Flying Spirit is about to go from BAD to WORSE…
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- Опубликовано: 14 апр 2022
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Sources:
1. www.cnbc.com/2022/02/07/front...
2. ir.flyfrontier.com/news-relea...
3. skift.com/2014/06/17/the-9-fa...
4. docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewc...
5. www.flyfrontier.com/travel/my...
6. customersupport.spirit.com/en...
7. www.investopedia.com/ask/answ....
8. www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/...
9. faq.flyfrontier.com/help/what...
10. www.statista.com/statistics/5...
11. www.businessinsider.com/airli...
12. www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/bu....
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Spirit airlines has become somewhat of a meme. Flying the carrier is rarely seen as a good thing - it’s often compared to painful experiences, like going to the dentist or DMV. But despite its reputation, Spirit’s done some pretty awesome things for the American consumer - it’s made air travel more accessible. Its cheap fares have lowered the barrier of entry for flying domestically. But all good things must come to an end, and in Spirit’s case, its ultra-low fares may soon disappear. And that’s because it’s upcoming merger with Frontier seems poised to make flying in the states more expensive. Let me explain…
#Spirit #Frontier #Airbus #Jetblue 
Игры
The problem is people want to pay cheap prices for discount airlines, but expect service to be like United, Delta, American. You can't have both.
Bro I love spirit just get me to point a to point b I’ll sit in the dam bathroom for all I care
Typical American mentality 🙄
Correct. Just like any business. You can’t go into Walmart and demand customer service like you would get at macys.
@@Meatball2022 - Yeah, I tell people that if you want the "golden-age" experience, you can still get it, you just need to pay for it. TSA precheck, lounge access and upgrades to nicer seats (Delta Comfort+, Premium economy) make for a completely different flight. If you do the math comparing economy-class airfares from the golden age to today (after paying for the upgrades and adjusting for inflation), you still come out way ahead. A few times recently, the difference between economy and first class wasn't all that much and my wife an I sprang for it. In many ways, flying now is better than it has ever been. Those with little money can fly and those of us who want a nicer experience can fork over a bit more money for it. Everybody should be happy with that.
Now that’s true.
If you understand the “rules” for flying Spirit, they’re great. Inexpensive and usually non-stop. The thinner seats did give a little more comfort, but even so, most flights are fairly short.
Or just dont be poor and go business or first with the occasional private 😂
Yep you just have to know the game. I've mastered the game 😂
@@melissajohnson2935 amen lol
@@EnglishDrifts69GTxRED Ahh yes! Absolute smashing idea! Do say, would you be willing to make a contribution of a few hundred thousand sterling to my "Don't be Poor" fund?
@@EnglishDrifts69GTxRED "dont be poor" dude flights in the US are too expensive no matter what, especially if you're flying somewhere remote
I fly mostly spirit, I only fly with a personal item and pre download my entertainment so thats never an issue. The flight attendants are friendly, and I don’t think an in flight pretzel and 8 oz water bottle is worth the often $100s of dollars difference of other carriers.
What’s worth more money is leg room. If your legs are on the shorter side might not make a difference to you but it makes all the difference to me
@@flaneurfilms1940 yup agree with this, or pay for an isle seat. I’m 6”0 don’t really have any issues, but I can see how a talker person would.
@@flaneurfilms1940 Travel Light !!!!!!!!!
Agreed, I do the same. One personal item, entertainment, plus, my own water bottle that I fill once I get past TSA and food to snack on.
@@flaneurfilms1940 Yup, which is why I always get a Big Front Seat.
Frontier used to be a good airline and it went downhill really hard. Sadly both airlines are effectively Greyhound bus service with wings. I'll fly Southwest/Jetblue before touching Spirit/Frontier. As for the legacy carriers, only Delta has improved recently, as AA has gone down the drain, United is well, still United.
You're wrong about spirit you're only going off of what you heard. Have you experienced the flight firsthand? My first fight ever was on spirit. Departing from Detroit inbound to Myrtle Beach.💖💕❤️🌹 The flight was amazing, I loved the whole experience.
i personally like jetblue, i don’t require much service but id also like to be comfortable.. jetblue finds the perfect balance.
The Frontier you're talking about in the early 2000s and the Frontier that exists today are completely different airlines.
I guess you just don't like the airlines.
I had an American Flight recently, wasn't that bad. Free in-flight entertainment, food & drinks, power outlets, and comfortable seats.
A friend of mine flew Spirit.
She is a kind, soft spoken optimist who always looks on the bright side. She liked Spirits cost, but had nothing else nice to say about them. She did confirm she’d only fly them again if she wasn’t going to check any luggage, because they charge for that.
Practically every airline charges to check bags
@@peterambelang4888
I believe they all do except for Southwest.
