Review: Spirit Airlines Booking & Check-In Process

I deeply hate this airline.

Is there any sale of fight tickets? So many people are waiting.(Just kidding)
Tickets looks very cheap, as i see in monitor.

Cool!!

Hmmm the link to your big front seat review doesn't work?

They also charge for carry-on more than for a check-in bag because it slows down the boarding process.
The "not frequent" flyer may take a much longer time to settle in if he/she has a carry-on.
That also explains why Spirit grants priority boarding if you pay for a carry-on.
It's a way for them to speed up the boarding (and make money of course)

I have taken only two Spirit flights, and I went through the booking process as you described. Spirit is so transparent when it comes to bag fees. On the flights I went on, prior to the boarding the gate agent made multiple announcements saying that if you did not pay for a carry-on bag now, you would be paying more during the boarding process (it's my understanding Spirit charges more for a carry-on bag once boarding has commenced). To my dismay people still wound up trying to board and getting charged. It was unbelievable.

"That’s not because I paid for a Big Front Seat, but rather because I paid for a checked bag, which comes with priority boarding."

You didn't, did you? Do you mean you paid for a carry-on?

@ Krabnov -- I do indeed, thanks. Fixed.

There is a slightly less cynical view of why carry-on bags are more expensive than checked bags:

Bringing a carry on is simply more convenient to the passenger (don't have to wait at baggage claim) and less convenient to the airline (causes more delays with people running around by the cabin looking for overhead space).

I generally support ULCCs pricing their baggage fees this way.

Curious if they really check the size of your personal item as your siting in the Big Front Seat and there's no floor storage for the first row of those seats.

I spent years flying Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air (by far the worst) as a poor student and this seems exactly the same, but with less complaining. I guess Europeans are just used to this treatment now. "You get what you pay for" is very true here.

I understand your dismay with regard to people complaining about things such as bag fees which are clearly noted during the transparent purchasing process on the Spirit website. However, I wonder how transparent things are when booking online via various OTA's or booking via a traditional travel agent.

Ron, I was thinking the exact same thing. If i go to purchase off Expedia, it never takes me to Spirit's website. I do not have to click that I accept like Ben did on the Spirit Website. The only mention is on the right hand side of the page within the jumble of other conditions.

"Spirit Airlines has four boarding zones, and I was in group one. That’s not because I paid for a Big Front Seat, but rather because I paid for a checked bag, which comes with priority boarding."
"When you pay for a carry-on you get priority boarding included."
Had your wake-up cappuccino yet?

It took you this long to review Spirit??? The ironic thing is Spirit is undertaking a MASSIVE transformation under their new CEO. The FAs are getting CS training from Disney and the delivered product is going to be changing soon to reflect a softer stance on the fee and service front. I think we'll see a more 'grown-up' Spirit emerge soon.

LOL.....even on Spirit Ben finds himself in 1A 🙂

looks like a zoo--welcome to the failed empire. get watcha pay for and just say no to any american/us based airlines. They're a bad joke.

If you pay $119 for a big front seat, why do you need to pay extra to select a specific one? Or is $119 just for any "premium " seat? Thanks

Everything is right except"not allow mobile boarding pass "

Spirit does allow mobile boarding passes. I just used one on my flight this week.

I live in Chicago and was trying to book round trip from newyork to Chicago for my nephew.I was not able to book that ticket it was strange.did any one has that problem?

@lucky minor correction:

You say:
"NOPE. Instead there was a huge — some might even same YUGE — line to check-in."
It should be "...even say YUGE..."

My first Spirit flight was my granddaughter and I to Orlando. Less than $240/Dr for both of us. I read Spirit 101..paid for my big suitcase fire both of us (7 days) and we carried on our backpack. No problems!

My second flight was to Chicago. No problems return flight was delayed. I received a we are sorry voucher from Spirit for a delayed flight out of Ohare for $50! My sister was flying American. Her flight was also delayed but she didn't get anything from American. I was going a weekend, so I backpacked it. No, paying for carryon. Security was easy breezy.

I just booked a weekend getaway r/t to LAX.. $80.00 r/t. I am backpacking again. LAX is horrible..AA all of them. So I might pay for fast security out of LAX. So far, I have no complaints about Spirit. Last LAX flight on AA.
due to weather for flights out of other states...my flight was cancelled and I had to pay $150 for a hotel.

Round trip for gdaughter and I

I travel back and forth to NJ and only had a problem once in 20 times I've use them and that was because a flight was canceled. As far as check in usually just row my clothes and fit it into a personal size backpack and avoid the desk all together. When I do check a bag I've never yet have waited for more than 20 minutes. I always hear people complain about them but guess I've been lucky as no problems. I will knock on wood now.

What happened to friendly sky. Cbeap, nothing cheap. Over booking. Some is not doing there job.

omg ! I booked a ticket with spirit just a couple of days ago and I can totally relate with this article ! its a complete pain in the ass !

I can not check in to my Free Spirit account to check my miles. Nothing works. A week long nightmare of texts, messages and emails and they still cant figure out why.

Spirit is horrible..rather pay extra for AAA
They have so many hidden payments your
ticket gets higher by the minute. Then if u
receive a credit it is like figuring a jigsaw
puzzle ,where do u figure out how to insert
the discount.

My flight did not have reclining seats. Tough for 5 hr redeye flight. Never fly spirit again.

I deeply hate this airline too just flew for the first time and last. Absolutely no customer service they do not care if you will ever fly with them again. It was a fiasco on the way to Atlanta some guy threw lots water all over me and broke my camera I did not realize it at the time. I paid for one checked luggage $43. US to and from a lot more since I am a Canadian. On the way back I was a bit over the 40lbs so they charged me another $30 US then since my carry on was 18x14x8 but the wheels were an inch bigger they charged me another $65. US which is like $90 Canadian. There was a kid in the seat in front of me that was totally out of control yelling also threw liquid and the couple beside me left all wet as well he also hit my head with his fist right on my barrette so it really did hurt. I phoned customer service they could care less I see they do not care if people ever fly again with them. The boarding agents were super rude and mean I am seriously thinking they get a commission for relentlessly getting as much money for peoples baggage as possible with not a tiniest amount of empathy for any slight leeway, especially for someone who flew the first time. Never again though it was a milk run that ended up way more costly.