An Honest Review of Spirit Airlines (from a Southwest A-List Member)

I actually wrote this post on my phone while on the plane ride home on Spirit, mainly because I didn’t want to get my laptop out of my bag and wanted to write while it was still fresh in my mind. I hope you enjoy!

For as much as I usually love it, January lasted approximately 800 years this year and I needed an escape. What I did not need, however, was to put more money on my credit card when I’m really hoping to pay off my car this year.

Enter Spirit Airlines.

My parents winter (yes, that’s a verb) in Marco Island, FL so I decided to go visit them. When I searched on Kayak, I was flabbergasted to see a round trip flight from BWI to RSW (the closest airport to Marco) for $60.

$60. Round trip. Yes please.

Being a major Southwest loyalist (and A-List member, thank you very much), I felt like I was cheating on a lover. Ok, that’s a slight exaggeration. But, $60 for a RT flight sounded too good to pass up, so I was OK with a little cheating because taking Southwest to RSW would have cost me roughly $400 because it was so last minute. Love ya, SW, but no.

So, I booked it through the Sprit website,

which proceeded to ask me upwards of ten times if I wanted to purchase every add-on that you can possibly imagine. Want to bring a bag on board? That’ll be $30. Priority boarding? (see below) $6 more! You want to print your boarding pass at the airport? $10 (not kidding) Oh, you thought the oxygen is free? Think again! Ok, kidding about the oxygen, but they seriously tried to get you on just about everything!

I left early early on a Thursday morning to arrive at BWI in time for my 7:25 AM flight. The terminal that Spirit uses is not the same as Southwest, so I was very discombobulated being over there. Fortunately it was much less crowded than my usual Southwest terminal, so security was a breeze.

I got to the gate.

And here is where it gets interesting.

You know how I said that it was $30 for a carry on? Well, they were not kidding, and that policy is strictly enforced. Like, they had multiple grouchy people standing near gate check in to make sure everyone, and I mean everyone, is following the rules. You may have ONE personal item with you. If you have a purse and a backpack, you’d better pray to the packing gods that that purse fits in that backpack or you’re paying 30 very annoying dollars. Several people were plucked from line and forced to pay $30, but not this lady! When I pay $60 for a RT flight, I’m paying $60 for a RT flight.

I opted to not choose my own seat at check in time ($10), so I was randomly placed in 16D, an aisle seat. I had a nice, thin couple next to me (not fat-shaming here, but small seats + large people = not a good combination) and we were off. The seats were fine. They were nothing special, nothing awful.

Before takeoff the pilot stood in front of the plane to greet us all and joked that it was his first time flying.

Nice touch, but it wasn’t even 7:30 in the morning and I personally wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

Now, as I said, it was an early morning flight and I have never been much of a morning person. Coffee helps, but, if given the choice between sleeping/lounging and talking to strangers first thing in the morning, I’d always choose the latter. People dozed off, I sipped my coffee and read Jane Eyre. It was quiet. Things were good.

Until about an hour in to our flight..

“Wakey wakey, shakey shakey,” said an overly-caffeinated flight attendant on the loud speaker.

“Is this a joke?” I said aloud, to be answered by chuckles from my seat neighbors

The flight attendant then proceeded to lead the non-complaining passengers with “airplane yoga” and peddled a Spirit credit card before parading down the aisle not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES, repeating, “Snacks and drinks for purchase?”

Still no.

She then, by the Grace of God, was quiet for the rest of the trip.

We arrived safely and on time. For as much as an interesting experience as it all was, getting there safe and punctual is really all that matters, especially when we’re talking a $60 RT flight.

Did I mention that I paid only $60 for a RT flights?

Getting off the plane was a bit of an adventure. Because Spirit tends to attract a clientele of non-frequent flyers, let’s just say that I’m glad I had had my coffee and wasn’t in a particular hurry.

Final thoughts.

Would I fly Spirit Airlines again? Yes, especially if I can see my family for a quick jaunt for less than it would cost for a nice dinner out. However, the convenience that Southwest offers really can’t be beat. Because I’m A-List, I can stand by for any flight same-day for free and I love it. I can also cancel flights without penalty and board planes before non-status holders. With Spirit, it’s al a gamble. Because my flight was so inexpensive, I was OK with losing $60 if something came up.

As far as the objectively-annoying jokes and activities go, Spirit is not, and will never be, Southwest.

I will also say, at the risk of sounding perhaps snobbish, that I smelled cigarette smoke on my fellow passengers on both directions of my flight. I had never had that experience in other airlines and I didn’t love it on Spirit. You get what you pay for, I suppose.