Spirit air?

Thinking of flying spirit in December from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale for cruise. We would have day before a d day after in case there's delays. I've heard mixed reviews. It's a lot cheaper even after paying for bags and seats...any input?

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They don't interline, so if there is ir ops you have a significantly lesser chance if catching a different flight.

Be sure you read ALL the fine print - they have some gotcha fees that can alter that fare equation. Also, their seat pitch is tight. Is money everything?

Thinking of flying spirit in December from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale for cruise. We would have day before a d day after in case there's delays. ...any input?

They don't fly all their routes on a daily basis, so even though you're flying a day early, make sure they actually have a flight for your route the next day. Otherwise if there's a problem, they may not be able to get you to FLL until the day after the ship departs.

Be sure you read ALL the fine print - they have some gotcha fees that can alter that fare equation. Also, their seat pitch is tight. Is money everything?

As in, I'm 5'3" and my knees were pressed against the seat ahead of me. My tall DH was absolutely miserable. It was a relatively short flight from Dallas to Denver, our first on Spirit, and it was so uncomfortable we decided it was also our last Spirit flight.

I refuse to fly them due to the nickle and diming and the fact that no one I know who HAS flown them would do so again....their flights are often delayed..

They are also VERY picky about in-cabin baggage size. I sold luggage ("personal item" under the seat type ) to customers who spent 2 hours in my store measuring every bag and getting one that was just under the exact dimensions....long story short, it STILL was too big so they had to tack on another $100 bucks. ($25 x 2 x 2 flights) ....They said the added expense and lousy attitude negated any actual savings....

Spirit appears to fly this route, at least around the dates you are traveling, every day, with at least four flights. If you must book Spirit, and I wouldn't, suggest even flying in the day before, you book the earliest flight.

As in, I'm 5'3" and my knees were pressed against the seat ahead of me. My tall DH was absolutely miserable. It was a relatively short flight from Dallas to Denver, our first on Spirit, and it was so uncomfortable we decided it was also our last Spirit flight.

Friends of mine had the same experience and came to the same conclusion!

I refuse to fly them due to the nickle and diming and the fact that no one I know who HAS flown them would do so again....their flights are often delayed..

So it doesn't appear that BTS, the government agency that follows airline on-time ratings, looks at Spirit. I may be wrong, but it doesn't look like it. So I'll have to go to FlightStats, an airline tracking website of sorts. It's not perfect, but tends to be fairly accurate in my experience.

For Spirit airlines, they list 65% of flights as on-time, 10% late, 6% very late, 17% excessively late (yikes!), 0% cancelled, 0% diverted. Average Delay is 42.52 minutes, based on 9007 observations (I assume that means flights?)

As a comparison, United is 69%/9%/4%/11%/4%/0%; American is 71/9/4/9/4/0, Delta is 75/8/4/8/2/0, Southwest is 63/13/7/13/1/0, Jetblue is 62/10/6/15/4/0. Interesting numbers that seem to state Spirit isn't the best by any means, but is close to United and American, and better than Southwest and JetBlue. And like I said, this is by no means perfect or official, but it's data nonetheless.

I would never, ever, fly spirit again. The seats are so tight that the seat in front of you is almost in your face. Your nickel and dimed for everything. They even charge for water. You even get charged if you print your passes at kiosks and so on. Read the fine print. It's not worth it.

As in, I'm 5'3" and my knees were pressed against the seat ahead of me. My tall DH was absolutely miserable. It was a relatively short flight from Dallas to Denver, our first on Spirit, and it was so uncomfortable we decided it was also our last Spirit flight.

Me too only I'm 6'1''. Couldn't pass up a round trip ticket ORD-RSW for $102.00 a few years ago. The seat was so uncomfortable that when I arrived in RSW I tossed the return ticket in the garbage. Returned to ORD one week later on UAL.

So it doesn't appear that BTS, the government agency that follows airline on-time ratings, looks at Spirit. I may be wrong, but it doesn't look like it.

You piqued my curiosity....Airlines with less than 1% of total domestic revenue share don't have to report performance stats to BTS:

http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/help_with_data/aviation/index.html

It looks like I'm in the minority but my family flys Spirit a couple of times a year with minimal complaints. Look at it this way. .. its no frills... its just a ride. Dtw to Fll is a bit over 2 hours..Its not THAT cramped. Typical pitch. They also fly newer Airbus planes. They'll try to peddle their credit card. For the $. Its well worth it. I'm pretty sure FLL is a popular route flown every day.

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It looks like I'm in the minority but my family flys Spirit a couple of times a year with minimal complaints. Look at it this way. .. its no frills... its just a ride. Dtw to Fll is a bit over 2 hours..Its not THAT cramped. Typical pitch. They also fly newer Airbus planes. They'll try to peddle their credit card. For the $. Its well worth it. I'm pretty sure FLL is a popular route flown every day.

There is a place for Spirit, and I'm largely a defender of them...but their pitch isn't typical - it's definitely a few inches less (28" as compared to 31" or so with other airlines).

Most people (not all) will continue to fly Spirit even with complaints. The minute that it's $1 cheaper, they will fly Spirit. I give you both a George Foreman "I guarantee it" and a Mens Wearhouse "I guarantee it". And I'm fine with that - like I said, there's a place for Spirit. I am very excited that they are entering my home market (Kansas City) later this year. Adding a fourth airline on the Kansas City to Chicago route will help increase my odds of getting a low fare to go see my family. But I know what I am getting, and I don't plan to be comfortable.

