Review: Spirit Airlines Booking & Check-In Process
Review: Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat A319 Los Angeles To Seattle
A few weeks ago I flew Spirit Airlines from Los Angeles to Seattle. While I’ve already shared my initial thoughts on the experience, in this post I’ll be sharing my full review of the flight.
Spirit 253
Los Angeles (LAX) – Seattle (SEA)
Monday, July 31
Depart: 6:17PM
Arrive: 8:57PM
Duration: 2hr40min
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Seat: 1A (Big Front Seat)
At the door I was greeted by two friendly flight attendants, who looked at me like I was from another planet when I started snapping pictures of the plane. I guess I can’t say that I blame them.
My flight was operated by an A319, featuring a total of 145 seats. This included 135 standard economy seats, which feature just 28″ of pitch (which is apparently so bad that SeatGuru marks all Spirit seats as yellow/caution).
Spirit Airlines A319 cabin
I have to say, though, that the legroom didn’t look that bad. I felt like the seat cushions may have been shorter than on other airlines, which might explain why the legroom isn’t that terrible.
Spirit Airlines economy seats
One thing that’s unique about Spirit is that they also have 10 “Big Front Seats,” which are basically standard first class seats in a 2-2 configuration (the right side of the cabin has three rows, while the left side has two rows). These looked to me like United’s old first class seats from about a decade ago.
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seats
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seats
This really is such a fantastic value. The seats don’t come with any extra services, though for only $32 extra for this flight, it was quite a deal (then again, I get that a lot of people flying Spirit want to pay the absolute minimum, so it’s not practical for everyone).
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seats
I had assigned myself seat 1A, the window seat in the bulkhead.
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat
Spirit only has very small tray tables in their standard seats, while the Big Front Seats have the same tray tables you’d find in first class on most airlines.
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat tray table
Sitting in the bulkhead was a bit strange, since there was a see-through partition in front of it, so you were more or less face to face with the flight attendant.
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat bulkhead
Boarding was an adventure, as every seat on the plane was taken. Here’s the thing — I’m happy that Spirit Airlines makes flying more accessible, and that’s in everyone’s best interest. At the same time, the crowd on this flight reminded me a lot of the people you’d find sitting at slot machines in Las Vegas at 6AM on a Sunday morning smoking cigarettes and still drinking. It actually made me sort of sad.
The guy seated next to me seemed to be upgraded last minute since they didn’t sell all the Big Front Seats, and his wife was seated several rows back in the standard seats.
During boarding the lady came running up to her husband and said “that [n-word] tried to move my bag in the overhead bin. I’m also sitting next to a [certain s-word].” I was floored.
A few minutes later I heard someone use the c-word, though I didn’t catch the context of that. Just wow…
Boarding was relatively efficient, given that most people didn’t have carry-ons, meaning that there was plenty of overhead bin space. By 6:20PM boarding was complete, at which point the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, and informed us of our flight time to Seattle of 2hr10min. We didn’t push back for over 20 minutes, and twice the captain got on the PA to explain that this was due to a couple of American planes blocking the taxiway.
At around 6:30PM the manual safety demonstration began, and we were airborne shortly before 7PM. I couldn’t help but laugh at Spirit Airlines’ after takeoff announcements. In the same way that other airlines would welcome aboard members of their loyalty program, Spirit says “we’d like to add a special welcome to our valued $9 Fare Club members.” Hah.
Service began pretty quickly after takeoff.
Spirit Airlines menu, credit card pamphlet, and safety card
Everything on Spirit needs to be purchased, and as a result, the service is really quick, given that few people actually buy something. The menu read as follows:
To say that I was intrigued by Spirit’s “BuzzBallz” ready-to-drink cocktails would be an understatement. I figured I had to try them all. I was also under the impression that they served canned wine, so I figured I had to order one of those as well. My assumption, however, was that there was no way in hell they’d sell all that to me. So I had to come clean.
“I’m writing a story about Spirit Airlines, and have heard so much about by the BuzzBallz cocktails. I promise I won’t drink them all, but is it okay if I buy all three and a bottle of wine, and just test them all out?”
“Of course. And just so you know, the BuzzBallz Mile High Lemonade is exclusive to Spirit. Let us know what you think.”
I also added in some “fancy nuts,” because why not?
