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Spirit airlines

Plano, TX
Level Contributor
1 post
45 reviews
13 helpful votes
Spirit airlines
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Any issues traveling on spirit, any input or useful info?

Chicago, Illinois
Destination Expert
for Chicago
Level Contributor
23,009 posts
135 reviews
82 helpful votes
1. Re: Spirit airlines
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Seriously? Please search the forum. They are talked about all the time here.

2. Re: Spirit airlines

This post was determined to be inappropriate by the Tripadvisor community and has been removed.

Vancouver, Canada
Destination Expert
for London
Level Contributor
71,210 posts
11 reviews
89 helpful votes
3. Re: Spirit airlines
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informed, the very best thing you could do before pressing the Buy Now button at Spirit's website is to read everything about your booking in detail. Know what you are buying before agreeing the purchase.

Spiriti is an ultra low cost carrier who have unbundled extras. You will pay to check a bag, you will pay for a carryon bag beyond a certain size. You will pay for everything on board, including a bottle of water, so take an empty bottle through Security and fill it at an airport drinking fountain before boarding.

The airline clearly lays out optional service fees and gives those who wish to book the choice of accepting or not accepting them during the booking process. Those who moan about the airline more often than not skip the information the airline offers, but ultimately the responsibility lies with you.

Spirit have no interline agreement with other airlines, so in case of irrops you may have to wait some time for a seat on the next plane. Buy travel insurance and hope you will not have to use it.

Portland, Oregon
Level Contributor
37,406 posts
7 reviews
16 helpful votes
4. Re: Spirit airlines
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Spirit tries to explain itself here (from its website) - http://marketing.spirit.com/how-to-fly-spirit-airlines/en/

In short, you need to check ALL the optional fees and understand what you need to do to avoid or minimize them. For example pre-buy baggage (both check ASND carry on), make sure you check in online, and take your own food and drink on the plane. Do that, and you should be fine, if a tight squeeze (29" seat pitch).

TP makes the very important point about Spirit having no interline agreements with other airlines. Meaning if a plane goes crock and a flight is canceled, you'll have to wait for seat availability on Spirit flights only. We've had reports of several days' wait for passengers (the record being nine days).

Btw, post #1 suggests that you search the forums. Here's what that search would bring up. - http://bit.ly/1lCeMEE

Most of those threads are notable for people not having read about the fees and the T+C's and hence the ranting. So KUDOS to you for coming on and asking **before** you book.

Edited: 9 years ago
detroit, mich
Level Contributor
96 posts
110 reviews
49 helpful votes
5. Re: Spirit airlines
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Spirit has the LEAST leg room ( per SEATGURU>COM) and seats that do not recline- You PAY for everything and they will often be the cheapest air fare on a certain route -BUT NOT ALWAYS>>>

Guilford...
Level Contributor
3 posts
27 reviews
10 helpful votes
6. Re: Spirit airlines
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I travel a lot but really got fooled with this one. I booked through Expedia and unless you are in the habit of clicking on to all of the "fine print" and ultimately onto the airline site, it is easy to miss what I did. The day before I left I got an e-mail from Spirit directing me to the website and to the bag check which I found somewhat confusing. I finally figured out how to check and pay for my bag on line which cost $30.00 each way but, what was confusing was the carry on fee. I ended up paying for my purse at an outrageous fee of $35.00 each way, so $70.00 to take my purse round trip plus the $60.00 total for my checked bag (glad I did see the website because I would have been very unhappy to have arrived at the gate to a $100.00 plus fare.) The website is confusing. To print out your boarding pass at the airport is another $10.00. I could have read that ahead if I had had the time to search the website in great detail. What I did not expect, was to be charged for a seat. I never did find the section that said that to get a "free" seat you have to just take your chances and let them assign you (which means you would definitely get a center seat on a full flight.) The cheapest seat you could "buy" was $10.00 and it was also the tightest seat I have ever sat in on a plane. I guess for free I could have had a tight center seat so should look on the bright side at $10.00 each way. Stupid policy, I think, since you cannot stand on a plane and unless you have throughly read all the minutia you would never know about the random "free" seat. You should not have to dig to find policies like this. Ryanair is a no frills airline but does not nickel and dime you to death with confusing policies and their website is clearer. In the end I am not sure what I ended up paying for on this trip on Spirit. What my mother always told me was that "you get what you pay for" and this bargain in the end was absolutely no bargain for me. Not only did I drive to LaGuardia which is 70 miles for me each way but I paid over $100.00 to park. I really got fooled as most travelers who fly a lot just expect certain norms and this was very much out of the norm. When I told them at the gate that I had paid $70.00 for my purse they gave me a "refund" but it is a voucher for another bag. I do not ever plan to do this again so the voucher for something free is useless to me. In the end, I paid the high price to bring a purse. A real refund would have been nice.I am sure buried in the website is this bit of news also. When you see something that seems too good to be true (such as a reasonable fare for an hour and a half flight) remember that it probably IS and don't be fooled like I was. I will not make this mistake again.

Hartford...
Level Contributor
1 post
5 reviews
1 helpful vote
7. Re: Spirit airlines
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I think I am cured from ever flying on this airline!!! The minutia alone is enough for me !!!!!!!!!!!

Can you take another airline going back home ??? Might be cheaper, AND you can bring your purse !!!

Dallas, Texas
Level Contributor
80,076 posts
115 reviews
32 helpful votes
8. Re: Spirit airlines
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Spirit will nickel and dime you too death.

Old Town, Illinois
Level Contributor
326 posts
244 reviews
113 helpful votes
9. Re: Spirit airlines
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Spirit is a really low budget airline, and therefore doesn't have reclining seats or very much leg room.

Stuttgart, Germany
Level Contributor
45 posts
155 reviews
59 helpful votes
10. Re: Spirit airlines
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horrible, horrible, horrible experience....I would rather walk the 1800 miles then to fly them ever again !!!

IF you are flying by yourself with an extremely small bag, then this airline might work out for you. If you plan on bringing a Significant other or children, don't book them it will not be cheaper or easier or faster in the long run.

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