I’ve flown with Spirit Airlines a couple of times before and I plan on using them again in the future. I will let you know my opinion and a few ways to deal with the shortcomings of a budget airline.
Before I jump in, I will let you know that I’m not a very large person. I’m 5’2″ and I will not tell my weight, a woman never tells her weight. But I’m not a very large person. So I was comfortable the entire time. My children were also very comfortable. They both slept to and from our destination as soon as the plane took off. They did not wake up until it was time to land. My husband is 5’10” and about 180lbs. and even he was comfortable for the flight.
I love flying with Spirit. They get you from A to B with no problem. They don’t break the bank (especially for families that have to multiply the cost of an airline ticket). And I’ve never experienced poor customer service while flying with them.
There are always drawbacks dealing with a budget carrier and Spirit is no different.
1. Seat recline… There is none.
None at all. So if you know you deal with some type of back, hip, or leg pain. This is something you’re going to want to compensate for.
There are “Big Front Seats,” which have more cushion and leg room. There are also emergency row seats which have more leg room to move and stretc. If you know you have issues with this, prepare and bring some type of pillow, heat pad, or have some pain meds available.
2. Neck support
So you already know that the seats don’t recline. But you also need to understand that there’s little to no neck support. So if you can sit up straight for hours, then great! This won’t be an issue for you. But if you can’t, I want you to prepare yourself.
Bring some type of neck pillow. They sell them in the airports, but they will be the most expensive there. Buy your neck pillow before you get to the airport. They can be as cheap as $10 or less. They will come in handy, not only for your neck, but also as an armrest or back pillow, if needed.
3. No entertainment
No entertainment is another result of it being a budget airline. So prepare yourself ahead of time. Have something ready.
There’s no wi-fi, either. So when I say prepare yourself, what I mean is, have what you need, already downloaded, before you board your plane. Or you can have a physical version of what you need. Audiobooks, real books, music playlists, videos, movies, shows, etc… Have it all downloaded before you board the plane.
4. Food
They have snacks and some food available to buy. But you will want to have something on your stomach and at least a bottle of water before you get on.
The food and drinks aren’t cheap but they’re not completely unreasonable. They will not be serving you any meals during the plane ride. So if you get hungry or thirsty, you will need to have, specifically, a credit card ready.
5. PACK LIGHT
When you ride Spirit Airlines, they will charge you for everything extra, including your luggage. That means checked bags and carry-ons will get charged. Now if you are trying to save money by flying Spirit, it defeats the purpose to make yourself pay for luggage. What I mean by that, is not to get mad and leave Spirit… but get smart and take advantage of what they made available to you.
Under-seat luggage, this actually deserves and will get a completely separated post but to keep things short and sweet…
Get what’s called under-seat luggage. They will look like this. This doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. This bag here costs about $30-40 bucks! That’s not a lot to invest in traveling light and getting cheap flights. It’s about half of what you’d pay for checked or carry-on luggage to go 1-way! Try to roll your clothes and practice packing before you go, if you have no experience packing light. Another way to fit more in a small space is to try vacuum seal (or air compression) travel bags. They have some that you roll the air out and it makes it airtight. Also, try packing cubes. Rolling, airtight bags, and cubes will make packing light so much easier!
These were only a few tips for flying with Spirit Airlines or any budget carrier. Budget carriers have opened so many doors for more people to see the world. But with everything comes with advantages and disadvantages. Make the advantages work for YOU!
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