Background:
For a Sunday night flight back to Orange County (SNA), flights on Southwest were over $100, and I thought a $42 Spirit fare wasn’t too bad. I decided to splurge on the Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat for $32 extra, and tag on a $40 carry-on bag fee. So $114 all in was still cheaper than Southwest making it worth it to me. Plus, flying with a friend, we were able to eliminate the possibility of having to sit next to a stranger, so that added level of comfort was great.
And for icing on the cake, I had a flight credit from a changed flight during 2020, and since the credit expires at the end of the year, it was a perfect time to use it. The only thing I was remotely worried about was the fact that they only have one flight a day, so any cancellation could be scary. Luckily, the flight left and arrived on time, so no issues there.
Last week I wrote about how Spirit essentially emailed me 3 days before my flight saying I couldn’t use my credit. They asked for a new form a payment to keep my flight. I chatted with customer support and got connected rather quickly, and it was an automated email error, and everything eventually turned out okay. A bit stressful and annoying to say the least.
A Spirit plane I took a photo of a few years ago
The Flight:
Spirit Airlines Flight 2904
Oakland (OAK) to Orange County (SNA)
Big Front Seat- 2F (Window)
Aircraft: Airbus A320neo
Date of Flight: November 2021
App versus Website:
One weird thing I discovered during the booking process was that seats were cheaper to reserve on the app version rather than web browser. On the app, the Big Front Seats were $29 to reserve, but on the web browser they were $32. I had to book via the web browser as Spirit credits cannot be used on the app version, but something to note if you don’t need to use a credit!
Fees to Note:
Spirit bag prices fluctuate by route and depending if you buy it at booking, after booking or at the airport. Bags are cheapest at booking, and for my Oakland to Orange County flight it was $40 for a carry on, and $39 for a checked bag.
The Big Front Seat was $32 on this flight, and standard seats ranged from $21 in the front to $11 in the back if you wanted to secure a seat. Or, they will assign you a free seat at check-in.
Make sure to check in online or with your phone and get your boarding pass on your phone or print it out yourself. If you have a customer service agent print your pass for you, it’s $10 and at the self service kiosk it is $2.
Boarding:
Spirit has 4 zones of boarding. With the purchase of a carry on, Spirit’s says you get Shortcut Boarding which entitles you Zone 2 priority boarding.
I ended up with Zone 1 boarding which was nice. Not quite sure why I got Zone 1, but there are reports on other sites that say if you purchase a carry on you get Zone 1? But, the official Spirit website says a carry on bag purchase gets you Zone 2. Interesting, but I’ll take it!
After I left the Escape Lounge, I ended up getting to the gate when Zone 2 already started boarding. Thankfully they had a Zone 1 line that was separate, so I was able to go into that line and board immediately.
Walking into the plane, I first noticed how fresh and new the plane was. My plane was actually only 1.8 years old. We chose row 2, and the Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat really felt like a domestic First Class seat.
The Plane:
The Spirit A320neo has economy seats with 28 inches of seat pitch, which is the least amount of space for US domestic carriers. On this plane, there are 2 rows of Big Front Seats, for a total of 8 seats. The Big Front Seat gets you 36 inches of pitch, a whole 8 inches more than economy. And, an extra 2.25 inches of width (20 inches of width versus 17.75 inches in economy). The 2-2 configuration with the Big Front Seat is nice for no middle seat when compared to the 3-3 configuration in economy.
Big Front Seat Legroom
All Spirit’s seats, including the Big Front Seats, are “pre-reclined.” So, you can’t change the recline on the seat. The tray table is in the armrest, and has a half-mode and full-sized mode.
Tray Table Half-Mode
Tray Table Full-Sized Mode
Not sure if the wetness was from cleaning solution, or if it was dirty, but I made sure to touch it with a wet nap. I never ended up using the tray table.
Center Armrest
We departed the gate right on time, and shortly after takeoff flight attendants came down the rows to take orders for snacks and beverages. Spirit does not offer complimentary beverages/snacks. Soft drinks and juices are $3.50.
There isn’t any in flight entertainment, so come prepared to keep yourself company on those longer flights. Spirit has some planes with Wi-Fi and plans to roll it out to their entire fleet at some point in the future.
One hour went by really fast for my flight, and we touched down in Orange County a few minutes early. Got to the gate quickly, and was able to deplane fast as well.
The Verdict:
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with my Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat Experience. I was impressed with the new aircraft, domestic first class seating and the price tag. I will definitely consider flying Spirit again in the Big Front Seat, I just wasn’t particularly happy with the email scare.
Have you flown on the Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat before? How was your experience? Share your thoughts below!
Safe Travels,
Ty
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