Spirit believes travelers should only be required to pay for what they use. That's why a ticket only covers gas, and no extras are provided. If you print your pass at home, bring one personal item (16"x14"x12"), and allow the airline to choose your seat upon check-in, then your ticket is the only spending you'll be doing. If you want some of the traditional extras, however, there are still some ways for you to be satisfied. For instance, there is an in-flight menu with snacks and drinks, ranging in price from $1-$15, to quench any cravings that may creep up. Spirit offers Pringles, M&M's, chips and salsa, and other tasty snack options. The beverage menu consists of soft drinks, juices, bottled water, hot drinks and plenty of alcoholic beverages as well. Upgrading to a Big Front Seat, which offers greater space and more legroom than their standard seats, is another way passengers can spend a little extra to ensure optimum comfort. With several ways to earn miles and receive exclusive travel deals, Spirit is eager to reward their loyal consumers. With three membership offers, travelers are sure to find a rewards program best suited for their specific traveling needs. -Free Spirit is Spirit's free-to-join membership program. Members earn frequent flier miles on Spirit flights, and flights with partner airlines, and receive special updates and offers. -$9 Fare Club has an annual enrollment fee of $59.99. This membership offers the lowest fares, exclusive access to discounted fares and vacation packages and up to 50% off checked bags compared to paying at the airport. (It should be noted that this membership automatically renews at the end of the initial contract period for a fee of $69.95 unless cancelled before date of termination.) -Spirit World Mastercard is another great option for frequent Spirit fliers. Cardholders earn double miles on everyday purchases, which means two miles for every dollar spent, and also receive 15,000 bonus miles after the first purchase. Another great feature of this card is that miles do not expire with monthly card use. An additional useful feature Spirit offers is travel insurance, which is offered through Travel Guard. The charge for a Domestic Itinerary is 5% of the total reservation price with a $14 minimum; the charge for an International Itinerary is 5.5% of the total reservation price with a $16 minimum; the charge for a Vacation Package Itinerary is 6.5% of total reservation price with a $25 minimum. Specific quotations, including exact coverage and pricing, can be obtained from the travel guard website.

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The Bad

In-flight services
Destinations
On-time percentage

Although it makes sense in order to honor their desire to provide the lowest fees possible for consumers, passengers may still feel dissatisfied with the lack of amenities provided by the airline. No in-flight entertainment, no Wi-Fi availability, crammed seating, snacks and beverages available for purchase only may promote uncomfortable, un-entertaining travel conditions. Even though the 50 destinations Spirit flies to does include some world-class locations-including Las Vegas, San Diego, Montreal, New York, St. Thomas, San Salvador and Mexico City-the fact remains: 50 destinations just isn't very many. It won't be unheard of for potential passengers to give their business to another airline simply because Spirit is unable to fly to their desired destination. Punctuality is one of the most important qualities of a reliable airline. That said, Spirit arrived on time with only 58% success between May 15, 2015 and July 15, 2015. Whether flying for an important business conference or a much-needed family getaway, passengers should be able to trust that their flights will depart on time.

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The Bottom Line

Determine your priorities. Spirit Airlines is a great option if you won't miss the freebies, can pack super light and are most concerned with getting a low-priced fare. However, individuals who are willing to spend a little bit more at another airline are likely to find their money was well spent. It won't be difficult to find a fairly priced carrier offering more amenities, flying to more destinations, and proving on-time reliability.

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User Reviews

Star Rating

3.1

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70 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

19%

4 grade

23%

3 grade

24%

2 grade

11%

1 grade

23%

Sentiment Criteria

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Roger Jones Diamondhead, MS

compared to other airlines, there airplane cabins seemed older. for example some planes had wore seats, wore pieces etc. Seemed some of their planes were 10 years older than the bigger airlines. BUT, wow you save money. So you want to save money, this is the airline. You literally get what you pay for.

7 years ago

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Rachel Bahl Rochester, MN

Spirit isn't too bad for the amount you pay. Although, the very first time we flew with them, our flight out of minneapolis was delayed by almost 5 hours. We were later told that delayed flights were pretty common for Spirit...

8 years ago

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Ariyana Miller Riverview, FL

The planes frequently get overbooked which results in them asking people to give up their seats. Not sure how they allow this but it can be very frustrating. The flight itself is also very rough which makes it hard to unwind.

6 years ago

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katiec Provo, UT

Great price, but not great service. As a college student, I love flying spirit airlines because of the cheap price. However, they charge a ton for every extra fee they can, the service is not great, and the plane seems less safe than normal planes.

8 years ago

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Erin Rhoton Pleasant Grove, UT

I do not flying Spirit Airlines even though it is SO cheap! You have to pay for every additional thing (bags, seats, drinks, etc.) and it adds up. The service isn’t great but if you need a SUPER cheap ticket, it is probably the cheapest.

8 years ago

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Zabsanti Silverhill, AL

Even though spirit offers extremely cheap flights, their quality and their service is very poor. I also don't like How I have to pay extra for carry on.

6 years ago

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K.S.

Didn't like the tightness with leg room. It's so cramped. Also, the price of carryon is astronomical compare to the other airlines.

6 years ago

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Hayley Lambdin Orem, UT

They have cheap flights but their customer service sucks and you have zero perks in flight. They are also crazy about carry on baggage.

8 years ago

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Karen Torino Tallahassee, FL

The planes are small and they're okay if you are flying domestically, but they can get uncomfortable for a long ride. Cheap flights too, but they're nothing crazy.

6 years ago

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Teresa LeBaron Lake Villa, IL

Inexpensive flights but not a whole lot of room in the plane. Plus lots of extra fees that can add up quickly. Great for a short flight with only a personal item.

7 years ago

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Starski Cene Vienna, VA

Good price at a cost Pros: - Cheap flights Cons: - Everything is unbundled, they charge fees for every little service - Customer service is average at best

7 years ago

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Kristin G Pleasant Grove, UT

I flew this airline once from Las Vegas to California because the flight was very very cheap. We were delayed over three hours and I will never fly with them again .

8 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Joseph

fair fair prices and easy to get on and off the plane could have better rates and drop the price per seat chosen

7 years ago

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Holly Brown Saint Amant, LA

great price, but bare bones packages are why it is so cheap. would recommend if used to flying, but new flyers should pick something else

6 years ago

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Ana LaBorde Norcross, GA

I appreciated the cheap flight, but I did feel a bit unsafe. We almost took off with the luggage compartment open.

6 years ago

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Amanda Montebello, CA

When I flew spirit, the lower cost of the airfare was great but it also matched the comfort and quality.

6 years ago

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Oksana masi Tallahassee, FL

Spirit is getting better, they have some bigger planes which are cozier than the smaller ones

6 years ago