As a college student coming from a middle-class background, I’m not really living a glamorous life, but I’ve been in enough airplanes to know what a good airline company is, and honestly, Spirit Airlines wouldn’t be put in that category.
According to their website, they started out in 1964 as Clippert Trucking Company. In 1974, they added airplanes to the mix and developed into Ground Air Transfer, Inc. They’ve come a long way from switching name to name until they changed their flying status from commercial to passenger in 1992, while also adopting their current title: Spirit Airlines.
Though Spirit came from humble beginnings, they actually stayed that way! If you know anything about this company, you’d know their mantra is “ultra-low cost carrier.” Unsurprisingly, there’s a reason they’re able to market it as such! The fares may be cheap but they charge you for everything.
A passenger is allowed one free “personal item” and anything larger than 18 x 14 x 8 inches gets charged an extra fee, starting at $30. The maximum size for a carry-on is 22 x 18 x 10 inches. Of course they prefer if you pay while booking, but don’t worry if you didn’t plan in advance, they conveniently have it set up so you can pay during check-in or at the gate. Then, for each boarding pass printed at the airport, they’ll charge $10.
This will sound pretentious, but there is nothing to do on the flight, so make sure you bring a book or something that doesn’t require Wi-Fi. I finished “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson on the way to Florida, so I played solitaire for three hours on the way back. I am able to say it wasn’t a bad time, but it is comparable to my time on JetBlue where I was able to watch the plane’s progress and see a movie.
I’m known for getting nosebleeds and my nose did not fail me when I was halfway through my flight to Fort Myers. Squished in the window seat with blood rushing out of my nose, the man next to me was very kind and was able to get me tissues. While I was cleaning some of the blood off my hands, he turned to me and said, “[tissues are] one of the few things Spirit does not charge for.” After having a good chuckle with the old man, the stewardess came and offered refreshments. On the way to Florida, I didn’t bring water on the plane but it’s against my core principles to pay $3 for water—anywhere. Luckily, Cape Coral, FL has almost as many Dunkins down there as up on the South Shore; I was not thirsty for long after I landed and was picked up by my best friend.
Back to Spirit Airlines. . . I will only recommend Spirit if you are in a tight bind money-wise, but you definitely need to be smart about this decision. Plan ahead and make sure everything fits. Pro tip: They actually didn’t test if my luggage fit inside the little metal box that shows whether or not you need to actually pay for a carry-on. Safe travels everyone and research your airline!