So she can pay more for a ticket that includes checked baggage, she don't sound real smart
yeah spirit was good for my weekend trip to los angeles, where i could stuff everything in a backpack, but i wouldnt fly them for longer stays
@@elliotoliver8679 Do you assume people could pay more if they’re flying on a ULCC for crying out loud?!?
I flew Spirit for the first time too, back in fall of last year. It was a quick 1hr 4min flight, exactly as the pilot had said on the intercom shortly after departure. I got to my gate as boarding was about half way done, scanned my boarding pass with my phone on the app, and made it down the jetbridge. I had absolutely no issues whatsoever with the trip, not even the legroom... and I'm 6'. Hopefully you'll find it refreshingly decent too when it's your time. Best of luck!
Yeah my trip i had no complaints either. I filled my water bottle before the flight, had a book, and some snacks and i was on my way
"not even the legroom and I'm 6'" Interesting you say that: I'm also 6'0, and the leg room was not enough for me to even sit normally - had to sit with my legs squeezed together and arms pinned against my sides (I'm super skinny BTW). I was in the middle seat at first and it was the most uncomfortable I have ever been on a plane. One of the ladies next to me got moved so I wound up with 2 seats of space and EVEN THAT was barely enough room with my legs slightly splayed. I wonder how it's possible for us to be the same height and have such drastically different experiences as far as legroom goes 🤔
@@bradbrobst5118 Leg length vs torso length...
@@unconventionalideas5683 Technically possible, but @Kennan Henry's comment is so obviously shilling for Spirit do you honestly believe that's the case here? Read his comment again; "Hopefully you'll find it refreshingly decent too when it's your time. Best of luck!"... What's that sound like to you? 😏
@@bradbrobst5118 maybe the other person had a big front seat?
Disclaimer I am an airline pilot so it is possible that my experience is different from that of other passengers.
I have flown Spirit several times and I really enjoy flying on them - the crews are friendly, the aircraft are clean and while the seats don't recline I find that the angle is still comfortable. One very nice feature is that the aisle is larger than most other companies which means that the boarding/deplaning process is fairly swift. I think were most people get bent out of shape is that it is a'la carte - everything is a purchasable option, snacks, water, checked bags etc. - but considering the price, this doesn't seem unreasonable.
Thank you for your response.
I always go for the lowest fare, and somehow on Travelocity it's never Frontier or Spirit. It's always Delta or United at a weird time with an awkward connection.
I've never found any airline but Spirit to be cheaper.
I've never had a connecting flight before.
Yeah, it’s weird. Spirit, frontier, JetBlue, southwest, and Allegiant always advertise rock bottom fares and then a delta flight that makes a 2 hour stop in Detroit will be 80$ cheaper than a nonstop Spirit flight, while also giving me more value for money and more comfort
@@staycgirlsitsgoingdown2 I fly LAX - MCO roughly once a month direct flight, and have paid as low as $42 round trip, on average closer to $70-80 rt.
I LOVE Spirit, and fly with almost no other airline. It depends on what the purpose of your flight is, and I am a frequent flyer that flies at least once a month.
Keep dreaming.
Great Airline
Are you in the savers club thing
I've never flown on Spirit but I do know that flight attendants on Frontier ask for tips whenever you make a purchase onboard the plane. I only fly on Frontier for flights shorter than 3 hours because any longer than that it becomes uncomfortable. The seats don't recline and nothing is free! They nickel and dime you to death but that's the trade-off for an ultra-low-cost of a ticket. Basically, I use Frontier Airlines like a bus.
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Frontier and Spirit are merging together
@@Sar-ahG It hasn't been approved by the government yet. That's the reason for this video. If Frontier acquires Spirit then Frontier would be a monopoly for Ultra Low-Cost Carriers.
@@kevinp8108 How about Allegiant?
@@athleticguy15 At 06:12...the host said that Allegiant was such a small presence in the ultra low-cost carriers, Frontier would still dominate the ULCC segment.
I’ve never had an issue flying spirit. I fly them often since my kid travels for sports. I really hope that the merger doesn’t go through. I’m not a huge fan of Frontier.
If it does go through we will have to hope another airline retakes its place
I use whatever airline has a direct flight and is cheaper. It's always Spirit. I've only flown Frontier once becauae they don't have direct flights to where I'm flying. We fly 6 times a year.
They are pretty much the same airline with different colors.
I’ve flown Spirit at least 8 times and oddly they have been most reliable and smoothest airline out of all of them
Frontier and Spirit rarely fly from secondary airports. Southwest and Allegiant (and some other airlines like Avelo and Breeze) have that business model. The main benefits of the merger is that they get to combine slots for more route combinations like you mentioned and also they get to combine resources like gates to allow them to increase flight counts and help reliability. One of the worst parts of flying with Frontier and Spirit is that they often only fly a route a few times a week, if you miss a flight or it gets cancelled then you may have to wait multiple days for the next one. Combining the airlines means you'll be less likely to have to wait multiple days for the next flight.
