Make Room for Spirit

I flew Spirit Airlines over the holidays, perhaps America’s most complained about airline.

And from what I’ve read, some of those complaints are totally justified. Their customer service is apparently hard to reach should there be a problem, but many of the complaints are: “They charge for everything!”

So here’s where I’m actually going to come to Spirit’s defense (as well as to the defense of the several other airlines that have adopted this model).

It’s true. You do pay for everything. But when their basic flight cost is so much cheaper than the alternatives, that even when you add in the stuff you pay extra for you come out with a lower total cost, then you have nothing to complain about.

Let’s take my example. I needed to get to the midwest for the family Christmas celebration, and I’d waited just a wee bit too long to book my tickets.  So my options were all expensive. Except for Spirit, which still had a round-trip fare from New Orleans to Chicago of $157. Quite a deal at the time.  And yes, luggage would be extra.  But my husband and I have learned that we can pack from both of us in one suitcase. That cost us an additional $42 each way. (Make sure you don’t go over the weight limit, or there is a hefty surcharge.) We have gym bags that just meet the dimension requirements for a “personal item” that we can bring aboard for free, and that’s where we keep our medications and other essentials.

The last time I flew Spirit, I did so in a regular coach seat. Spirit cleverly describes its seating as “cozy.” Yeah. Very cozy. But for those of you out there who are skinny, tolerable. I’m not one of you. But I discovered that for an additional $40 each way, I could purchase a “Big Front Seat.”

Wow. What a difference. These seats are two by two, and every bit as big as a first class seats on other airlines, with a nice wide arm rest in between. And no, they don’t come with free cocktails, or a little curtain to separate you from the rest of the plane and make you feel extra special. But I don’t care about either of those things. All I wanted was the room. And I got it for far less than the cost of a first class seat. (The cost of the Big Front Seat varies by flight, and I think also by the whim of some algorithm.)

The point of the story, is to keep an open mind, and compare carefully. Earlier this week Spirit had a flash half-price sale that offered round-trip flights from New Orleans to Seattle for $160, an insanely good deal.  It’s gone now, but something similar will be back.  So take a minute to browse Spirit’s often amusing website and ponder adding it to the possibilities the next time you book a flight.