Spirit Airlines wine, cocktails, and snacks
However, as it turns out, I guess that explanation wasn’t necessary. The guy next to me said “that sounds good, I’ll have exactly the same,” and they sold that to him without issue. Only on Spirit Airlines would someone copy an order of three cocktails and wine.
So how were the BuzzBallz cocktails? Actually quite good:
- The Mile High Lemonade tasted like lemonade, except it was fabulously alcoholic
- The Choc Tease tasted like Baileys with milk… yum, yum, yum
- The Tequila Rita was by far my least favorite, and tasted like a terrible margarita with way too many chemicals
Spirit Airlines BuzzBallz cocktails
The guy next to me had no fingernails, and his fingers were dirty. On top of that, he picked his nose during boarding as if he was trying to set a new world record. But with each cocktail he’d spend maybe 30 seconds trying to open it, and then asked me if I could do it, saying “I don’t have fingernails, can you open it for me?”
Of course I was happy to help, I just wish he had asked before spending so long trying to do it. When I saw he was going to start his third cocktail, I proactively offered. “You want me to open that for me?” He said “I’ll try first.” Of course he couldn’t do it, and then asked me to open it.
As a germaphobe, that whole experience was something, alright.
The guy then ended up ordering two more of the Choc Tease drinks, because apparently four drinks on a two hour flight isn’t enough.
After the service I checked out the lavatory at the front of the cabin. The crew announced several times that passengers should stay seated until the lavatory is empty, and to not congregate near the galley or lavatory. Despite that announce, there was always a line for the lavatory. If booking a Big Front Seat, that’s one reason I’d recommend a window over an aisle, since the aisle passengers constantly had people standing above them.
The lavatory itself was fine.
Spirit Airlines lavatory
During the flight there were two long credit card pitches for the Spirit Airlines Mastercard, that were even longer than the pitches on most other airlines.
On the plus side, they did something really cute on descent. They have a “lucky middle seat passenger” contest (I believe it’s on every flight?), where they hid something in one of the tray tables of a middle seat passenger. That person won 5,000 Spirit miles. Now, those miles are mostly worthless, but I think it’s a really cute concept.
We began our descent at around 8:30PM, and were treated to a gorgeous Pacific Northwest sunset (which fortunately even Spirit can’t charge extra for, though the windows were filthy). We touched down shortly after 9PM, and got to the gate about 15 minutes behind schedule. The guy next to me tried to get up and nearly fell. I wonder why?
View on approach to Seattle
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat bottom line
When you take the passengers out of the Spirit experience, it’s actually not bad at all. The flight attendants were friendly, and the buy on board offering is fine. Sure, I wish they had Wi-Fi or power ports, but that’s not going to happen. The Big Front Seat also represents a great deal for anyone who values a bit of comfort.
My only issue with Spirit is the passengers. I’m happy that travel is made more accessible, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much racism or bad language as on this flight. And this was a Los Angeles to Seattle flight, which is pretty civilized as far as Spirit routes go. I can’t imagine what a Spirit redeye out of Las Vegas on a Sunday night is like.
Unfortunately, I was a little over-zealous to see the world when I took this job, so spend a lot of my time in the air. I've flown with many carriers, even Emirates First Class (due to a contract quirk that nobody ever expected to be exercised), with the shower and all. To be honest, the mix of people on a flight has nothing to do with the airline, the class nor the fare you paid....
Unfortunately, I was a little over-zealous to see the world when I took this job, so spend a lot of my time in the air. I've flown with many carriers, even Emirates First Class (due to a contract quirk that nobody ever expected to be exercised), with the shower and all. To be honest, the mix of people on a flight has nothing to do with the airline, the class nor the fare you paid. Just who happens to show up on the day. I flew from Sydney, Australia to London in First Class on an Emirates A380 and even the noise cancelling headphones couldn't shut out this woman's constant complaints about the service (which was absolutely impeccable), and for AU$18,000 per seat, it would want to be. She made racist remarks towards the cabin crew (who were mostly Emirati, as one would expect from an Arabian airline), to the lack of Australian Wine on the menu (which actually consisted mostly of Australian wine on the flight out, but she didn't read the fine print). I'm sure she paid the full fare in cash from her own pocket and expected a level of luxury which is just not possible in the air. I found the staff to be extremely friendly, the menu to be more diverse than I'd ever expected and the level of service to be better than any other first class flight I've taken. But then again, my employer's client was paying for my trip, so I must have had low expectations. But the shower is amazing ;)
Great article! I was laughing the entire time!!!! Until I got to the reviews of the article.....when I read what Keepingitreal had to say I was astonished!
