I took a trip to visit my family over the weekend and I decided to try Spirit for the first time. Now having reviewed them I saw that many folks had a negative opinion of them.
I would like to say I am currently involved in building the new North Terminal and Concourses for the New Orleans Aviation Board. So I am exposed to a lot of folks who build airports for a living and that have definite opinions about many things. I would say that some of my coworkers are not big fans of Spirit. So I had a somewhat tainted opinion prior to the trip, but I tried not to let that sway my opinion of them.
I decided to try them as an experiment into the super cheap airline. I want to see if it could really save you money, and how hideous could it be? So I did a little research prior to booking the flight.
Almost everyone said to get a big front seat. That the remainder of the seats are the narrowest, least amount of reclining and least amount of legroom of any carrier.
Spirit has big front seats. They do not have any a First Class. You pay extra for the seat, but that is all you get. You still pay for carry on or checked bags. You still pay for snacks and water on the flight. You just get a big seat.
he booking was extremely easy using their website. They clearly tell you what is included and what is extra. You can get these seats as cheaply as you can by deciding to allow them to assign your seat, and printing your own boarding pass at home, or using your smartphone with an electronic boarding pass. Both of these items have a cost if the airline has to do them. $10 to print your boarding passes at the airport.
All of these fees, and pre-planning required of the traveler directly impacts the experience for everyone traveling on your plane. The plane boarded quickly, there was no one complaining about no room in the overhead compartment. Most folks bring one personal item and then check bags, since spirit makes the checked bags cheaper than a carry-on. The less brought onto the plane the quicker the turn around.
All of the staff for the airline was extremely friendly, from gate agents to the crew. Then the flight left and departed on time. Not much more that you can expect from an airline.
Now to the real question, did I save any money. I can say unequivocally yes. I had a pleasant experience and I saved money.
The amount of savings depends on the choices you make regarding the "extra's" you choose.
I used Southwest airlines as a basis for comparison. For a trip from New Orleans to Cleveland, I chose a weekend more than 2 weeks away, Leaving Friday afternoon and returning Sunday morning. The cost of this itinerary on SWA was $466. This included all fees and taxes.
The "bare fare" for the same flights on Spirit were $206, which included fees. If you would like to add a carry-on, you would have to add $70 for the round trip. If you have a checked bag, you have to add $60 for the round trip. So you include these items to be apples to apples with South West then your total is $236. You've saved $130.
I however had no luggage to check or carry on. I did however decide to get a "Big Front Seat", and this added $92 to the "Bare Fare". So I spent $298, and I got a very comfortable seat. I save $168 on my trip from New Orleans to Cleveland.
So my overall review of Spirit is that I will definitely use them again. If you need to hit the road on a limited budget, this is definitely an airline that you should check out.
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