Spirit Airlines Customer Reviews and Spirit Airlines Passenger Trip Reports

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First, its the additional baggage fees, which are outrageous. Second, the seats, they obviously don't want you to be comfortable, nor do they want you in them ever again. My flight was supposed to fly from LAX to FLL at 10pm. It didn't leave until 1am. No explanation why. I didn't arrive until the next morning at 8.30am. Never again.

I flew from Orlando to Dallas and the flight was delayed 2 hours. Four days later I flew back from Dallas to Orlando and the flight was again delayed, this time for more than 2 hours. One direction being delayed can easily be forgiven. Both directions having lengthy delays is pure incompetence. I will avoid Spirit from now on.

First time on Spirit, the important thing is to be prepared. The Good: Price cost of the R/T from BWI to FLL was less than half of SW. I brought aboard a sandwich and a drink, so did not have to purchase anything on the plane. I carried on a bag, there was no charge. I pre-printed my boarding pass, also avoiding a charge. What I paid was the final price. The plane was a relatively new Airbus and it was clean. Both flights left on time and arrived on time. The Bad: The seats. They do not recline and they are very close together. I'm 6'2 and 210 lbs. Two and half hours was about all I could take. Expect no interaction from the flight attendants, unless you are purchasing something. The Ugly: The Ft Lauderdale Spirit terminal was terrible. Crowded, dirty, lacking in services and very loud. Often there were 2 or 3 simultaneous announcements, making it impossible to understand any of them. Bottom Line: I got a cheap, no frills flight, that got me to my destination on time and safely. I will fly Spirit again. Know what to expect.

Hidden baggage fees turned reasonable airfare to costly. Our family, including a toddler, were checked in to the airport without being given the information that our flight had a 3 hour delay. We would have left the airport for dinner but instead were stuck in the terminal with a cranky child. On our returning flight we were berated by staff when we tried to check in for being late. We were informed that we were to be at the gate 45 minutes prior to departure. We were only a minute shy of this (I always thought the rule was 30 minutes). We were fined for each ticket. We then had to rush through the airport, again with a small child only to find our flight delayed again. On top of this, the plane was horrid. The seats don't recline and are very uncomfortable. No earphone jacks. Gum on back of seats both ways.

I booked my family of 5 for a trip to Orlando from Dallas. My first flight was canceled because the pilot didn't show up. It took them over 6 hours to get us re-booked on another airline and get us hotel accommodation. This delayed our trip a full day. Our return flight had similar issues. There was a maintenance issue with the plane, so after a 2.5 hour delay, they finally boarded us only to deplane us. We again were re-booked out on another carrier and given a voucher. I was traveling with 3 small children and a 24 hour delay is ridiculous but not acceptable when traveling with children. I was told by the Spirit Customer Service Supervisor to not travel Spirit airlines with children due to their high cancellations and general inability to make a flight. I will never fly with this airline again.

Flight time changed after tickets purchased. Changed by another 30 mins on day of flight. 2 hours delayed after checking in, finally departed 3.5 hrs after original ticket time. Also delayed on return. Seats are rigid (do not recline) and inadequate leg room. Initial ticket prices are low but expect at least $80 added for round trip. Carry on luggage limited without paying $35 extra. Suitcases limited to 40 pounds instead of usual 50 before extra charges. No food or beverages of any kind included. Water costs $3. We will not be flying Spirit airlines again.

My inbound trip from MSP to ORD was 3 hours late due to a weather delay in Denver. I also was surprised to be charged $50 for my laptop bag. This was a charge that was not detailed when I booked my flight via my mobile app. Return flight was to occur at 7.55, but there were weather delays across O'Hare, so I was not surprised to learn that my flight was delayed until 9.44, then 11.15, 1.34 then Spirit cancelled the whole flight and left passengers to fend for themselves. I was booked onto the next flight at 7.55am the next day. Up early for the flight, only to find out that the morning flight is delayed 2.5 hours! The gate area was overfilled with angry, tired passengers who just wanted to get to their destination.

DFW to Vegas and back. First and last time flying Spirit. I knew about the fees beforehand but they are still outrageous. I'm 6 ft 3" and to say sitting in their seats is uncomfortable is an understatement. Both flights the people in front of me asked me to stop pushing on their seats and I told them they can get up and look because I can't move. Both flights they did and both flights they complained to the flight attendant which did zero good because the flights were full with no place to move them too. My wife is 5 ft and those seats were almost to close for her. I know its hard to make money in the airline business but seriously this company needs to make some room. So my suggestion is unless you are 5 ft or less don't fly this airline.

