Spirit airline anyone?

[tommy2811]

I use them all the time whenever i fly... reason, im about 40 min. to Atlantic City airport... very easy to get to and why better then Newark.

 

and yes spirit does 5-10 you from paying for bags and seats... for me. its worth it.!:D

[Soxpeat]

Spirit will nickel and dime you to death but I've never had any major issues with them.

[dogo88]

Has anyone ever flown using spirit airlines? I live in Pa and have a cruise booked in November. well they have a good deal 188 round trip from Latrobe to either Miami or fort Lauderdale, its also non stop. I don't understand the baggage for that. so do they charge you for each bag and each carry on? or just for each bag? thanks

 

Aside from the myriad of charges for everything they offer, they also change flight times. A lot. We booked in Jan 11 for an Oct 11 cruise in Ft Lauderdale. We got four time changes over the course of 8 months and the last one had our return flight leaving an hour before the ship docked, with the next available flight 12 hours later. Then came the cancellation issues. Eventually I was able to get most of my ticket costs refunded by Spirit but I had to work at it. And if they hadn't refunded my money, the credit card said because it was a flight all requests had to be in writing and could take them up to 18 months to decide due to Federal regulations!

 

Dan

[SissasMomE]

Has anyone ever flown using spirit airlines? I live in Pa and have a cruise booked in November. well they have a good deal 188 round trip from Latrobe to either Miami or fort Lauderdale, its also non stop. I don't understand the baggage for that. so do they charge you for each bag and each carry on? or just for each bag? thanks

 

Spirit is a cheap, no frills airline, and you pay for everything ... And I do mean everything. There is no frst class, and unless you are buying the "big comfy seat" you are crammed in like a sardine. Every seat has a fee. Every bag has a fee. You are allowed a purse or a briefcase for free. No drinks, no snacks. Often it looks like Spirit is cheaper, but once you add your seats and your bags, it's not. I'm 5"4 and was very uncomfortable in the seat.

[jerseymariner]

I live in south jersey and like to use the Atlantic City airport, but since Spirit now is the only scheduled airline out of there they have you by the hair and they shake you every way they can. Fares look low, but by the time you pay for everything else (extra for anything but a middle seat, luggage with the lowest weight limit in the business, carry-ons, and even $5 if you have to print your boarding pass at the airport) the overall cost is no different than a US Air flight from Philly.

The planes are packed tight, with the least leg room I have ever found on an airplane, and the flight crews are snide and condescending.

Depending on where you live and your time schedule, take a look at Amtrak. We just took the Silver Meteor out of Philly to Miami to catch a cruise, and had a sleeper with meals included for just about $100 more than airfare. It takes a full 25 hours, but if you can manage the extra time it is a comfortable alternative to flying. First class treatment all the way.

No matter what, avoid Spirit like the plaque!

[Bostoncruiser35]

My sonn flew spirit with a backpack and they did not charge extra. Not that you could fit a whole cruises worth off stuff in a back pack, but I just thought I would share/

[standardgirl]

flown them quite a few times back a few years ago, exclusively on those long east-coast to west-coast flight where Spirit offered an unbeatable price for first class. :D ok, their first class isn't as good as your full-service airline, but who cares, I just wanted the extra space so that I can sleep and won't have to feel cramped up for the 5+ hr long flight! Did its job and am a happy customer.

[waterbug123]

My sonn flew spirit with a backpack and they did not charge extra. Not that you could fit a whole cruises worth off stuff in a back pack, but I just thought I would share/

 

As has been stated, if your carry on fits under the seat in front of you, you are not charged. If you put it in the overhead bin, you are charged. Most backpacks will fit under the seat in front of you.

[greatam]

Has anyone ever flown using spirit airlines? I live in Pa and have a cruise booked in November. well they have a good deal 188 round trip from Latrobe to either Miami or fort Lauderdale, its also non stop. I don't understand the baggage for that. so do they charge you for each bag and each carry on? or just for each bag? thanks

 

As someone posted in the other Spirit thread, your biggest problem will NOT be the baggage fees. It will be-what do I do if Spirit cancels my flight or changes the time to something unacceptable?

 

You could be buying VERY expensive tickets on another airline at the last minute. Are you prepared for that??

 

If you absolutely, positively have to be some place on time, you may not want to book Spirit airlines, particularly from a smaller airport like LBE. If you are booking for arrival 2-3 days in advance, it MAY be a good deal.

[Gathina]

I use fairly regularly , 3-4x per year.. and even fly them to Central America..it is a low budget airline and even after you pay for a checked bag and seat it's still very low. I fly them probably 3x a year and was only delayed one time due to a snow storm in Detroit. I find them to be very safe with very good customer service. They have excellent routes. I have always found the planes to be very clean..maybe on rare occasions a bit "worn" looking, but never, ever dirty.

 

The downside: Their customer service is located overseas and difficult to deal with. Better to go right to the airport and deal with an agent. Also, if you get stranded they don't share agreements with other airlines so you have to wait for a Spirit flight. You also have to pay for a carryon that won't fit under the seat. Also, check in times in Fort Lauderdale gate tend to be long as the domestic flights are often booked very close to the international flights. Frequent flier program isn't the greatest.

 

I've been on some Spirit planes where there was plenty of leg room, some planes not so much.

 

If you are a seasoned travler who knows how to make it work for you and is more concerned about getting somewhere for a low price, this is the right airline for you. If you expect it to be like Delta or American or such, it's not. I don't think a lot of the reviews here are very fair, you can't really base it fairly on 1x.

