Is it time to reconsider Spirit Airlines?

If you’re chatting with a group of travelers and Spirit Airlines comes up, someone will probably tell a story about a previous Spirit flight. And at least in my experience, the story often involves a delay, cancellation, or other negative memory.

Of course, we are more likely to remember and recount negative experiences. And I also have a negative experience about Spirit Airlines that I want to share. The last time I flew Spirit Airlines – in 2021 to hear the story about How I visited Disney World on a budget – I had to deal with long lines at the Spirit check-in counter in Orlando and communication delays.

But Spirit now has a relatively new fleet and strong on-time performance and believes it is offering one of the best values ​​in the skies. My husband and I happened to chat with an upbeat Spirit Airlines employee at the Business Travel Awards in Miami just a few days later. Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This employee’s optimism and excitement about Spirit’s future led us to visit Spirit headquarters in Dania Beach, Florida, a few weeks later to interview Rana Ghosh, senior vice president and chief transformation officer. Spirit Airlines.

This discussion and what I learned about the current state of the airline and Free Spirit Program while preparing for the interview, made me wonder – especially given the current situation Challenging mental state match – whether it’s time to reconsider Spirit Airlines and its Free Spirit program. Here’s what I’m thinking.

New fare types and easier booking links

Spirit introduced the Big Front Seat in 2007 as a rebrand from Spirit Plus. So Spirit flyers have long had the opportunity to purchase a wider seat with a higher altitude. But Spirit just introduced new faresincluding guaranteed Go Comfy fares with blocked middle seats.

A blocked middle seat sounds appealing and will make your flight more comfortable. But it’s important to remember that the Go Comfy chair doesn’t have extra height. Based on Aerolopa dataThe Go Comfy chair only has a height of 28 inches. That’s 9 inches smaller than the 37 inches typically available for Large Front Seats and 7 inches smaller than the 35 inches offered in most Spirit exit row seats.

Ghosh notes that Go Comfy seating is similar to what many European airlines offer in business class on short flights. He emphasized this was a relatively easy product for Spirit to create and said Spirit is very pleased with its performance to date.

Spirit now has four distinct fare classes — including premium options Go Comfy and Go Big — Ghosh highlights the airline’s products that can appeal to each type of traveler and for each specific trip. He also noted that travelers will soon start to see Go Comfy and Go Big fares show up as premium fares through online travel agencies, so travelers can compare better. these products compare to what other airlines offer.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the path to booking is much easier now than it was a few years ago. Especially if you choose Go Comfy or Go Big fares, you won’t see many opportunities to tack on extra costs. However, if you choose a Go or Go Savvy fare, Ghosh says much of the booking process, where you have the opportunity to add items, informs consumers about what they won’t get for the price. my ticket and how much will it cost? the cost to add additional services.

Prices are sometimes surprisingly low

Whether you book with cash or Free Spirit points, the prices were surprisingly low for some of the dates and routes I searched. This is true even if you want to book a Go Comfy or Go Big ticket. For example, I could pay $33 for a Go fare, $62 for a Go Savvy fare, $78 for a Go Comfy fare, or $98 for a Go Big fare for a sample nonstop flight from Atlanta to Orlando in February.

Or I can redeem 2,500 points for a Travel ticket on this flight. If I want to book a Go Savvy, Go Comfy, or Go Big ticket, I can only pay an additional $29, $45, or $65. These payments are equal to the price difference in the fare paid.

The $62 — or 2,500 points plus $29 — Go Savvy fare will get me one personal item, choice of seat, and a checked bag or carry-on, which is all I need. However, with an additional purchase cost of $16 for a Go Comfy fare that guarantees me a blocked middle seat or $36 for a Large Front Seat, I’ll want to book one of these higher fares to ensure there’s more room.

Even on more expensive routes, the extra purchase cost between Go Savvy and Go Comfy or Go Big isn’t bad. For example, on a flight between Atlanta and Orlando in March — a time of higher demand — the cost difference between Go Savvy and Go Comfy was $46, while the difference between Go Savvy and Go Big was $71.

