges, etc... After taking the expect the worst and hope for the best attitude we went with it.

My DD and her friends had no issues with their flights.

 

[PigsDad]

Also, if you are taller than 5'11" or so, I would seriously reconsider. I flew them for the first time coming back from Christmas and those seats had the shortest pitch of any airline I have ever flown.

I can always get me knees to fit in behind the seat in front of me, but not on Spirit! Not even close! I had an aisle seat and had one knee in the aisle, and the other wedged in the gap between two seats in front of me. The only saving grace is that the seats don't recline (I would have had to stand in the aisle, I think!).

The seats are also extremely thin -- when the person behind me put down their tray table, I could feel the back of the tray stick into my back. I kid you not!

Now to be perfectly fair, and staff we dealt with were very nice and the plane was on schedule (however, about 1/2 of the other ~10 Spirit flights in the same terminal were anywhere from 45 to 3 hours delayed).

My first experience with will most likely be my last. I would only use Spirit as a last resort at this point.

Kurt

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Considering flying Spirit from Boston to Las Vegas due to significantly lower fares.
Has anyone recent experience flying this airline? Opinions?

tia

I truly thought they were cheaper as well, but once I went through checkout and clicked on those items that were necessities to me and also brought up a comparable flight that was about $60 more, in the end that flight was cheaper once I truly compared apples to apples…good luck, it’s definitely a no-frills airline where everything is extra.

 

[b2bailey]

Even though I had one really bad experience with Spirit...sometimes I find the low fareds irrrestible. On the other hand I found the seats on Frontier so uncomfortable I said 'never again' and I haven't done Frontier again.

 

[lizap]

Our daughter flew them one time form MSY to MCO and had a terrible experience. They nickle and dime you for everything.

 

[famy27]

We fly Spirit all the time. Just got back from a few days in New Orleans. It cost DH and me $92 roundtrip TOTAL for both of us. We were able to fit everything into a personal item, so we didn't pay any baggage or carry on fees. We let them pick seats for us, so our total cost was $92. You can't beat that with a stick.

Even though there isn't much legroom, the seats don't recline. My DH is six foot, and he'd rather have the reduced legroom with the seat in front of him upright than to have someone reclined into his space. Also, I feel like it's no worse that Economy on United in terms of room.

We've had a few small delays, but we generally get where we're going within 20 minutes of schedule.

We're flying Spirit twice in March (to NY and to Orlando). You can have issues with any airline (and I've had some fairly major ones), but I personally have had really good experiences with Spirit.

 

[Sea Six]

We fly Spirit to the Caribbean. The price is right, and they have an upgrade for "big front seats" which is a decent deal. Not quite first class, but at least way more comfortable.

 

[MULTIZ321]

A friend is flying Spirit tomorrow. She wants to know if she can take her purse and a small carry-on aboard without an extra fee. She said Spirit's website was confusing about this issue.


Thanks for your help


Richard

 

[taterhed]

Spirit Airlines does indeed run a smaller (less leg room) seat pitch than most domestic airlines in economy seating. Spirit and Frontier both use 28" seat pitch (varies 28-30 but most 28") for economy. This is tighter than most US domestic carriers who vary greatly by aircraft, but run 30-36" seat pitch--around 30-32" on the tighter aircraft (which are not always the smaller aircraft).

International carriers do run 28" pitch as well, but mostly on short-haul.

https://www.seatguru.com/charts/shorthaul_economy.php

Spirit Airlines (NK) allows 1 personal item (purse, briefcase, laptop bag) per passenger fee free. Carry-on should not exceed the following size and weight restrictions: 50 linear inches (22 x 18 x 10 in) or 127 centimeters (56 x 46 x 25 cm) including handles and wheels.

 

[taterhed]

A friend is flying Spirit tomorrow. She wants to know if she can take her purse and a small carry-on aboard without an extra fee. She said Spirit's website was confusing about this issue.


Thanks for your help


Richard

Pretty clear: she can take ONE (1) item on board.
The carry-on can be in the purse or the purse can be IN the carry-on, but she can NOT bring a purse (which is the most nebulous phrase in the galaxy based on my experience) AND a carry-on if they are separate.