The author was clearly Disgusted by the racism and language used, as he should have been!!!! Racism of ANY KIND IS A despicable act!
So “Keepingitreal” let me remind you that calling a anyone(& yes you did call all Trump supporters racist by insinuation) who supports...
Great article! I was laughing the entire time!!!! Until I got to the reviews of the article.....when I read what Keepingitreal had to say I was astonished!
The author was clearly Disgusted by the racism and language used, as he should have been!!!! Racism of ANY KIND IS A despicable act!
So “Keepingitreal” let me remind you that calling a anyone(& yes you did call all Trump supporters racist by insinuation) who supports the President a racist, we all are just a bunch of racist bigots who cling to our guns & religion. Damn right I cling to those! But I don’t have a racist bone in my body! How dare you spread hate and claim to be American! You don’t know the meaning of the word! Stay ignorant and go support socialism! Or better yet...if you hate America and Americans so much, MOVE TO !!!! I am a proud Trumptard! I will say that again, A PROUD PRESIDENT TRUMP SUPPORTER!!!! And guess what, I AM NO RACIST!!!! I’m a single mother with a full time job & this past year has been the best! I have more opportunities than I did when any democratic pres held office! I don’t want free school, free food, free anything! I just want opportunity and that is exactly what President Trump has given us! Guess what, you have to give corporations and small business tax breaks....why, well because, as you can see, THEY START TO HIRE AMERICANS AGAIN! And wages go up! Unfortunately, for those who don’t want to work, life will always be hard! Personal Responsibility! We all need it! And what happened to grace and human kindness! We immediately attack and badmouth....just like you did. How is that any better? How are you any different from a true racist??
People like you sir, IMHO, are the problem! You automatically HATE anyone who disagrees with you. HATE is a dangerous emotional response! I wish you the best and hope one day that we can all learn to disagree peacefully and with grace!!!
I did not vote for President Obama. However, once he took office, I MEVER disrespected him! I may disagree with Obama’sFailed policies, however I always respected him as he was elected Commander-in-chief! That is my duty as an American! I will pray that you stop and think before speaking on such an important subject. Name calling never solved anything! Do you teach your children to voice themselves with vial language and hate as well?????
Using the n word is offensive. That is also the reason that many wrote "n word" instead of typing it out because it is very offensive. The comments here about it's not a big deal and even Africans use it disheartening. I am a 50 year old black woman and I've been a dentist for 20 years. I don't hear the word ever except in songs or Television. The people around me aren't not using it. I am speaking up because using racial slurs is not ok or acceptable.
Great Review. we need more reviews like this since most readers do not fly spirit. I think i might give it a shot in couple months. Maybe.
"I wonder why" made me smile. But then, "When you take the passengers out of the Spirit experience, it’s actually not bad at all" had me rolling. I love Spirit! I fly all over for pennies on the dollar.
Yes, the clientele can be dodgy, especially at 35,000 feet.
Just FYI, NONE of the BIG Front Seats recline anymore. Not sure why they fixed them as well. I have tried to get a response from Spirit, but the people I spoke with didn't know they fixed all of them now. Sucks, because on flights to South America it made a huge difference on why I booked them. I would rather have a coach seat that reclined a couple of inches than the big one...
Just FYI, NONE of the BIG Front Seats recline anymore. Not sure why they fixed them as well. I have tried to get a response from Spirit, but the people I spoke with didn't know they fixed all of them now. Sucks, because on flights to South America it made a huge difference on why I booked them. I would rather have a coach seat that reclined a couple of inches than the big one that doesn't on flights that far. Too bad Spirit. Lost me on those flights and I flew them a couple times a month. You spoiled me hahaha....
ROTFL, Ben! This is so hilarious! Best review ever!
Nice review as always, Ben. I think your reactions to and comments about the behavior of your fellow passengers are as nicely put as possible under the circumstances. Keep up the great work! I'll be flying Spirit's Big Seat from LAS to MSY next month. Thankfully, I'll be following that up a few days later with a First Class seat on Cathay to Hong Kong. It'll be an interesting contrast.
