in my previous entry i provided a few tips for traveling in costa rica based on a trip i took in late august 2013. on that trip i flew with spirit airlines for the very first time, from chicago to ft. lauderdale to san jose, then back- a total of four legs. before (and after) i booked my tickets i was pretty anxious, as there are some truly awful stories and reviews all over the internet about this airline!
i am happy to report that my friend and i had an overall very positive experience with spirit. i am going to outline a few tips on how to avoid the many, many fees associated with this airline. i found that maybe 75% of the complaints i read were from people who had been unaware of these fees, and i honestly think those complaints are quite misdirected. as a traveler it is your responsibility to research whatever you plan on booking ahead of time so that you are not caught unaware. if you add up the fees and think the savings aren't worth it, book something else!
a few savings tips
- do not choose a seat ahead of time. instead, try to get there early and make a request at the counter. my friend and i were accommodated with an aisle seat each and every time we asked.
spirit fee: $12-200. that's right, one of those "big comfy seats" at the front can cost you $200. yeesh!
- bring your own empty water bottle and fill it up once you go thru security, and bring your own snacks as well. i always prefer to do this anyway no matter what i fly. i was actually pretty surprised by just how upset people got over not receiving a free mini bag of pretzels and a cup of water. how hard is it to bring your own or go without for a few hours? if you end up having to buy water, i don't think their price of $3 is too ridiculous, considering how much you probably saved with your discount ticket.
spirit fee: $3 on bottled water, up to $10 on snacks
- print your own boarding pass. if you don't have a printer at home or work, it's something like 10 cents/page to print at office depot.
spirit fee: $10 to print at the airport kiosk
- if you are checking a bag, do so while you are booking your flight. your first bag will be $30, which is actually cheaper than taking a carry on- $35. you can take one personal item for free, and they seemed pretty flexible about dimensions- as long as you can squish it under the seat in front of you, it's usually a go. check out this youtube video about one man's method for avoiding baggage fees all together; it might work for you!
spirit fee: $5 extra during online check in, $15 extra at the airport kiosk, $100 at the gate!
another general tip is to try to schedule longer layovers than usual if you have a connecting flight to anticipate delays. also, often discount airlines such as spirit have gates/boarding areas in older terminals that do not have many options for food or entertainment. for example, our connection in ft. lauderdale had just one "restaurant" (with burgers, fries, etc.) and a dunkin donuts kiosk. that was it- no fast food, no coffee options, nothing. you had to actually leave the terminal to find other food options, and go thru security again to get back to the gate. super inconvenient, and another reason to stock up on your own snacks and food.
i would also like to note that all the spirit employees i encountered, including at the ticket counter, boarding gate, and on my flight, were extremely friendly, professional, and accommodating. and although we did experience delays on 3/4 flights, they were only for about 15-20min each, which i did not think was much to complain about.
remember that spirit is a budget airline and markets itself as such, so you have to expect the extra fees. i saved nearly $150 by flying spirit, so it was definitely worth it for me. do your own math and see where you end up!
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