I had planned a short get-away to Las Vegas and never had an issue with any other airline making the short 45 min flight from San Diego. As such, I had booked all of the normal Vegas activities starting shortly after the estimated arrival time into Vegas. However, the flight was delayed more than 4 hours into Vegas and the baggage retrieval was longer than 30 minutes. What was extremely frustrating with this experience was the desk agent made no comment at check-in that the flight was delayed, the gate agent was very nonchalant about the inconvenience and offered a $50 voucher against future travel on their airline, and correspondence with their supposed customer relations personnel was extremely unprofessional with no results, the executives did not even offer a reply. Had I known that there was a lengthy delay at the time I checked-in, I would have made arrangements to either drive the distance or book on another airline.

Flying to Las Vegas from Houston via Dallas. Simple rain delay in Dallas turned into an 11 hour delay getting to Vegas. No other airline had this delay. Spent hours on the plane in Houston getting off once and getting back on only to sit in a hot stuffy cabin and uncomfortable seat. Zero explanation of the delay until demands from passengers forced the pilot to give an update which was false. Once in Dallas, having missed our connecting flight, we were sent to Denver for a 3 hour layover. In Denver the board was not updated to show a 1 hour time advance which almost made us miss the flight. Zero leg room in coach seating and everything including water costs money. Baggage scam 45$ / checked bag if done at the kiosk which is explained on their website but you have to go searching for it which I did afterwards. Again, not flyer friendly!

The trip home from FLL to BWI was a nightmare. They held us up with baggage issues and we paid $100 each way for baggage. Then we missed our flight due to their disorganization, along with 15 people behind us. They said we could go standby on the 7 at night flight - 12 hours later. That flight was overbooked so we bought a ticket on AirTran. Never again.

Concerned about the tiny bag size that I had, I measured it at the check in gate in front of the check in attendant. No problem. On the way back, (in Chicago), I met a very surly and rude ticket-taker at the gate who had me measure my tiny bag (believe me, this was my only carryon and is small - barely enough for 3 days and w/o items such as extra shoes or hairdryer or any other toiletries). They charged me $100 at the gate for this small bag. You think you save money when you fly this airline? Want a seat? Extra charge, want a drink, snack? Extra charge. No in flight magazine. Seats in rows 12 and back are the most cramped I have ever seen with no leg room whatsoever. The last time I fly with them.

The 'hidden fees' aren't hidden if you take the time to read - I fly it because it's very inexpensive - however, the one thing that is very annoying is the flight delays. I fly a lot between DFW and Mesa - the redeye from Mesa to DFW is almost always late - very late - and there is no explanation ever.

My wife my son and myself started our trip in New Orleans, where no one knew what was going on. I am Active Duty Air Force and usually my baggage is free, this time only one bag was free the other one was 45$. They made us pay $5.50 for my son to travel in our laps, which I have never done. After that they told us we were ready to go, not knowing our way around the New Orleans airport we ended up walking the wrong way. After that it was good until we got to Denver where only one of the bags (the one we paid for) was there. The funny thing about this was is we had a layover in Dallas but we got back on the exact same airplane, so why would they even take the bag off the plane. Use some common sense. The thing that saved them a little was the guy at the Denver airport was excellent and emailed Dallas to find my bag (which I received last night).

Portland to Chicago with stops in Las Vegas and Minneapolis. Las Vegas portion delayed 2 hours. We got to Minneapolis and were kicked off the flight and told the flight to Chicago was canceled. They directed us to their ticket counter where 2 ladies where trying to take care of 200 angry customers. Got off the flight 7.30 am and did not make it to the counter until 11.00 am. Our representative was very unhelpful. After too much talking we where able to get a full refund for the whole trip and our returning trip and two 7 dollar food vouchers which were not accepted by the restaurant we wanted to eat at in the airport. Don't fly Spirit Airlines. We where not treated well and did not feel valued as a customer.

Recently I flew from BWI to Ft. Lauderdale. The flights were on time, the customer service was excellent. The seats were terrible with no legroom. We paid the additional "seat fee" to have a better seat, so I cannot compare it to their standard seating. The biggest complaint I have was the flights leaving Ft. Lauderdale. I counted them while in line for the restroom (a 1.5 hour wait) and they had 12 flights leaving the same concourse within 3 hours of each other. That was complete madness on their part. For that reason alone, we will never fly Spirit again. They must make their money on first time customers.