I flew spirit I I was impressed, great service (I paid a few extra $ to get the exit row, but it was a lot cheaper then competitors) I got much more then I paid for, and I'll definitely fly again with them
I've only ever flown with Delta, and they're the airline that always gets my business from. I fly so infrequently that price is not as much of a concern for me, it is the quality of service that matters most to me!
I've only flown with Delta until yesterday. I flew with frontier. The savings n basic plane were worth the 2,3 hours I saved on travel time by having a nonstop flight. I would use them again if I truly needed to. I was surprised.
Delta is always late with delayed layovers
@@rondas7772 not for me so far.... flew Delta 6 times. So I guess it's not ALWAYS
@@rondas7772 Only issue I've ever had with them was due to severe weather in Austin, TX.
My issue with Delta recently has been when other companies have nonstop flight options Delta has had 2-4 hour layovers in cities that are out of the way making the travel time significantly longer.
I've had decent luck with Spirit so far and I've flown them probably 6 times or so (round trips) over the past 10 years.
I'm apparently the only one who has never had an issue flying, thankfully. You really do need to know the "rules" to get the most out of them though.
Their credit card honestly sucks more than anything else though it was my first ever so 21 year old me didn't complain.
Regarding the merger, I see it as a likely net positive. I look forward to seeing the outcome if the merger is approved.
Spirit and Frontier don't have a whole lot of route overlap, as far as I'm aware, so I'm less worried than Coby is about the loss of competition.
They fly the same plane types, so maintenance can be consolidated, plus fairly similar business models so integration probably won't be terribly difficult.
As stated in the video, crossing over their destinations can significantly expand the offerings of the merged companies. There have been times when I wanted to fly one of these carriers and their offerings simply didn't exist or were indirect.
In the USA we have legacy airlines we have mid market airlines and we have budget airlines.. where is our premium airline??? It would be great to have a middle eastern style airline in the USA. Nice hot meals on short flights, luggage included, entertainment, transparency, lounge access in business class, and most importantly to be treated like a human. Ohh I can only dream.
@Santiago Ornelas southwest isn’t nearly as close
No premium US airline because they aren’t officially subsidized by govt.
The closest to that would probably be Delta
Businesses wouldn't reimburse the extra cost, and there aren't enough wealthy people that don't already have private aircraft to create a market
Virgin America kind of went down that path.
I just took my family of 6 to FL for the first time because of spirit's pricing. It was actually a smooth ride and we all have leg room.
I remember the days of the “old” Frontier, when it was “1st class legroom at coach prices” on their Convair 580s. I took my first flight on Spirit in Spring 2021. The seats don’t recline. I suggest bringing a cushion. At age 62 the 2.5 hour non-stop from Houston to Detroit was about all I could take in that seat. I’m sure a young person could sit in it twice as long. I feel I got my money’s worth.
I’m just turning 27, and I flew from PA to Orlando. And I don’t think I can handle much more the that on frontier. No wifi, no in cabin entertainment, no “free” beverages.
@@BeforeBuildQC I have learned to download a few things from Netflix and Amazon Video onto my iPad. I also use the time to write - if possible. I use a 2 part plastic storage tub to bring something to eat plus I buy a bottle of water in the airport. I even do this on the major airlines just in case I can't make it through the flight with a tiny drink, pretzels, and maybe a cookie. I particularly hate the "entertainment systems" that require that you download the carrier's app to your phone or tablet to get anything.The other thing that really gets to me is the shrinking seat pocket in front of you. On disSPIRITed it is barely capable of holding a bottle of water.
PLEASE, I love your Tier 3 ideas and would be happy to watch them. 😄
I purchased two sets of tickets on Spirit for my relatives to travel from Manchester, NH to Fort Myers, FL. In both cases, the flights we had booked were cancelled the day before they were scheduled to travel and we had to scramble to find replacements. That seems to be a very common occurrence with Spirit.
I've flown Spirit many times and often love their prices and their flights are fine, but I will never again book a ticket with them more than 30 days before takeoff. Spirit has a nasty habit of sucking you in with a great fare then cancelling the flight a month out and rescheduling to something awful. I had a $100 RT nonstop Cleveland-New Orleans last year. A month out they changed to a 6am departure with a 12 hour layaway. No thanks. That's happened to me repeatedly on Spirit. The only way I buy a ticket with them now is for a flight in the next 2 weeks.
Well… my experience with spirit most of the times is great, keeping in mind that I make trips for only few days like 2 or 3 and no need to check bags, just a back pack or under the seat luggage so no problem. The big front seats are GREAT! Considering the longest flight I made was for around 4:30 hours (SJU-EWR) is great for the price, I believe a flight for example LAX to EWR could be horrible if you choose a regular seat in their planes👎🏽 Important, less risk for cancellations or delays if you choose the first flight of the day, as I do most of the times.
