Is that low fare Spirit Airlines price tag really worth the savings and hassle? Follow me on my first Spirit Airlines flight from Seattle to Cancun.
An ocean of anxiety washed over at the realization that the only last minute flight I could afford to get me to Cancun from Seattle was through Spirit Airlines. Visions of cramped quarters, stadium bleacher like seats, seated next to hill-billy hood folks — not to mention my impending death, made it almost hard to breath. I had a long chat with God, meditated heavily, even summoned my ancestors for guidance and protection. I was filled with trepidation, y’all! But you know what else was scary? Them prices! I was not going to shell out $700+ with some other airline due to my lack of planning; instead I was willing to put my life at risk to fly Spirit, lol. Eventually common sense forced me to look at the bigger picture: other people's experiences are not mine. Fear and anxiety then turned into curiosity, because how bad could it be right?
Well here I am, alive and can confidently tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed my first Spirit Airlines experience. My take on Spirit? It’s a modern, no frills, minimalist approach to flying. It’s great for quick trips with flight times of less than 3 hours, any longer than that I would opt for another airline to ensure a comfy flight. While I can only speak to this one experience, it exceeded my expectations. Everyone from the ticketing agents to the crew was fun, courteous, and professional. They got us checked in, boarded and seated promptly. I was seriously expecting soul plane y’all, but we got none of that. Did I mention the crew was highly diverse? Name another airline where black and brown skinned folks of different ethnicity practically dominate the air? It was nice to see people of color that high in the sky because representation in all spaces, matter.
"Don’t expect five star service when you’ve booked yourself a three star experience. Be realistic in your expectations."
The two Spirit planes I was on were amongst the cleanest planes I've ever been on in all my years of flying. The visible absence of overhead dust or food smeared chairs and walls made the experience that much more enjoyable. The seats were clean and simple in design. I found them to be more spacious than other higher rated airlines, and that’s saying something considering I’m on the petite spectrum in terms of size. However, a heavier set couple I sat next to — o politely put it, filled out the seats. Do what you will with that information, but airline seats are generally uncomfortable.
Some of my gripes? The back seat pockets are shit. The seats could use some minor improvements: either recline or have some sort of lumbar support, a charging port would be nice, .
A word of advice... have no expectations. Don't expect five star service when you booked yourself a three star experience. It rarely works that way. Pack minimally if you can, if not then opt on paying extra to travel with proper luggage. Do your research. You can't get upset when you're the one not heeding the warnings or abiding by the rules.
one thing i will note though is the speed at which we were flying. it seemed like the pilot slammed his foot down, and didn't let up on the gas pedal. we were zooming right through the atmosphere fast!
After hearing horror story after horror story, one would think policies are strictly enforced, yet here I stood in amazement as I watched, one by one the size of what fellow travelers considered personal bags and carry-on. I guess I psyched myself to the point that I forgot Spirit operates just like any airline. With that said, that weekend bag you keep telling yourself not to over stuff but end up packing to the brim? You can walk that puppy right on the plane.
Tips for a better flight experience
Pack Light Those savings can turn into a big splurge real quick if you don’t plan accordingly. Pack only what you NEED, not what you THINK you need. That extra “what if” outfit.. child, leave it. If you do intended on paying for check-in or carry-on luggage, include that when booking online. The fee is lower by more than a few dollars. For example, option to pay for my carry-on luggage at the time of booking was $35+, however fee increased twice -- when I checked in for my flight, it cost me $94 round trip for a carry on. The fee increases another few dollars if you check-in at their kiosk. You can find those fees on their site here: .
Snack + Beverage
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