Thank you for your candid review of Spirit Airlines, Lucky. I am from the transitional era when travel was a privilege and an occasion, a time when my blue collar, working class father put on a suit and tie to fly, and my parents comported themselves with decency and personal dignity. Travel and flying may be stressful for some, and to have uncensored morons create tension for others is unsettling and nervewracking. One commenter suggested...
Thank you for your candid review of Spirit Airlines, Lucky. I am from the transitional era when travel was a privilege and an occasion, a time when my blue collar, working class father put on a suit and tie to fly, and my parents comported themselves with decency and personal dignity. Travel and flying may be stressful for some, and to have uncensored morons create tension for others is unsettling and nervewracking. One commenter suggested we lighten up and laugh. Really? When a person bereft of social ability uses a term publicly like "nigger," and please leave that word in because that is exactly one of the vulgarities that was used, what possibly could occur next? A fight? A catastrophe? Injuries? Being clocked in the head accidentally by luggage hurled at another moron? When exactly should we start laughing? This isn't "working class." This is human garbage. I recognize the difference. Suggesting these people are representative of "working class" is a despicable insult to the hardworking people who have social decency and heart. Thank you again, Lucky. If flight attendants can be called out for not being overly friendly or concerned, I certainly want to know if an airline is uniquely plagued with potentially dangerous passengers.
Very entertaining review, thanks Ben.
The bottom line is that as far as seat size/personal space goes, Sprint Big Front Seats are actually a pretty good value.
Everyone, let's chill a bit & try to keep politics out of this one...
Uh, wheres the actual seat review? I see nothing except the tray table thing. Everything else is comments about passengers, which you have posted 3-4 times already.
Lights? Air vents? Power outlets? Recline? Seat quality?
I love Ben and this blog, but I have to point out that he didn't "call out" the racism he heard, he wrote about it after the fact, which is easy. If you overhear someone clearly using language like that, you should tell them to stop. That's all there is to it. It's unacceptable. Writing about it later on a blog accomplishes nothing save for clicks and moral superiority.
(FWIW, I am from a...
I love Ben and this blog, but I have to point out that he didn't "call out" the racism he heard, he wrote about it after the fact, which is easy. If you overhear someone clearly using language like that, you should tell them to stop. That's all there is to it. It's unacceptable. Writing about it later on a blog accomplishes nothing save for clicks and moral superiority.
(FWIW, I am from a small town in Alabama, where racism obviously lingers, but if anyone EVER used the N-word out in public as part of a regular conversation, somebody would say something - it's just rude and trashy. When I was a kid, my grandmother, who I've come to accept was just as racist as she could be, slapped the fire out of my older brother when he used that word in a fit of adolescent boundary-testing, and we were at home, not even out in public - she told him never to use that word again, and I've never heard him say it since, which just goes to show that violence does solve some things.)
I also have to question the overheard "c-word" without context - did you seriously hear "blahblahblahblahblah-CCCCCCCWOOOOOOORRRRRDDDDD-blahblahblahblah"? You couldn't make out anything else except that one word? Some people like to hunt, sometimes football teams punt while baseball teams bunt, a little puppy is called a runt, you can perform a stunt, etc etc etc. You might have misheard. (Damn I hope I have the right C-word.)
Awesome commentary, Ben. I am sure you are used to lending your fingernails. ;)
All these snowflakes triggered by this article is actually hilarious. Take a chill pill, guys, and laugh once in a while.
Great review Ben!
Bottom Line: Before Spirit, this crowd took Greyhound. Enough said.
I fly Spirit quite frequently to Vegas to visit my mother. All the flights from Vegas to Minnesota on Sundays apparently are red eye. and it's like going to a drunken frat party.
Well it sounds simply ghastly Ben. And I am genuinely grateful for the review = warning. I'd rather walk.
Just out of curiosity. Does the "Big Front Seat" recline?
I've flown spirit from Oakland to Las Vegas once. Not only was the seat tight, but it does not recline. An hour flight felt much longer as it was the most uncomfortable flight experience I've ever had. Not to mention the type of passengers on the plane.....well that's another story.
Part of the reason many of us pay to be in the pointy end of the aircraft, use lounges, and stay at higher-end accommodations is to avoid dealing with ignorant people.
Unfortunately, even these precautions don't always guarantee a pleasant experience. I was flying in J on VS and encountered a Scummy Mummy and her spawn who were absolutely obnoxious throughout the entire TATL flight. For 7 hours, the kids kept running up...
