I Survived My First Spirit Airlines Flight

First off, I made it! Woo-hoo! I booked Spirit to try it out, and I was worried because I heard many horror stories from friends and other humans on the internet.

FLIGHT DETAILS: SPIRIT AIRLINES

Spirit Airlines Flight 930
Los Angeles (LAX) to Denver (DEN)
Seat: 30F- Window
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Scheduled Departure: 5:27 PM
Actual Departure: On Time
Scheduled Arrival: 8:50 PM
Arrival to Gate: Late: On Time

Quick Summary Review:

For a short 2 hour flight, it serves its purpose to get you from point A to point B. Follow the luggage rules, print out your boarding passes at home, and you won’t be stuck with surprise fees. Just don’t except any amenities, such as power outlets, in-flight entertainment and drinks/snacks.

My Four Hopes for this Flight:

I had only 4 hopes for this flight, just 4 basic requirements and I would be very happy with my experience.

1. On Time
2. They didn’t charge me to use the bathroom
3. A fight didn’t break out during the flight
4. A seat, with cushions

I was impressed that they were all satisfied!

Check-In Online:

I checked in right at the 24 hour mark, and I was assigned to the back of the plane. Second to last row but I was with my friends and we all got to sit together. I wonder if I checked in later, would I get a better seat?

At the Airport:

I prepaid for a bag at booking, which is the cheapest way to do it. For my LA-Denver flight, it was $30 at booking for a checked bag and after booking/at check-in, the bag is $40. So once I arrived at the airport, I went to the bag drop line. The line was quite short, maybe 5 minutes. A pretty good start to the trip.

Please please print out your boarding passes at home. It’s $2 at the airport.

A nice fact about Spirit moving to Terminal 5 at LAX is that I got to visit the new United Club at Terminal 7. 🙂 Only a 10/15 minute walk.

The Flight:

Boarding started about 20 minutes before departure. The plane boarded quickly, and I made my way to the back of the plane. Legit back of the plane. Row 30 out of 31. On the bright side my seat still had a window. Row 31 has NO window.

The WEIRD thing is that the last 3 rows of this Airbus A320 has different seats than the rest of the plane! These seats have newer cushions, BUT half tray tables. As Monkey Miles puts it “A TRY TABLE”. It tried, but it isn’t a real tray table.

It’s as if Spirit just randomly added these last 3 rows. Very inconsistent with the rest of the plane. And the armrests ARE TINY.

Sure the passengers were a bit rowdier than I normally see on flights, but it wasn’t too bad! The flight attendants were chill; they even sang happy birthday to a fellow passenger. They even have a little game where they hide 5k Spirit miles in someones tray table.

The legroom was realllllly tight. I have not been on a flight with such small legroom. Actually, it was kind of like Island Air. But Island Air was a 30 minute inter-island Hawaii flight. I would probably not fly Spirit for more than 3 hours.

Amenities + Food and Beverage:

Well I’m stumped. Haha you got no in-flight entertainment, no Wi-Fi, and no power outlets. Bring a book or a fully charged phone. Or you can make convo with other passengers in the aisle (which did happen on this flight). And of course there are no free drinks/snacks.

On-Time?

I was really worried that the flight would be delayed or cancelled based on stories that I’ve heard from friends and colleagues. Luckily my flight was on time!

The Verdict:

I’d give Spirit another shot for the right price. Sure there are some rules to follow and no frills but just know what you’re getting into. 🙂

Cheers,

theresorttraveler

MY COLORADO TRIP REPORT:

Check out the rest of my Colorado 2017 Fall Trip here!

• I Survived My First Spirit Airlines Flight (LAX-DEN)
• Review: United Club LAX
• Colorado Springs Marriott
• Review: Car2Go Carsharing
• Doubletree Denver Stapleton North
• United Basic Economy (DEN-LAX)