I'm sure she can tuck the purse in the C-O for 5 minutes during boarding. If not, then its $$$

Funny, I've seen a person (not gender specific anymore, right?) propose to carry a 'purse' onboard along with an obviously over-sized stuffed and strapped roll-aboard. This wasn't Spirit... The only problem? The 'purse' was a bag--with shoulder-strap/handles to be sure--about 20" inches tall, 12" deep and 14" wide; plus the flexible 10" handles. So, basically, an expandable bag the size of a roll-aboard with purse handles. She was not happy when Neither bag would fit in the standard roll-aboard cage. I think they let her keep her 'purse' so long as it would fit in the overhead. :ignore:

 

[ibcnu]

We fly Spirit multiple times a year to various cities in Florida. I have their credit card and have yet to pay for airfare for me or my family traveling with me.

We never purchase seats and wait until check-in for Spirit to randomly give us seats (for free). We also travel without luggage and i put my small purse in my FREE carry-on bag, which consists of a medium sized Vera Bradley cloth duffle. My DDs use their fairly large backpack. My DDs have also traveled Spirit using Vera Bradley's large duffel and once got stopped at the gate; when they put their bag in the metal box it proved that the entire bag could fit under the seat in front of them. It helps to have a clothbag-type as carry-on to place under the seat in front of you, rather than a hard piece carry-on.

We love it, we make multiple short trips to Florida often! We flew to Cincinnati last week for a wedding and chose Frontier, which is pretty similar to Spirit (but I had to pay for Frontier) which was relatively inexpensive compared to major carriers.

 

[Paumavista]

Do not be a minute LATE!

I know of two family experiences (different times/places/people) - in both cases (one in a pouring rain storm) Spirit would NOT allow them to check in for their flights although they were both less than 5 minutes late (55 minutes to scheduled take off) .....in the case of the rain storm the plane was delayed almost an hour), but they would not allow them to join the flight .

Having said that we just flew my son from New Orleans to Las Vegas for $90; non-stop; perfect time of day on Spirit. We just made EXTRA sure to get him checked in at their required time.

 

[am1]

I would not fly them unless the other options were worse. For sure not with my kids.

There is nothing wrong with discount airlines but Spirit it way too discount for me.

 

[taterhed]

I know of two family experiences (different times/places/people) - in both cases (one in a pouring rain storm) Spirit would NOT allow them to check in for their flights although they were both less than 5 minutes late (55 minutes to scheduled take off) .....in the case of the rain storm the plane was delayed almost an hour), but they would not allow them to join the flight .

Having said that we just flew my son from New Orleans to Las Vegas for $90; non-stop; perfect time of day on Spirit. We just made EXTRA sure to get him checked in at their required time.

Its NOT just Spirit folks....

In case you didn't know: Airlines routinely oversell aircraft in order to pack the sardine can full of sardines. There are always no-shows, missed connections and itinerary changes. Thus, overselling the aircraft based on a historical model generally keeps the planes full. Unfortunately, fate makes a monkey of us all occasionally. When everybody (plus a few friends) shows up for the flight (capacity 154, bookable to 169), they need to find a way to avoid buying everybody off the plane. Here's one way...

It's not advertised. It varies by airline, station, equipment, flight and ticket seller (did you Pricel**e your ticket?). I'm not even saying that every airline does it! But, if you fail to comply with the carrier's published guidelines for check-in, documentation, payment etc.... You will not be issued a boarding pass. How do I know?
Standing in line--more than 1 hour prior to check-in--waiting for the very long rebook process for the person in front of me. I had a bag to check. Plenty of time, small airport, no TSA lines etc... Finally, 54 minutes prior to departure (the plane was NOT on the ground yet), I was 'next' at the counter to check luggage and get my boarding pass. After a lengthy delay, I was informed: "I'm sorry sir, but it's past the check-in cut-off time. I can't issue you a boarding pass." Keep in mind, this was a confirmed ticket via travel agency and not a cut-rate fare. My protestations--planes not on ground, I can see the gate from here, I have a confirmed ticket etc....--were met by deaf ears. I did not get on the flight.