Part of the reason many of us pay to be in the pointy end of the aircraft, use lounges, and stay at higher-end accommodations is to avoid dealing with ignorant people.
Unfortunately, even these precautions don't always guarantee a pleasant experience. I was flying in J on VS and encountered a Scummy Mummy and her spawn who were absolutely obnoxious throughout the entire TATL flight. For 7 hours, the kids kept running up and down the aisles, climbing over the seats, screaming, etc. Sadly, the kids were far better behaved than the parents who thought that the entire J cabin was their living room and were yelling back & forth across rows, putting their bare feet everywhere, even going into the lav with bare feet. They treated the FAs quite rudely, yet the FAs refused to do anything about them. When other J pax asked if they could do anything about it, the FAs said there was plenty of room in Y. Piss poor response.
"Be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. " -- Maya Angelou.
"There but for the grace of God, go I"
(Note: this applies to EVERYONE on the flight."
Why does Spirit even have big front seats? Seems like they would be better off just stuffing more regular seats in. Does it have to do with flight attendant staffing? (i.e. if the put more seats on the plane, they would need an extra flight attendant)?
You do realise that chemicals make up everything. To claim that a drink tastes full of chemicals is disregarding that even "natural" products are full of "chemicals"
I am a 58yr old who flies Spirit regularly. I've also, in the past, flown Southwest, American, Delta, and BA. I've encountered rude and ignorant passengers on all airlines, it's not limited to Spirit. I fly Spirit more NOW, then in the past however, because it is more affordable. I want to see my family, and not have to spend a weeks pay doing it!
It seems somewhat justified based on the incidents you described, but the whole article has a pretty unpleasant sneery tone about it. They're human beings too you know...
Checked bag and first class seat cost the same. Spirit logic.
Dear KeepingitReal, Yeah, you would think it was Trump people, but it was from LA to Seattle, two meccas for dirty closet-racist inbred liberal fascist people like yourself. So yea, KeepingitReal, thanks for confirming the kind of people that live in the Blue States. I guess you didn't think about that when you were making your cute comment did you? Who is the tard now??
Great post Ben. Could have done without Keepingitreal's idiotic remark. I guess he got confused and thought this was a political blog!
@Jig - +1
@debit - Using the N, S, or C word isn't a matter of "people being who they are." People who use those words - whether so brazenly in public or hushed in private - SHOULD be judged. It reminds me of what Mrs. Trump said: "Our country encourages freedom of speech, but let's communicate without hate in our hearts."
"The guy next to me had no fingernails." Best sentence I have ever read.
@daniel
Now your point has changed from your first comment. Initially, you said people were being racist and prejudiced against working class people, which I responded to by clarifying that calling out racist & sexist behavior was a good thing that had nothing to do with someone's money.
Now you are saying that Ben should also stand up against Middle East homophobia by not traveling there or on their airlines, as you do. First, I...
@daniel
Now your point has changed from your first comment. Initially, you said people were being racist and prejudiced against working class people, which I responded to by clarifying that calling out racist & sexist behavior was a good thing that had nothing to do with someone's money.
Now you are saying that Ben should also stand up against Middle East homophobia by not traveling there or on their airlines, as you do. First, I am happy for you standing up for your principles. However, just because Ben has not chosen to boycott Middle Eastern airlines or countries doesn't make his calling out the racist/sexist passengers on his flight any less important. Every time someone stands against intolerance, it's a good thing, even if they haven't stood against every example they are exposed to.
you people are all wrong spirit is not that bad, the seats are okay, the service is good, the planes are new, the only things that are bad is they charge for checked bags and carry ons, no free drinks, i tell them i need water for my medicine, who can refuse that? i think that is against the law to do that
@Daniel
Ben is a (talented) airline blogger, columnist and consultant. It may be his passion but it's also his JOB. Whatever his preferences, tastes, orientations and political / society views, there is no reason they should interfere with what he does for a living. In my view, your post not only makes no sense but it also jeopardizes his ability to keep doing what he does best, even possibly his safety when travelling. Not Good !
" Quite a few had mullets, and I hadn’t seen those in a while."
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seats Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pPhDvxFu7Y
Hang on, Ben. Do not let yourself be judged for "characterizing the average Spirit passenger", you are right on the dot if the following (true) anecdote is an indication:
About a year ago, attending a trade reception sponsored by Spirit, I received (like everyone else, it was "a lottery where everybody wins") a voucher for a "Free" Spirit ticket. Only the base fare was free, which augured well for them to make a profit when...