OK here's my two cents: I am one of those that continually say "I won't fly Spirit Airlines again". Yet, I somehow always end up going on Spirit again and again. We booked a DTW-DEN flight for $112 round trip. It was oversold. We still got on. Yes, the seats are tighter than the other airlines. It is bad but I made it to Denver. On the way home another oversold flight so I volunteered my seats. I have two free round trip flights in the next year to anywhere they go. Guess what? I'm flying Spirit again. By the way, even though I read someone above stating they do not code share, they sent me home on Delta that next day (??)

Yes, you pay for bags, yes you can pay for seats (I never do. Just check in online exactly 24 hours before the flight and take the free assignment of seats...they've always been together). Their on time performance is sometimes a question but they fly to their base in FLL many times. You will get there. I would like people to post on here of their experiences when Spirit didn't get them to their destination by the next day. Seems unlikely.

I'm not a Spirit fan but I end up flying them often enough to have some comfort in them. Oh and yes you will have to pay for any snacks and beverages too. Many little fees.

I would not hesitate to take them to FLL especially with an entire day of cushion time.

Dtw to Fll is a bit over 2 hours..Its not THAT cramped.

I believe it's actually right at about 3 hours. Not trying to nitpick but for someone who may be cramped in the seat, the difference between ("a bit over")2 hours and 3 hours could be huge.

I believe it's actually right at about 3 hours. Not trying to nitpick but for someone who may be cramped in the seat, the difference between ("a bit over")2 hours and 3 hours could be huge.

Agreed! It's 2:15 MCO to PHL, so no way DTW to FLL is the same or less time.

Taxes -

Revenue from ancillary fees, including the baggage and flight-change charges, that aren’t related to the“transportation of a person” aren’t subject to the 7.5 percent excise tax, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Airlines earn revenue from other ancillary fees, including charging for meals and early boarding. They aren’t required to separately report that data.

from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-03/airlines-gain-ally-in-bid-to-shield-fees-from-u-s-taxes.html

In other words, what they really want to do is charge you $1 for the flight and $299 in "fees".

JK

Taxes -

 

Revenue from ancillary fees, including the baggage and flight-change charges, that aren’t related to the“transportation of a person” aren’t subject to the 7.5 percent excise tax, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Airlines earn revenue from other ancillary fees, including charging for meals and early boarding. They aren’t required to separately report that data.

 

from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-03/airlines-gain-ally-in-bid-to-shield-fees-from-u-s-taxes.html

 

In other words, what they really want to do is charge you $1 for the flight and $299 in "fees".

 

JK

There's a couple of perks of $1 fares + $299 fees:

1) Tax reasons

2) The overwhelming number of Americans still pick a flight based on the base fare and NOTHING else. They don't do the math to see what other things cost. Lowest base fare = "best" ticket for most people these days.

Agreed! It's 2:15 MCO to PHL, so no way DTW to FLL is the same or less time.

I'm a regular on MCO - DTW and it is 2:12 southbound and 2:20 northbound. FLL is further down though.

I'm a regular on MCO - DTW and it is 2:12 southbound and 2:20 northbound. FLL is further down though.

Interesting. I got curious and looked it up and the FLL-DTW was showing at 2:55 I believe.

Its never taken me 3 hours to get from dtw to fll on spirit (or any othe line). They pad their time. More like 2:30. Besides. .. even if the seats are a bit less pitch.... Have you even taken a road trip in the back seat of a car? All im saying is for the price savings (if that is important to you).. You could suck it up for a little over 2 hours (or 2:30).

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If you fly a lot Spirit is great to join the $9.00 club. You get great prices for you and 8 other people. We have actually gotten an $18 round trip from Myrtle Beach to Atlantic City before. Problem is there are only certain airports depending on where you live that you get this fares. But the have good vacation packages every once in awhile. I think Spirit is still owned by Delta Airlines. The catch to their pricing is paying for suitcases checked in and picking your seat which you pay for. Cheapest is booking online.

Thinking of flying spirit in December from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale for cruise. We would have day before a d day after in case there's delays. I've heard mixed reviews. It's a lot cheaper even after paying for bags and seats...any input?

 

 

 

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I think Spirit is still owned by Delta Airlines.

Perhaps you are confusing Spirit with Song, which was a subsidiary operation within Delta.

I refuse to fly them due to the nickle and diming and the fact that no one I know who HAS flown them would do so again....their flights are often delayed..

 

They are also VERY picky about in-cabin baggage size. I sold luggage ("personal item" under the seat type ) to customers who spent 2 hours in my store measuring every bag and getting one that was just under the exact dimensions....long story short, it STILL was too big so they had to tack on another $100 bucks. ($25 x 2 x 2 flights) ....They said the added expense and lousy attitude negated any actual savings....

Well, you don't know me or the other poster on the first page who said they have flown Spirit multiple times, but reality is that there is a market for them. I don't fly them often, but there are times when their fares are so much less expensive than other airlines it just makes sense, even with their "nuisance" fees.

I would never, ever, fly spirit again. The seats are so tight that the seat in front of you is almost in your face. Your (sic) nickel and dimed for everything. They even charge for water. You even get charged if you print your passes at kiosks and so on. Read the fine print. It's not worth it.

If you book on Spirit's website, they are very up front about all their fees. No excuse for those who complain about the fees if they book directly with Spirit - it means they didn't read the fine print, which is not so "fine" on their website. Every page between the flight search and booking is in regular font size and details the expenses.

Unless there has been a change in the past few months, Spirit does NOT charge to print your boarding pass at the kiosk in the airport. But they do charge you if you ask the ticketing agent to print it (I printed my BP at a kiosk at the airport for my last flight and absolutely no charge).

I realize many people hate Spirit Airlines, but please get your facts straight before ranting :)