Our flight was over 2 hours late, never given any reason. As far as room between seats - it is ok as long as you have short legs. Just read the baggage rules, as I just took a small back pack for free on board. I fly from DFW to LAS about 6 times a year and this was the cheapest I have ever flown ($125.00) round trip, so I cant complain too much. You get what you pay for.

First time flying Spirit and it will be the last time. My flight was delayed over 7 hours and no one at the airport or Spirit customer service could tell me why or when the plane would finally arrive. The only accommodation for the inconvenience that was given to the customers were $7 food voucher which is nothing for airport food and $50 on your next flight but it must used within the next 30 days! This is ridiculous, never again will I fly Spirit airlines.

My flight was on 2/22/2013 from ORD to DFW at 6.50pm. Due to weather, they had a delay for 70 min, which I can understand. However the flight continued to be delayed every 30 mins. Then the confusion on which gate to go to, there were 3 gate changes in a matter of 90 mins. Then they announced the flight is ready but the crew were on another flight which is delayed. Then, then gave that flight to another destination. It almost sounded like Taxi service. Finally after 4 hours of waiting, they announced that the flight has been cancelled. Now the best part, everyone queued up to reschedule to get a refund. After 1 hour of waiting, I came to the counter and was offered a flight 24 hours later. When I requested for an earlier flight, they did not listen and were very rude saying "Take it or Leave it". I just took the refund and left.

I was to depart from Chicago O'Hare to DFW, the flight was scheduled at 6.30pm and was supposed to arrive at 9.05pm. When I got to the airport I found it was delayed to 8.30pm, then to 9.15pm, then to 11pm, and then eventually cancelled. Flight attendants did not tell us what was going on, made us switch gates 3 times! This is the worst experience I have ever received from an airline! Will never be flying Spirit again!

I fly Spirit from NY to SC about 7 times a year. I like to fly non-stop and Spirit is the only airlines that is convenient for me from a non-stop perspective. Out of those 7 flights, 2 of them were probably on time. The rest of the 5 flights where either late or cancelled. If you fly Spirit, have a backup plan. They are notorious for being late or cancelling their flights for 'mechanical problems'.

DFW to Atlanta. I did my research ahead of time. I measured my carry-on at home, checked in online, and breezed through the boarding terminal. 7.30 am flight and we were on time. For the flight from Atlanta to DFW at 5.05 pm I had the same experience. Unable to print my boarding pass but did check in online. Flight delayed by an hour. I will agree that the accommodations are a bit small. I'm 5'5" and I was perfectly comfortable, but certainly for the taller folks they had to adjust to have leg room. Plenty of space underneath the seat in front of you though, so you do have an option to stretch out. I brought a snack of my own. Flight attendants on both trips were very friendly. Would definitely fly Spirit again.

Phoenix/Mesa to St Thomas. Called twice in the weeks prior to the flight to confirm I had correctly paid for both bags for outbound and return flights, on both calls they said "everything looks fine". Got to the airport and was told I had actually only checked 1 bag for 2 segments and owed them $100 at the gate to get our other bag checked for the 2 outbound segments. Their booking process seemed designed to confuse you about the bag situation. Got on the plane and there were still crumbs in the seat and garbage in the backrest from the previous passengers. I saw 3 tray tables taped up with duct tape. As for seats, I am 5'3", 130 lbs and it was uncomfortable for me. My fiancé (5'8") seemed to be the max size for the seats. On the return flight they somehow didn't charge us for the bags. However, our flight from FLL to DFW was late and they had us stay on the plane instead of being able to get off and buy water and a snack at the terminal for slightly less. We didn't want to pay $3 for their water but after flying 3 hrs 15 min then having another 3 hr flight to AZA we were so thirsty we had no option but to buy the tiny bottle of water. I think it's ridiculous they wouldn't just give us some tap water for free since it was a 6 hr flight thanks to the delay and them not letting us off the plane. The initial tickets were a good price but when you factor in the $156 bag fees, delays, torturous seats, 6 hours without water and $3 cans of Coke, you don't come out ahead.

My first and last time traveling Spirit. Beware of the ridiculous baggage fees. This airline charges $50 for a carry-on bag. This alone adds an extra $100 to your trip. This means that a seemingly affordable trip becomes expensive all of a sudden! The dissatisfaction does not end there. The seats on the airplane are so cramped. I measure 5 ft 4 and my knees were brushing up against the seat in front of me. I couldn't remove my jacket without my arm hitting both my seat and the seat in front of me. Moreover, this airline does not even offer you a cup of water on a 2+ hour flight. I am very dissatisfied with this airline. I would not recommend them to anyone.