Hang on, Ben. Do not let yourself be judged for "characterizing the average Spirit passenger", you are right on the dot if the following (true) anecdote is an indication:
About a year ago, attending a trade reception sponsored by Spirit, I received (like everyone else, it was "a lottery where everybody wins") a voucher for a "Free" Spirit ticket. Only the base fare was free, which augured well for them to make a profit when the voucher was used. The voucher was good for a year.
I had no intention of using it, so during the past year I have offered it for free to anybody who wished, friends, relations, colleagues, my (very) nice cleaning lady, the painter who fixed a mess I did on a wall, building employees, even the newspaper man on the corner. NOBODY wanted it... and I do not live in a bubble, far from it.
Which leads me to ask "Who are the Spirit passengers?" The airline is still around, so obviously they exist.
@jig
if ben were truly a champion of the cause would he spend so much time in the middle east where they hate gays and want to kill them and might even kill them, i am outwardly gay, and i want to go middle east so bad, but will not go because of their attitudes towards gays
so if he really wants to stand up and fight for our gay rights as normal humans he will not go to middle east nor will he fly middle east carriers, do you agree?
@daniel
What does being working class or sitting in first or economy have to do with calling out people for being racist or sexist? Nobody said anything about indicating all Trump supporters are bad people. Ben provided a link that explained the racist meaning of the s-word, and the c-word is a curse word aimed at women. And racist isn't a 'fancy' word, everyone knows its meaning.
Standing against hateful attitudes towards different races or...
@daniel
What does being working class or sitting in first or economy have to do with calling out people for being racist or sexist? Nobody said anything about indicating all Trump supporters are bad people. Ben provided a link that explained the racist meaning of the s-word, and the c-word is a curse word aimed at women. And racist isn't a 'fancy' word, everyone knows its meaning.
Standing against hateful attitudes towards different races or gender is the right thing to do. Doing so has nothing to do with anyone's level of wealth or anything else used to divide people.
"I’m happy that Spirit Airlines makes flying more accessible, and that’s in everyone’s best interest."
..."the lady came running up to her husband and said “that [n-word] tried to move my bag in the overhead bin. I’m also sitting next to a [certain s-word].”
..."A few minutes later I heard someone use the c-word"
Not the best argument.
@Debit
Like our current president, you seem to be indicating equivalence between things that are not. You asked about people judging Ben for being gay (not an abhorrent attitude) as if that were equivalent to the other passengers being racist and sexist (abhorrent attitudes). Unless one considers being gay an abhorrent attitude, which would indicate homophobia and not accepting/understanding the biological basis of homosexuality.
Racist attitudes are already having massive consequences across the country, not...
@Debit
Like our current president, you seem to be indicating equivalence between things that are not. You asked about people judging Ben for being gay (not an abhorrent attitude) as if that were equivalent to the other passengers being racist and sexist (abhorrent attitudes). Unless one considers being gay an abhorrent attitude, which would indicate homophobia and not accepting/understanding the biological basis of homosexuality.
Racist attitudes are already having massive consequences across the country, not just Charlottesville (I suggest Propublica's Documenting Hate articles for background). Let's please not keep going down that path for everyone's sake.
i think most of you people are being racist or one of those fancy words to the people of spirit airlines, remember people YOU ARE NO BETTER OR WORSE THAN THEM, IF YOU TAKE ONE OF THESE FANCY AIRLINES, AND SIT IN THE FIRST CLASS, MOST AMERICANS ARE WORKING STIFFS, WORKING CLASS PEOPLES.
Lucky/ben please quit judging people, i hear the N word all the time, from africans to each other so what is the...
i think most of you people are being racist or one of those fancy words to the people of spirit airlines, remember people YOU ARE NO BETTER OR WORSE THAN THEM, IF YOU TAKE ONE OF THESE FANCY AIRLINES, AND SIT IN THE FIRST CLASS, MOST AMERICANS ARE WORKING STIFFS, WORKING CLASS PEOPLES.
Lucky/ben please quit judging people, i hear the N word all the time, from africans to each other so what is the big deal, what is the s word? what is the c word?? i am not familiar to those
i think as a gay man, ben you would not be so judgmental in your observance of other people and maybe you would be a little more lenient of people,
and to say all people that like trump are bad people, or whatever the comment was is terrible
please people be a little more tolerant, maybe they are right that the people who really say they are tolerant, are not tolerant at all
i am a 50 year old gay neither liberal or conservative and can see the good and bad in both sides
Man, I can't even try to imagine what a Omaha to Kansas City flight would be like!