[pjnj40]

I flew spirit from ACY to Fll in 2010. I found them the cheapest of any airline. If you booked the airfare and add one luggage, it add up to a ticket that you will pay for other airlines out there. I booked for three people at that time and still way affordable. it was like 700 total. i only paid up to 50 dollars per bags. The carry on is free. So one person got one of each. it was enough for us to travel.

 

 

Also at that time when we was on our way home, we was the only plane to leave FLL that day because of bad weather. There was other NJ flights but they got left behind. If you are not that far from ACY go for it.

[kenish]

Also at that time when we was on our way home, we was the only plane to leave FLL that day because of bad weather. There was other NJ flights but they got left behind. If you are not that far from ACY go for it.

 

Which is another issue with very low-cost carriers. I will start out by saying that all airlines flying in US airspace must meet FAA standards. But the major airlines go well above that. It comes down to how much the added margin of safety and diligence costs the airline.

 

When one or two airlines are flying in bad weather but most have chosen to cancel their flights, it says a lot about how each airline views money versus safety. I've seen it in other areas too...major airlines will have well-lit maintenance hangars while the budget airline's plane is getting an engine change outdoors, in pouring rain, at night.

 

Again, Spirit meets FAA minimum requirements, but pointing out that if they were the only airline flying that day it says a lot about their "safety culture". Not the good thing you think it is...and certainly not commendable.

[Zach1213]

Ryanair is just the same and then they don't fly into the major airports. I think Ryanair is even more restrictive. Flybe is as well. This is what air transport is becoming in the 21st century. :(

 

Air passengers have only themselves to blame. Time and time again, they have proven that the #1 factor in just about every air transport decision is money. Heck, just look at Cruise Critic to see that...how many threads are about "The best service"? I don't know of any...they're all about "What is the cheapest ______?"

 

When people refuse to pay fares that cover the cost of their transport (paying off the plane, paying the crew, paying for fuel), airlines will do what they have to do to make money. Spirit is a prime example of that.

[waterbug123]

I flew spirit from ACY to Fll in 2010. ..... The carry on is free. .

 

Perhaps you missed the announcement a few months back that Spirit now charges for carry ons that go in the overhead bin. The free carry on is your "small, personal item" that must fit under the seat in front of you. i.e. If you are carrying on a rollaboard suitcase or other large bag, it's going in the overhead and you will be charged.

[TEACRUISER]

I hate when there is someone trying to bring on too many carry- ons to save the $15- 50 to check. I am all for ala carte flying. Then you pay for what you do. Cant speak for the airline itself though. Never flown. But considering other airlines have delays and issues too- why not take a chance and take advantage. Would still say to fly in day prior to be on the safe side.

[Zach1213]

I hate when there is someone trying to bring on too many carry- ons to save the $15- 50 to check. I am all for ala carte flying. Then you pay for what you do. Cant speak for the airline itself though. Never flown. But considering other airlines have delays and issues too- why not take a chance and take advantage. Would still say to fly in day prior to be on the safe side.

The only concern, and it was echoed earlier so it's not an original idea on my part, is that with airlines on the smaller side (like Allegiant and Spirit), one day might not always be good enough. If they serve a city, say, 3-4 times a week, there may not be a flight the next day. Also, there may not be spare planes.

 

Lets say Spirit flies the route Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Your cruise is Tuesday, so you fly out Monday...or try to. The aircraft is broken somewhere else on the map. Since Spirit is so small, they have no extra planes whatsoever - every aircraft is allocated and used to its maximum extent. Also, Spirit has no incentive (or plan) to transfer you over to another airline...because you paid a very low fare and they're already losing money on you, let alone having to buy you a last-minute ticket on, say, Delta or American. Ah, but it's OK, the plane will be back in operation tomorrow...we'll get you down there tomorrow, on Tuesday. Well, unfortunately your boat leaves on Tuesday...maybe with you, maybe not.

 

Just something to consider. These situations are rare, absolutely, but as a frequent flier I assure you that they DO happen. The odds are small, but not as small as one might hope.

[waterbug123]

Lets say Spirit flies the route Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Your cruise is Tuesday, so you fly out Monday...or try to. The aircraft is broken...... Ah, but it's OK, the plane will be back in operation tomorrow...we'll get you down there tomorrow, on Tuesday. Well, unfortunately your boat leaves on Tuesday...maybe with you, maybe not.

 

Just something to consider. These situations are rare, absolutely, but as a frequent flier I assure you that they DO happen. The odds are small, but not as small as one might hope.

 

Just to clarify what Zach said, the "broken plane/no substitute" situation may be rare, but Spirit having limited (i.e. only a couple of days a week) service to assorted destinations is quite common. It's definitely a gamble to consider when flying Spirit to embark on a cruise or to a vacation destination.

[FlyerTalker]

And, in the "spirit" of fairness, it's not just Spirit. You can find this also with Allegiant, as well as with other "discount" carriers around the globe. They can be a good choice IF: 1) Price is your overriding issue, 2) lowered customer service levels are acceptable, 3) fees have been properly considered, and 4) the possibility of service interruption and lack of interline arrangements have be evaluated and accepted. #2 and #4 are the killers for me, but YMMV.

[cocontom]

They're ok. I don't love them, but I don't hesitate to book them, provided they are genuinely cheaper, when bag fees are factored in, than the other airlines.

 

On a scale of 1-10, I'd give them a 4, but there's no airline I'd rate above 5, so I'll save the money. We've never had major delay issues, or had our times changed more than a few minutes.