Spirit Air

[angel24_ga]

Thanks everyone! We decided to fly American Airlines.

Think I will save Spirit for a trip where i won't miss the boat if they are bad!

[bshow]

http://www.spirit.com/optionalfees.aspx

 

"Unintended Consequences of DOT Regulations Fee $2.00 per customer, each way"

 

What the ??? :)

[hockeyluver]

we have flown spirit before, and I found a good deal ($9 club) for our flight down to Florida. We are going in a few days early to spend at my inlaws. But after reading this I changed our seats to the exit row, little bit more added leg room will be nice.

[mikel24m]

we have flown spirit before, and I found a good deal ($9 club) for our flight down to Florida. We are going in a few days early to spend at my inlaws. But after reading this I changed our seats to the exit row, little bit more added leg room will be nice.

 

we just got back last week and the exit row is insane :) (best $25 spent ever) Very very roomie and flawless flights too

[libtrek]

Had issues when we flew Spirit years ago. Gave them another try last year. Joined "the club" so pricing was decent. BUT, we have decided if Spirit is our only choice-we won't go. The seats are miserable. They nickel/dime everything. My flight from Chicago-DTW was delayed 8 hours and no company rep ever appeared. Passengers were united in waiting area, checking flight status online, calling Spirit and more. It was laughable, I've never seen airline passengers bond like this before. Our 6 pm flight finally left at 2:30 am. The plane had mechanical issues. A minister onboard led a prayer as we took off. Our next flight was just as awful. So, Delta or others for us.

Lib

[hockeyluver]

we just got back last week and the exit row is insane :) (best $25 spent ever) Very very roomie and flawless flights too

 

Thats a relief to hear!! where did you store your "personal" item and how much room did you have for it? Hubby has to carry on his cpap (stop-snoring-before-i-kill-him-machine!)

[loubetti]

I fly "Continented" (as in Continental / United), as a long time Continental customer. I pay extra for the extra leg room in their "Economy Plus" seating, and I have their credit card which gives me a free check in bag.

 

I like to be comfy when I fly, and will pay extra for it.

 

I go back and forth between EWR and FLL, and United (damn, hate to call them that!) is my only choice!

[mikel24m]

Thats a relief to hear!! where did you store your "personal" item and how much room did you have for it? Hubby has to carry on his cpap (stop-snoring-before-i-kill-him-machine!)

 

Our two over stuffed back packs fit right under the seat perfectly.Plenty of room :)

[waterbug123]

Thats a relief to hear!! where did you store your "personal" item and how much room did you have for it? Hubby has to carry on his cpap (stop-snoring-before-i-kill-him-machine!)

 

Exit rows have seats in front of them, so have underseat storage. Perhaps you are thinking of bulkhead seats? Those are the ones at the front with a wall in front, so no underseat storage.

[breakiron]

Be sure to bring a roll of quarters in case you need to use the restroom. LOL!!!

[kenish]

I read that OP booked with AA (good decision). Here's a few more comments on Spirit, as general FYI:

 

Spirit does not have interline agreements with other airlines. You will not be booked on another airline if your flight is cancelled or seriously delayed. Your only choice is the next available Spirit flight. On some routes the flights are only a few times a week. If you can't wait a few days for the next flight and take another airline, then your entire ticket including the return will be forfeited. That is true for some other airlines including Southwest and JetBlue. But the "next flight" is severely limited on some Spirit routes.

 

On the comments about poor customer service, Spirit actually takes some pride in that. They know that as long as they have cheap "teaser" fares they will have a steady stream of customers. The only way to handle customer service issues is email. Their phone lines are for reservations and nothing else.

 

Spirit's 28" seat pitch is the smallest of any US airline. Standard is 32".

 

As others mentioned, Spirit charges fees for just about everything (including making an online reservation). The carry-on charge is increasing to $100 in some cases. The bottom line often exceeds fares on other airlines, unless you're very crafty in avoiding the fees.

 

Spirit sometimes drops routes or cities on short notice.

 

As FYI, the $9 Club annual dues auto-renews around the 11th month of membership. There have been a lot of complaints to travel "troubleshooter" websites. The advocates can't get the charge reversed, since the agreement clearly states the dues cannot be refunded. If you don't wish to renew be sure to proactive cancel, and do it early on.

 

This isn't a slam on Spirit...their business model is great for consumers after rock-bottom prices and who don't care (or are oblivious) to the downside.

[flhokie]

I agree that steering clear of SPIRIT is a good idea. Besides all the fees, they have no interline agreements (neither does Southwest, but they have a bigger network to work with) so if there are any issues (including maintenance) you have no option but to stick with SPIRIT. They can't put you on another carrier so you are completely at their mercy.

 

I flew them for one trip several years ago and, in addition to the fees, lack of leg room and rude employees, I found the armrest held on with duct tape. I swore I'd never fly them again and I haven't.