+1 James. William Shatner did a cover of Common People that is phenomenal
A few months ago on a United flight from IAH to XXX, I started noticing that the pax were a bit unclean, rude, surly and lacked basic manners. Quite a few had mullets, and I hadn't seen those in a while. I understand that UA is now a bottom feeder airline, and this was the first time I actually noticed that the pax were fitting the new "bottom feeder" description. Later I was informed by...
A few months ago on a United flight from IAH to XXX, I started noticing that the pax were a bit unclean, rude, surly and lacked basic manners. Quite a few had mullets, and I hadn't seen those in a while. I understand that UA is now a bottom feeder airline, and this was the first time I actually noticed that the pax were fitting the new "bottom feeder" description. Later I was informed by the pax sitting next to me (who btw was a 40 something female who was missing quite a few teeth on the top row) that Spirit had cancelled a few flights out of IAH and had put the pax on UA. Let's just say that the flight was interesting. Many of these pax could not be controlled during the entire flight.
Ben - Buzzballs is made by a diverse-owned supplier and I know the owner. PM me via facebook or here if I can connect you, Thanks.
I have never flown spirit and hopfuelly never will though in my opionI wouldn't really care about the pitch food etc I just would have hated passengers like that I probably would have said something so I guess getting good passengers on spirit is like the lotto an Lucky you didn't win
Lucky did you find that they were judging you for being gay as much you were judging them for who they were?
I am really trying to understand the spirit crowd. I already understand the fake liberal crowd.
They don charge extra for a sunset . Isn't it $5 more for a window seat ?
Well, I'm not sure that it is fair to stereotype Spirit's customers based upon one anecdotal experience.
As someone who is openly gay, I'm surprised that you have done so, as I think you would be offended if someone did so based upon one sub-optimal experience with someone from the LGBT community.
I've never flown Spirit. The seat pitch issue doesn't bother me nor does the nature of the passengers who fly with them. I've...
Well, I'm not sure that it is fair to stereotype Spirit's customers based upon one anecdotal experience.
As someone who is openly gay, I'm surprised that you have done so, as I think you would be offended if someone did so based upon one sub-optimal experience with someone from the LGBT community.
I've never flown Spirit. The seat pitch issue doesn't bother me nor does the nature of the passengers who fly with them. I've flown with many mainstream domestic and international carriers and have been subject to many rude, crude, and inconsiderate fellow passengers. My concern is about what might happen as a result of irregular operations, whether that might be weather, labor, or mechanical related difficulties.
@ Ron -- I'm not suggesting all Spirit passengers are a single way, and I'm also not trying to base anything off my one anecdotal experience. However, there's no denying that a disproportionate number of stories that we hear about fights breaking out on planes involve Spirit. I'm not sure what you want to call that, but I think it's real. Southwest is a much bigger airline than Spirit, yet Spirit seems to outrank them...
@ Ron -- I'm not suggesting all Spirit passengers are a single way, and I'm also not trying to base anything off my one anecdotal experience. However, there's no denying that a disproportionate number of stories that we hear about fights breaking out on planes involve Spirit. I'm not sure what you want to call that, but I think it's real. Southwest is a much bigger airline than Spirit, yet Spirit seems to outrank them 10 to one when it comes to inflight disturbances.
"...so much racism or bad language as on this flight."
You were like Jarvis Cocker from Pulp singing Common People....
Thank you Ben for the report and great find. I had no idea Spirit has those Big Front Seats.
I actually think they are of amazing value for longer flights and anyone who has no status with other airlines. I just had a look. They have a 5 hours cross country LAX-BWI, which is:
$68.10 - fare
$35.00 - carry on
$65.00 - Big Front Seat
= $168.10 for a cross...
Thank you Ben for the report and great find. I had no idea Spirit has those Big Front Seats.
I actually think they are of amazing value for longer flights and anyone who has no status with other airlines. I just had a look. They have a 5 hours cross country LAX-BWI, which is:
$68.10 - fare
$35.00 - carry on
$65.00 - Big Front Seat
= $168.10 for a cross country in a first class seat (minus service) + priority boarding. That's a steal!
