Budget airlines like Spirit did disrupt the air travel industry by adopting new ways of doing business and making flights affordable.
You can pretty much pay $20 for a flight from Los Angeles to Orlando on Spirit Airlines, but you may ponder what is the reason behind that and why is Spirit airlines so cheap?
Here is why.
Spirit Airlines flights are cheap because they charge only for the flight, and you won’t get other services unless you pay for them, like a carry-on bag, change the seat, have a meal or watch inflight entertainment.
So the fact is that they are not cheap in the way we think, they just give the option to the passenger to choose whether they want to pay for other service or not.
That ticket of $20 could become $120.
A sneaky airline.
Let’s dive in more and look at the reasons in more detail.
How Spirit Airlines Lower Their Prices Compared To Other Airlines?
One of the main reasons Spirit Airlines or any other ultra-low-cost flights are cheap is that they cut off all the amenities and other services.
For example United offered two pieces of luggage for free, while Spirit Airlines allows only one personal item for free and you have to pay for a carry-on bag.
You need also to pay to get food, drinks and to select your preferred seat.
It is like customizing a car with minimal accessories, and if you want a complete car with advanced amenities you will need to fork out some extra cash.
In the backend Spirit Airlines saves money also with selling most of the tickets online, which saves them the hassle of paper work and paying for travel agents.
Here are some of the key reasons why Spirit Airlines flights are low-priced.
Select a seat : Spirit do not give passenger the ability to select the seat unless they pay for it, and they will encourage you to select a seat, and if you want to choose your seat you will need to pay extra, if you don’t they will automatically assign a random seat for you, so It’s a bit of a gamble if you don’t pay for a seat.
Take a full size carry-on or checked bag: Spirit Airlines d o allow only one personal item free of charge, and taking an extra carry-on or checked bag will cost you some money, and you may end up paying more than the flight price.
Legroom seats: these are the most admired seats on airplanes; as they have extra space and are more comfortable than middle seats, Spirit Airlines charge for them, also for those roomy stretch seats.
Print a paper boarding pass : If you don’t check in online, you can get a boarding pass at the airport but it will cost you $10 to print each boarding pass.
Meals, drinks and inflight entertainment: you will need to pay for everything on board the airplane.
Cancel a reservation: If you want to cancel a flight with Spirit, you will need to pay for it, unless you are doing it 60 days prior to the departure.
So How Do They Make Money Exactly?
Spirit Airlines only uses these cheap fare techniques to attract more people, once they get them reserved, there are more chances they will end up paying for luggage, ordering delicious meals, upgrading seats or paying for the inflight entertainment (This is called upselling).
Here is a short definition of Upselling.
Upselling is a technique where a seller entices customers to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons in addition to what they already purchase.
In fact this is the method most low fare cost airline companies use, they make their profits on the extras we listed above.
Alysse explains it this way, the moment you get there you need to pay for a seat, and carry-on baggage.
Elle confirmed to her that she did pay a whopping $35 for a single carry on bag.
Pros And Cons Of Spirit Cheap Flights
Pros
Cheap flights:
The main reason why most travelers prefer cheap low cost airlines like Spirit is because their fares are cheap and they have the option to not buy other services.
Easy to book a flight:
You can book your ticket on the airline website, and that is not only good for the airline but also for the travelers, just a few clicks and you are done.
Optional services, you pay for what you want:
You won’t be charged for what you don’t need, including meals and inflight entertainment, if you don’t want all these extras you can just save on them.
If you don’t want to buy snacks on board you can just bring your own snacks,
They offer even cheaper flights:
Spirit airlines often offers promotions and make the flights even cheaper than they actually are.
They send notifications of these promotions, so you don’t miss out on them.
Cons
Different Airports:
Low cost airlines in general, not just Spirit Airlines sometimes have flights to some unknown airports to save on other landing costs.
Those airports may end up costing you extra charges just to get to your city, you will need to pay for taxis and transportation.
Whopping Luggage Charges:
Spirit airlines permits one personal item that needs to be placed under the seat free of charge ( it can be a laptop bag or purse smaller than 18″x14″x8″.).
If you want to take a carry-on bag it will cost you more than $50 , you will need to be careful if you’re traveling with several bags you may end up paying more than what you will pay in another airline.
If you are traveling only with a small personal item you don’t need to worry but if you bring a carry-on bag the bag fee varies based on the route you’re flying.
Furthermore If you have a connecting flight, do not expect them to transfer your bags; you will need to do it yourself.
Possibility of flight delays:
Budget airlines have more chances for delays as they run the same route all day, small delays may accumulate to long hours.
You can’t select a seat:
Even though paying extra for a seat is not necessary you won’t be able to choose a seat on the basic ticket.
It can be a bit frustrating for couples and families but that is part of their business model, so you will need to pay a small fee in order to get that nice located seat.
A big front seat reserved in advance will cost around $12 to $750.
Is Spirit Airlines Safe?
Even though Spirit Airlines is cheap there is nothing to do with safety, or security.
Making their flights cheaper doesn’t mean that they have old or low mainted aircrafts, it is just a way to manage their business model.
Tips To Get Cheaper Deals
- Reserve your ticket in advance, do not book in the last unite
- Check your pesto,ation airport, make sure it is near where you wanted to visit
- Most budget airlines do charge for baggage, so ensure that you travel light and do not overpack
- Take your snack with you on board, ensure that you bring what you will need. during your flight to avoid any inconvenience with the security checkpoint.
Key Points
As you may have noticed there are both pros and cons for Spirit Airlines cheap flights, so it is wise to always book with an airline that you did know what they offer.
If you are traveling solo with only a small item and all that you need is to get to your final destination then Spirit Airlines is the right way to go.
On the other hand if you are traveling with several bags and you want to select a nice seat, it is better to consider another airline, because those small add ons will add up to your flight cost, and sometimes it may be more than those fancy airlines charge.
I hope this helps
Happy travels.
People also ask:
- Is Spirit strict about personal item size?
- How Strict Spirit Airlines Carry on Size?
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