So, I just completed the online check-in process for my first-ever Spirit Airlines flight tomorrow morning, and I couldn’t help but to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. First, I was presented with my “baggage” options. As you can see from the image below, I had 3 choices – a personal item (free of charge), a carry-on ($35), or a checked bag ($33).
The thought of dodging this fee became a minor challenge because: 1. I’m female, and we need all of our beauty/hair “stuff”… and of course an array of cute outfits and heels to choose from. 2. If I bring a backpack, then I guess that takes the place of my purse, which means I’ll somehow have to deal with packing a small clutch containing my purse vitals in place of my normal day bag. 3. Did I mention that it would be somewhat of a challenge to fit everything in a measly 16 x 14 x 12” backpack? Hmm… what’s a girl to do?
Challenge accepted. I selected the backpack option. The reality is, I’ll technically be away for only 2 nights, so I’ll just have to pack sensibly. (Do I really need to bring 5 pairs of heels? No.) I’ll also only take the absolute beauty necessities in handy dandy travel bottles. Win #1.
After that was over, I was expecting to print my boarding pass on the next page, instead I came to another halt page filled with catchy phrases like “You want the window seat? Â You got it!” and “Flying is more fun when you’re seated with your travel companion!” What is this nonsense?
Ah ha! They’re trying to lure me into ridiculous fee #2: seat assignments. Since Lisa (one of my travel companions) and I purchased tickets on separate reservations, I wasn’t expecting to be sitting with her anyway, and uh… I think I will be OK sitting next to a stranger for a little over 2 hours. Besides, playing seat roulette is fun – I kind of like the mystery behind my seat mate (speed seat dating?). I dodged this fee simply by clicking the almost-hidden option of “continue without seat selection.”
At the end of the game, my boarding pass shows that I’ll be taking only 1 personal item, and that I’ll be sitting in randomly-generated seat 23F.
I smirked when Lisa texted me her “randomly-generated” seat: 23E. That’s the ultimate win.
Have a laugh at Spirit Airline’s “Optional Fees”, and please feel free share stories of your own.
What’s most outrageous about these fees is that Spirit doesn’t pay any tax on those revenues, so they are in essence freeloading on other airlines that do pay the tax to fund the aviation infrastructure in this country.
lets hope the FA does not find both of you talking and levy the fee while you are airborne ;)
@Voice: Wow…
@AJ: Hah, techincally I’m obeying their policy so they’d never have a shot there. :-P. Instead of dodging, I should have said “strategically avoiding” their fees ;)
So does a backpack count under “personal item” and not a “carry-on”? Buenos suerte!
Haha I LOVE that you were both generated random seats right next to each other. I’d imagine that the trick would be to check in one right after the other and you probably just get the next seat available.
You may have avoided the fees, but you didn’t avoid the smaller amount of knee room. I will never never fly them; they just don’t treat people right.
Ppl hate spirit but i have nothing against them from nyc to ord or fll or mrytle beach. I paid $21ai rt for nyc to mrytle beach. $34 for chicago, $90 for fll.
Wow you and Lisa are sitting right next to each other! Boom!
On British Aiways it’s €30 to select a regular seat in Economy on a transatlantic flight without status, €36 for a twin (row of two in the back of a 747) amd a whopping €60 for exit row. And guess what? In Business Class it’s a ridiculous €98 for a seat on the upper deck and about €60 on the main deck, unless you’ve got status or travel on an unrestricted fare. These “fees” are on top of your already paid business ticket, that is. So much to “no frills” airlines.
It was announced just today that Spirit is coming to MSP in May (my home airport), and will fly to Chicago and Las Vegas. I will be interested to read your review of your Spirit experience when your flights are completed!
I am flying with our family of 4 on Spirit this week for the first time..THANK GOODNESS I happened to find out about this baggage nonsense before hand. I am seriously losing sleep as to how we are to pack for four of us in backpacks for 5 days. Not happening. I’m livid. Also, both of our kids are still in car seats/booster seats….guess what? That’s ALSO $35 EACH WAY to bring their car seats with us. Is that even legal??? So flipping mad they can do this and that we didn’t just pay a tiny bit more to fly with someone else.
ok i have not flown yet but i have made reservations for 7 of us… my family of 5 and my parents in june and I found out about the fees for luggage and i am fine with it…. most other airlines charge 25-30 dollars for checking luggage…..now the carry on charge i was a little thrown off by but i figure we will each check 1 bag but now that i know we can have a back pack as a bag that i wont get charged for we shoudl be fine… we paid 124.00 roundtrip from dfw to philly so checking 1 bag will be 144.00 + add seat 10-25.00 still at about 170.00 a piece…the next lowest was 324.00 round trip saving me 150.00 per person is a big saving i dont mind saving that
My family of 3 just purchased tickets from MSP to Las Vegas for $226 total! I fully read all the baggage policies and possible extra charges prior to deciding to go with Spirit. I fully realize that this is a no frills airlines. Watching YouTube videos and reading online reviews, I know a coke cost $2 and I have to pack light. But I am fully happy to save $400 – $800 total for a family of three for a no frills vacation.