After the event was over (I was rebooked to fly from Texas to Los Angeles for a red-eye trans-con to Washington DC) I had a nice chat with the agent who gave the skinny (I won't divulge why she chatted with me, but agents will not divulge this info normally). Because the flight had been oversold, the minute the last 'confirmed' ticket checked-in, no one would be allowed to check-in past 1 hour prior to departure. End of oversold problem, never mind that I was at the airport, in line and waiting more than 1 hour prior. Further, it's not the same (1 hour) for every airline/flight/station.

Be forewarned: Full flight? Notoriously over-sold flight? Check-in early (electronic check-ins count!). Check-in at resort, hotel, curbside! Use the kiosks to print boarding passes. Use your mobile device for boarding pass. Make sure you have a valid, confirmed boarding pass and not one that places you on standby. If you are standby/waitlisted, then make nice with the staff at the desk, don't leave the boarding area if at all possible (at least one of you), don't hover over the desk and glower at the poor agent trying to make everyone happy (impossible) and be ready to jump when they call you up. Trust me, I've seen them call a name, get no response and move right on to the next (ready to go) passenger.

Just my 2c. So, don't pin this one on Spirit, pin it on the industry. :annoyed:

 

[taterhed]

I would not fly them unless the other options were worse. For sure not with my kids.

There is nothing wrong with discount airlines but Spirit it way too discount for me.

Personally, I wish they had 1 airline that sold 'standing room only' seats, with no frills, no drinks, no service and cattle-car prices. Maybe then, I could pay 10% more for my ticket on a quality airline, fly with a more harmonious group of passengers and crew (doubtful) and enjoy my travels without worrying what service or frill they've hacked-off the flight to sell the ticket for $1 less than Substandard Airways on 'Name your own price' websites.

Huff.

Ok, I've vented. I feel better now.

 

[falmouth3]

Can anyone explain their $9 club? Details are sketchy on their site and I don't feel like shelling out $60 to find out that it doesn't work for me.

Sue

 

[joewillie12]

Can anyone explain their $9 club? Details are sketchy on their site and I don't feel like shelling out $60 to find out that it doesn't work for me.

Sue

I believe if you carry their credit card you receive membership in the $9 club. You have to make at least one transaction per month to keep the free membership active . Unfortunately there are very very few $9 fares. I haven't looked in a long while for them. Perhaps that has changed? I think the $60 charge allows you in the club without having their credit card.

 

[ibcnu]

Can anyone explain their $9 club? Details are sketchy on their site and I don't feel like shelling out $60 to find out that it doesn't work for me.

Sue

If you carry their credit card you DO NOT have automatic access to the $9 Fare Club. I have their credit card and the only thing i get from Spirit is discount points on flights. For about 5,000 points I can get a round-trip ticket to anywhere in Florida. If I didn't have the card, I would need 10,000 points.

The $9 Club is separate, initially costs $59.99 a year and gives you access to lower prices on airfare. When attempting to book, you will see a $9 Fare Club price and a regular fare price. Tickets in the $9 Club are usually $15-$20 cheaper, each way. Sometimes you might see a $9 fare price on your flight out, but not the return. Or vice versa. They’re not always available.

If you are a Spirit $9 fare club member, you get a discount on bags (both carry-on and checked) and that is where being a $9 fare club member has saved us the most money. For the cheapest rate you must purchase your bag more than 24 hours before your flight. You get a $9 discount (each way) for being a $9 fare member for a checked bag and a carry-on bag. Once you can check-in online the price goes up $10 per bag each way.

