How Bad is Flying Spirit?

[Crimson Wife]

DH's grandfather is not doing well and if DH can get permission to work remotely, he's going to fly cross-country to visit & most likely say good-bye. Spirit has the best fare but I know they are notorious for nickel-and-diming customers. How much per leg of the trip are the miscellaneous fares going to add up to?

[Excelsior! Academy]

I can't remember the specifics, but we've flown Spirit more than once.  If I remember you pay a fee to choose your seat, one for your bag, and pay on the plane for snacks and such.  Even with all of the "extra" fees and no frills flight it was worth it to our family.  We have a large family and wouldn't have flown other wise.  The plane was clean and the stewards nice.  

[Lanny]

Check out the Spirit Airlines web site. They are very up front about how it works. They seem to have several different rates, for every fee (extra bag, carry on, etc.), depending on when you pay the fee. Least expensive when you book, most expensive at the gate.

 

If your DH can travel with a briefcase or a very small carry on, I think he will be fine. My impression is that it is better for women, who can carry the largest bag they can carry and call it a purse.  My wife has a friend who lives near L.A.  She flies from there to Florida and then to Colombia on Spirit. We visited with her in May. She just went back to California, a week or so ago. My impression is that she is an "expert" on how to fly Spirit and I assume that she carries an enormous "purse" when she flies on Spirit.  However, she probably has clothes and other things that are with her family in Colombia permanently, so she can travel light and buy anything she might need here.

 

A friend who lives in Puerto Rico came to Bogota for a concert in May 2009. He flew on Spirit to Florida and then another flight to Bogota.  

 

If they have flights to/from where your DH needs to go and he can travel VERY light, Spirit might be a very good choice. If not, check out Jet Blue if they go where he needs to go.

 

OT: Spirit has flights to Florida, from a city about 3 hours from Cali. My wife doesn't want anything to do with Spirit Airlines.

[Jane in NC]

I have a friend who regularly flies Spirit to see her grandchildren.  Since the airline charges for both checked in and carry on baggage, she wears several layers of clothing, tucking spare undies in her handbag since the personal item is free.

 

Spirit has a game going.  People who know how to play do well.  For the clueless (like me) I don't think there would be significant savings.

[Annie G]

We've flown Spirit and the experience was no worse than some other carriers. I used a smallish duffle bag and didn't have to pay for it to be a carry on.  I always buy a bottled drink to carry on so I can have it the whole flight, so not having a complimentary drink was no big deal.  Hardly anyone bought a drink or snacks and I liked that- the aisle wasn't tied up with the cart. 

 

Spirit is fine when you just want to get somewhere- I'd rather spend my money on other things than higher airfare. I can put up with a lot for the two hours I'm on a flight.  Dh and I have flown Spirit but if we were taking a family vacation or flying grandkids to visit us I'd probably choose a different airline. 

[kiana]

I flew spirit and didn't have to pay for anything. My backpack fit under the seat. I was going to a two-day job interview and I wore one suit and packed the other and everything fit just fine. I sat where they put me (in a crappy seat, of course) and carried on anything I was planning on eating. 

My only concern is if you are taking a route that doesn't fly very often.  If there is only one Spirit flight a day between your destinations, and there is a mechanical problem with the plane, the Spirit won't re-ticket you on another carrier's airplane -- you may have to wait a day or more to get to your destination. And don't expect them to pay for a hotel while you wait.