If you don't have a status you can pay $100-129 to fly direct UA (which must be basic economy, so the same Spirit experience with no way out, so basically worse), VX or AS. Then you'll stuck in the very back (or have to pay to pick even a standard seat in front) and anyway have to pay for a checked bag or priority boarding.
********During boarding the lady came running up to her husband and said “that [n-word] tried to move my bag in the overhead bin. I’m also sitting next to a [certain s-word].” I was floored.
A few minutes later I heard someone use the c-word, though I didn’t catch the context of that. Just wow…***************
It sounds as if the entire plane was on its way to a Trumptard rally. Racist=Trumptard Luckily they had to check thair assault rifles and handguns..
The credit card companies should be fighting tooth-and-nail to get the Spirit Airlines contract. Their customers are the ideal customer for credit cards.
Not sure if you noticed but only the front row of the big front seats recline. Rows 2 and 3 do not. I learned that the hard way.
Speaking of taking a red eye on Spirit out of Las Vegas on a Sunday, I did just that in December from LAS to BWI. I deliberately flew Spirit even though other airlines were cheaper because at the time Spirit was the only airline with a red-eye between LAS and the DC area. I know you like to avoid redeyes, but I value them since I can actually sleep in coach and this was just...
Speaking of taking a red eye on Spirit out of Las Vegas on a Sunday, I did just that in December from LAS to BWI. I deliberately flew Spirit even though other airlines were cheaper because at the time Spirit was the only airline with a red-eye between LAS and the DC area. I know you like to avoid redeyes, but I value them since I can actually sleep in coach and this was just a weekend trip, allowing me to spend Sunday at the Grand Canyon instead of in transit.
It was my third flight ever with Spirit. The passengers were fine, very quiet, perhaps because everyone was tired at the late time for the flight. The flight was delayed an hour due to a late incoming aircraft. Then, when we were supposed to board, they canceled the flight abruptly and told people to go to the check-in counter outside security to rebook. I ran out of the terminal to the check in counter so I would be first to rebook before the huge disgruntled crowd arrived to the line with only two Spirit agents.
I was told that the only rebooking option would be the same flight Monday night 24 hours later. That included considering connecting options. That flight was nearly full when they rebooked me, and I was just the first person to rebook! Can't imagine what happened to the other passengers that got stranded multiples days in LAS. Spirit put me up in a hotel in Vegas and gave me food vouchers that were just $7 a meal. And they provided passengers with an offer of a measly $50 "we're sorry" voucher for Spirit, which can only be used for the fare portion of a ticket and not taxes or fees.
Also, Spirit told me that the flight was canceled because the crew timed out, and they didn't have replacement crew. They knew this was going to happen well in advance but they still didn't cancel the flight until delaying it a while first.
I have to go back to Vegas for a weekend in September. Frontier is starting a competing redeye LAS-IAD, so now we'll see what that's like instead of Spirit. Again, taking a redeye is really necessary, otherwise other options are available.
If you ever take a morning flight, you should try Spirit's coffee. For airline coffee, it's actually quite decent and is way better than, for example, what AA serves.
You do touch one of the things that I've noticed: charging for carry-ons and drinks makes for fast boarding and almost instant service.
The crowd from DFW, by the way, isn't anything like what you experienced except that the business traveler quotient is always zero even...
If you ever take a morning flight, you should try Spirit's coffee. For airline coffee, it's actually quite decent and is way better than, for example, what AA serves.
You do touch one of the things that I've noticed: charging for carry-ons and drinks makes for fast boarding and almost instant service.
The crowd from DFW, by the way, isn't anything like what you experienced except that the business traveler quotient is always zero even on flights to LGA. For a reason, obviously.
Hilarious! I can't stand them because of the Ma and Pa Kettles that fly them. FYI Spirit is planning to get wifi in the near future, it's one of the new CEO's talking points.
Thanks Lucky.
I've always wondered what a Big Front Seat flight would be like. Now I know...without having to give up a single flight on the AA EQM gerbil-wheel.
And to think, American Airlines was about to have seat pitch of 29" on some of their flights, but for consumers speaking out.
They wonder why then we speak against the plastic door surcharge on Delta lol...
WOW Ben. You SPLURGED on that Spirit flight!
Anyways, to put things in perspective: these seats up front have more pitch than American Airlines does on their new A319s, particularly the bulkhead.