Related: Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights

More flexibility with no change or cancellation fees

Spirit quietly improved its change and cancellation policy in May 2024. These changes make me more likely to book a flight with Spirit.

If you cancel your reservation for a Spirit flight seven days or more away within 24 hours of booking, you may receive a full refund using your original form of payment. Otherwise, you may receive a booking credit for the value of your booking if you cancel at least one hour before your flight’s scheduled departure.

When you book on the Spirit website, you can use your booking credit to pay for your ticket, baggage, seat, fees and taxes. Any guest associated with the original booking can use the credit. And you don’t have to use the entire booking amount for one booking as you can use the remaining amount for subsequent bookings. Booking credits issued after May 20, 2024 are valid for one year, but booking credits issued due to flight cancellations or schedule changes are valid for 5 years.

You can also change your flight online up to one hour before scheduled departure time. However, when making changes, you must pay any difference between the original booked fare and the new fare.

These Changes and cancellation policy surprisingly consumer-friendly, especially when compared to the underlying economic policies of most major US airlines. I like to keep my options open, so I rarely book tickets that can’t be canceled for free.

Related: How to refund non-refundable air tickets

Spirit’s route map might be right for you

If you live in or regularly travel to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Orlando International Airport (MCO), or Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), you may find Spirit Airlines regularly delivering Nonstop service to domestic and regional destinations you want to visit.

Additionally, Spirit operates multiple flights to and from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Federal Airport George Bush Continental Airport (IAH), Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Miami International Airport (MIA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). So if you regularly fly to or from these airports, Spirit is worth considering.

But even if you don’t plan to fly Spirit regularly, the airline may still be worth a try if it offers attractive flight options at reasonable prices. As I grew older, I started to prefer reservations direct flight when they are available. And especially with Spirit’s friendly cancellation policy and new fare types, I’m more willing than ever to give Spirit another chance.

Related: Spirit Airlines cuts 24 routes, adds 7 more in latest network reform

You can try Spirit with the current status challenge

One awkward topic that came up when talking to Ghosh was the negative experiences many travelers have had with Spirit. He and the airline knew they had to invest in educating the traveling public about what Spirit offers today in terms of products, service and quality. Additionally, they must rebuild brand sentiment, especially among travelers who have previously had negative experiences with the airline.

The airline is trying to accomplish both goals through state matching challenge. This status comparison challenge is only open to elite members of other domestic airlines, as Spirit is most interested in encouraging these travelers to try its current services and products.

Through this status comparison challenge, qualified travelers can receive 90 days of Silver or Gold Free Spirit status and the opportunity to extend their status through the end of 2025 if they earn some Specific Soul qualifying points for 90 days through flights or spending on the Free Spirit® Travel more around the world Elite Mastercard®.

Information about the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

One negative if you don’t often travel alone is that Free Spirit elite benefits are only available to status holders. While other airlines often extend benefits to at least one companion, this is not the case with Spirit.

Additionally, many of the benefits of Free Spirit Gold status won’t be very useful if you buy more than the price of a Go ticket. That means you may have less reason to book a higher fare class if you have Free Spirit Gold status. Finally, Free Spirit Gold members can choose an exit row seat when booking and receive priority check-in, first free checked bag, free carry-on bag, and snacks and free drinks on board.

Related: Key tools and tips to find the cheapest airline tickets

Bottom line

by TPG Summer hull And Zach Griff tried Spirit Airlines in recent years and shared their experiences. Summer is so happy, her canceled his first class ticket home on a Spirit Airlines flightwhile Zach shared thinking about flying in the Spirit Big Front Seat.

Especially when some tourists deliberately decide to free agentI hope more travelers will find Spirit’s new fare classes more appealing. Booking a Go Comfy seat with a guaranteed middle seat or a Go Big seat with more width and pitch for just a modest surcharge will appeal to some travelers – especially if Spirit offers the trip. fly directly on the route they want to fly.