Since you have to purchase your bags for each way remember to pay for your bag(s) online for both your flight out and your return flight. One checked bag for a round-trip flight will cost $60. It’s $42 if you’re a $9 fare member. One carry-on bag costs $70 round-trip and it is $52 if you’re a $9 fare member.
If you purchase it at the ticket counter it’ll cost you $50 for a carry-on and $45 for a checked bag one-way whether you’re a $9 fare club member or not. If you don’t pay until you get to the gate it’ll cost you $100 per bag (again, this one-way)

more info: http://heelsfirsttravel.boardingarea.com/2014/09/08/understanding-spirit-9-fare-club/
Terms and Conditions: https://www.spirit.com/content/documents/en-us/9FC_Terms_and_Conditions.pdf

ME? I have had enough points where I have never needed to pay for flights for me or my family, and we have learned to pack smart and never carry any luggage. We all use a cloth duffel bag (Vera Bradley's medium or large bags are great) and stuff it under the seat in front of us = FREE. Although this Christmas and next New Years we are driving down with the family dog.

 

[falmouth3]

Thank you for the information. I found a fare almost as cheap, but when you figure in the extras, it's even less expensive, on Southwest. I prefer that.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Spirit to Help You Board Faster, But With Less for Free - by Ellen Creager, Detroit Free Press/ Life & Style/ Travel/ Chicago Tribune/ chicagotribune.com

"That personal item you bring free aboard Spirit Airlines flights soon will have to shrink in size. But the airline that everyone loves to hate is working on two positive developments: a mobile app and TSA PreCheck.

Starting on flights April 1, the personal item that must fit underneath your seat, like a purse, tote or backpack, must be no larger than 18 inches by 14 inches by 8 inches (40 inches total), including handle and wheels. That's about the size of a small briefcase.

The size allowed now is a more squarish 16 inches by 14 inches by 12 inches (42 inches total).

Spirit tried to shrink the personal item size this past spring, but it abandoned the idea after public outcry. Now, the plan is quietly back, the Detroit Free Press has learned.

"We heard from many customers who told us their laptop bags or larger purses weren't fitting quite as well under our seats lengthwise," spokesman Stephen Schuler said. "We take customer feedback very seriously, so we've adjusted the length to accommodate these popular personal items. We're still proud to offer one of the largest personal item sizes in the industry."..."

Richard

 

[ibcnu]

Spirit to Help You Board Faster, But With Less for Free - by Ellen Creager, Detroit Free Press/ Life & Style/ Travel/ Chicago Tribune/ chicagotribune.com

"That personal item you bring free aboard Spirit Airlines flights soon will have to shrink in size. But the airline that everyone loves to hate is working on two positive developments: a mobile app and TSA PreCheck.

Starting on flights April 1, the personal item that must fit underneath your seat, like a purse, tote or backpack, must be no larger than 18 inches by 14 inches by 8 inches (40 inches total), including handle and wheels. That's about the size of a small briefcase.

The size allowed now is a more squarish 16 inches by 14 inches by 12 inches (42 inches total).

Spirit tried to shrink the personal item size this past spring, but it abandoned the idea after public outcry. Now, the plan is quietly back, the Detroit Free Press has learned.

"We heard from many customers who told us their laptop bags or larger purses weren't fitting quite as well under our seats lengthwise," spokesman Stephen Schuler said. "We take customer feedback very seriously, so we've adjusted the length to accommodate these popular personal items. We're still proud to offer one of the largest personal item sizes in the industry."..."

Richard

Thank you.

My Vera Bradley Small Duffel is 18½" x 9½" x 9½"
. Being that it is all fabric, it can be squished into the mandatory 18 inches by 14 inches by 8 inches (40 inches total) size for the upcoming changes to free carry-on.

 

[Sea Six]

When you book a Spirit flight on-line, they show you a calendar which lists the prices for the flight you are looking at for each day of the week. We found a flight to Cancun that was $500 cheaper (for both of us rd trip) on a Thursday than it was on a Saturday. We took the Thursday flight, obviously. Now when we will fly Spirit, we make sure the resort has availability, but actually book the flight first and then the resort. Normally we would book the resort first and then the flight.

 

[davidvel]

Thank you for the information. I found a fare almost as cheap, but when you figure in the extras, it's even less expensive, on Southwest. I prefer that.

You certainly have to compare. For an upcoming business trip, the flight on Southwest was almost $500 R/T. On Spirit (including seats and a checked bag), R/T was $160.