Low-Cost Spirit Airlines

When I couldn’t get a camping spot at our favourite campground this summer, I decided to look online to see if I could find a cheap flight out of Detroit to anywhere. I wasn’t picky. I like exploring new places. I had 4 days to travel in the middle of August. I wasn’t disappointed when the first and best-priced flight that came up was to New Orleans. It’s an old favourite of mine and a city I will never tire of, and it’s always cheap to travel to in August. I think it’s a combination of the heat and the threat of hurricanes. We were evacuated one summer due to the latter.

Spirit Airlines was offering ridiculously low fares for a Friday to Monday trip. They were less than half the cost of the competitors. What was up with that?

Detroit Airport — on our way!

I soon discovered that the $103 USD roundtrip fare had a lot of fine print. The $103 was the base fare, but for any extras, including luggage, you have to pay. As I worked my way through the list of options, I found myself getting annoyed. I was feeling nickel and dimed. But I paused and reminded myself of the great deal they were offering and that they were able to do so for a reason. So I dropped my snarky mood and was just happy for the deal.

The biggest expense, other than the ticket, was definitely going to be luggage. Spirit even charges for a carry-on suitcase. They do allow a personal item for free. This could include a large purse or backpack that measures no larger than 12x14x16”. They are sticklers for bag sizes, so if you’re unsure, make sure you measure. You will save significantly if you book your bag when you buy your tickets. Waiting until you get to the airport will cost you dearly, which kind of defeats the purpose of flying a low-cost carrier. Check all option fees here.

Seeing as we were only going for a weekend. I decided my son and I would travel light, packing only one carry-on bag between us. We would carry our electronics in our personal bags (me, purse, him, backpack). I prefer to travel light anyways, so this was not a big deal. Had we been travelling somewhere with cold weather, we may not have been able to get away with one bag, but as the forecast was for 35 degree days, light clothing it was.

I chose to check-in online and print my boarding passes at home to save another $10/person/flight, so $40 in total. We didn’t choose our seats beforehand, saving another $40. We were warned that this might mean we wouldn’t get seated together, but we were, likely because I checked in the day before we were due to fly on both legs. I used the business centre at the hotel to print our boarding passed for the trip home. Sitting in the seats with more legroom was another charge on top of that, and moving up to priority boarding was $5.99/flight. We got one priority boarding pass complimentary with our checked-bag fee. I let my son get on with that one before me. He had no problem finding a spot for the bag in the overhead bins. I lingered back and waited until everyone was boarded so I didn’t have to wait around in a long line.

The lack of extras is evident in boarding. There was no flight attendant standing at the door greeting passengers. No one to direct you to your seat—not that you’re going to get lost anyway.

The interior of the plane is tight. It is the tightest configuration I’ve been on. I’m 5’8” and my knees brushed the seat in front of me. My 6’-tall boy was smooshed. I gave him my aisle seat, so he could at least sit angled sideways, but on the return trip he was stuck in the middle. Note to self to consider splurging for the emergency door rows, which were not full on either flight. The seats do no recline, which was a godsend. If they did, the lack of legroom would have been painful.

A 15″ laptop is unusable

There is a small tray in the back of the seat. It rested on my legs, tilting it up slightly. I brought a 10” laptop with me and I was able to just make it work. I had to type with my elbows tucked in tightly, but I was able to use it. My son’s 15” laptop was unusable. There is just no room to open it or use the keyboard.

There are no outlets or USB plugs, but I wasn’t expecting any on a no-frills airline. There were no movies or inflight magazines to browse through. A food and drink cart did circulate, with all purchases having to go on a debit or credit card. There were no free pretzels or water. Bring your own snacks if you need them. There are no blankets or pillows either. I had a barf bag on the return trip, but not on the way there. Lucky I didn’t need one!

Phone chargers to rent or buy in New Orleans Airport

Seat configuration is six across, except for the first row of the plane where it was four across. There are armrests that lift all the way up. The plane looked fairly clean, but I didn’t visit the restroom. The flight attendants were pleasant, and downright hilarious on our way home– watch out Westjet! After the safety demonstration, we didn’t really see them unless they were moving through with the snack cart.

Spirit has a points program, which I joined. I don’t know if I’ll fly with them regularly or often enough to make those points worth anything, but it takes less than a minute to sign up, so why not?

The flight from Detroit to New Orleans was just over two hours. Spirit’s Airbus A320 was reasonably comfortable for two hours. Had I been taking a much longer flight, I would definitely book seat with more leg room for anyone over 5’8”, or at least consider an airline with a few more frills. For the price, though, I expect I will try them again one day when the desire for an impromptu getaway occurs.