Will never them again. Overcharged for luggage and no one could make it right. Took off 3.5 hrs late with no explanation and no text message to tell me flight was delayed. Flight attendants not friendly. Ticket staff were better. Seats are terrible for $25 each.

We flew from Chicago - Ft. Lauderdale - Costa Rica. They lure you in with low flight costs and hit you with extra fees for luggage, food/drinks. There were broken seats, gum stuck on the seats in front of us, some type of drink stain going down the wall. Have debit/credit card onboard if you want food because that is all they except. I paid for easy bag drop and had to wait in the line with everyone that hadn't paid in advance so why did I pay for this? Thought you save a buck but add all Spirit fees and you would be at the cost to fly a better airline.

Atlantic City NJ to Orlando Florida. My frustration was with preparation for the trip. A seat costs a minimum of $10 unless your willing to take what's left. They often cancel a flight if they aren't full enough and put you as much as 10 hours on another flight with no advanced notice. When I got on my plane, I found out that half the plane had been switched from a morning flight to evening. No one knew unless they happened to check their flight. They all said the airline claimed to have emailed them but not one person got the email. On top of that carry on bags cost money and if you don't realize and get to the airport its $100 per bag! I will never fly this airline again because I can't be guaranteed I will make my destination without major changes and the costs are ridiculous!

My wife and I flew round trip LAX to St. Martin with a stop in Ft. Lauderdale both ways. The seats are terrible and the planes are old and worn out. We upgraded our seat to the emergency exit which have a lot of leg room. Too bad the seat cushions are 2 inches thick and painful if you have to sit for more than a couple hours. The plane was late at every stop. Staff are very strict about check-in cut off times. On the final leg of my trip the flight was delayed 3 hours.

I am a frequent flyer and this has been my worst flying experience with this company. I'm booked on Flight 165 out of DFW to ATL and I went online to pay the baggage fee at 9am. My flight was scheduled to depart at 1pm and at 9am the flight was already showing delayed? How is that possible? We are supposed to leave at 2pm and at 1.38pm the plane isn't here. The fact that this airline charges you for everything their is no excuse for this type of delay. This airline has sub par service and doesn't even offer the basics. No wifi, complimentary beverages, movies, radio and the seats don't recline. The only thing this airline offers is a seat and nothing more. I would never fly this airline again nor would I refer this airline to anyone. Horrible!

I have used Spirit many times, each flight got worse, but until the last couple of years, the price was worth it. Now, with seats that no longer recline (even when paying to select your seat), charges for checked and carry-on luggage and other charges, the prices are comparable or worse than better rated flights. Most recently I booked Spirit for a flight to Jamaica. It was not the cheapest and far from the most comfortable but it provided the most convenient arrival time. I booked in October for a trip during the high volume time in March. In December my flight time was changed but I was not notified. I discovered this change, by accident, 4 weeks before my travel. While my departure time remained the same, the arrival time was 4 hours later than the flight I booked, with 4 additional hours being spent in the amenity-lacking Spirit terminal at FLL. When calling the airline, I was informed that the new arrival time was the only option I had, but I could switch to a later departure. Though this was still unsatisfactory, I agreed. I was then informed that the second flight was completely booked and I was out of luck. Poor service, comparable prices, no amenities, no reclining seats, expensive luggage options and now changed flight itineraries with no notice. If you are looking for inexpensive travel, don't be fooled by Spirit's bogus advertising claims.

I took a flight from Plattsburgh to Ft. Lauderdale and I was satisfied. People who complain about hidden fees should read the rules, I did and knew exactly what I was supposed to pay.

I fly almost every weekend from Las Vegas to San Diego with Spirit - it's cheaper than driving. If I book my tickets 3 weeks in advance I can get great deals such as $11 one way (rounding the price to the highest dollar) and/or $24 round trip. I've already had approximately 10 flights with Spirit, and only had 1 delay. You don't have to have the membership to get these great deals, the membership is to pay less in the luggage in case you have to check in a bag. My case that carries my laptop and 5 sets of clothing goes in for free! Trick is to buy your ticket at the airport you can save as much as half of your regular ticket if purchased online.

I flew from MSP to Fort Lauderdale. It was the worst experience I have had with an airline. I was in seat 22A. I could not move my arms to take off my jacket. My legs were pressed against the seat in front of me. I heard the woman across the aisle state that she would rather walk home than get back on the plane. I felt the same way. They charge for everything! The man behind me asked for water. They wanted $3 for a bottle. The seats were ripped and dirty. The whole experience was bad.

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