SFO doesn’t have slots. And they can’t fly SFO-LGA nonstop (except on Saturdays) due to perimeter rule.
Gate slots. Not airport slots. An airline can’t just decide to start service to and airport. And thanks, I learned something about the perimeter rule.
I flew Spirit once from ATL to BWI. During climb out there was some turbulence that caused one of the overhead bins to open and a bag fell and hit a passenger in the head/shoulder. He stood up to close the bin and the flight attendant came back and yelled at him for being out of his seat.
I'm one of those that don't look at price as the primary driver in selecting a carrier. I look at service, aircraft used, convenience and on time performance. If I'm flying Transcon, there's no way I'm going on a Frontier/Spirit...anything over 3 hours duration and I look for premium economy or domestic first class seats. However, I still am in favor of the Spirit/Frontier merger because if they become competitive with the legacy carriers, then the legacies are forced to up their A game. Consumer wins.
Okay but what about those who look at price as the primary driver?
I love flying Spirit for direct flights. The price is right. I’m a big guy and I can cram myself into one of the smaller seats for a short flight. For longer flights or red eyes home from Vegas I pay the reasonable upgraded fee for the big front seat. Can’t beat the comfort or the price. I’ve never had a cancellation or delay on Spirit and I can’t say the same for all the other airlines.
@Ryan Byrne. It is your experience of cancellation and delay, but statistically, your chances of flight being delay on Spirit and Frontier in 2021 were worse then any of the 4 major airlines. The other issue is when a big airline has a cancellation, they can generally rebook you on another flight. Spirit or Frontier have much less alternatives, so you might be stuck for a while.
@@jeanjasinczuk7543 I hate how people (including my family who’s known to be cheap) expect legacy airline logistics at rock bottom prices.
In the LOW-COST space, that’s not how they work. You get what you pay for.
Me and my family have flown 8 flights on Spirit in the last 14 months ABSOLUTELY no issues whatsoever. They got us from Detroit to Ft. Myers and back over and over without any issues. Will continue to fly Spirit!!!
My daughter & I both fly spirit all the time. We preload from home and carry a personal. Sometimes we check a bag. Never have any problems. Take our own snacks. Flight attendance are usual nice. (everyone has a bad day on occasion). We fly Pa to FL. Flight is quick and the airports are convenient. We always buy our seats ahead of time , yes it's extra but it's still cheaper than other places. I hope Spirit doesn't change!
I’ve flown spirit a ton. Used to fly round trip Denver to LA in college to come back on weekends and what not. Usually round trip cost 50 bucks. Less than a night out on the town and arguably better for my liver than a night out on the town. In my experience they have always run on time and early usually. I’ve had better luck with spirit than southwest. If you just need to get somewhere quick and cheap and you don’t mind just packing a backpack for the weekend, spirit is great. Taking the family on vacation for a week? Yeah I’d skip the hassle and fly southwest.
I remember flying Spirit in the 2000s out of Providence before they went ultra bare bones and was on what looked to be a brand new A320 painted in silver with this gorgeous gray interior. But those seats were hard as park benches. I didn't understand that then. Do now...
Believe in JESUS today, confess and repent of your sins. No one goes to heaven for doing good but by believing in JESUS who died for our sins. Hell isn't fun. GOD loves you soo much unconditional❤🙌❤😘❤🍂❤😌❤
I flew Spirit for the first time from BWI to FLL. It was just for 3 days so I only had to pay for one checked bag. I was able to save exactly $100 over what the fare would have cost with Southwest. The flight attendants were very friendly.
Friend of mine flew Spirit once, said she'd never do that again. Unless you got nothing but the clothes on your back and a small bag, they nickel and dime you for every little thing.
One of the frequent arguments is that Southwest and JetBlue do the same but just add the amenities in the ticket price. Well guess what, other airlines do that too and both Southwest and JetBlue still come out as being the most cost effective. Only additional thing I've had to pay for on WN was inflight wifi.
I flew Spirit once because they were the sole carrier that had LGA-Myrtle Beach non stop at the time.
4:30 FWIW, United doesn't allow carry-ons on their basic economy tickets except for a few select routes (often international ones), just personal items.
I’m thinking he was getting his info for international basic economy.
I believe United only has 31” of pitch of widebodies, and change fees are never free for basic economy
@@cameltoeharris6569 Correct. United's newest interiors all have at least 31in pitch, This is mostly on 737-900s, and MAX 9s, the MAX 9s also have 18in wide seats. I've flown on a United 737-900 recently and it's a good seat design, just as comfy as Southwests 32in pitch seats. All their A320 family aircraft have older interiors with 30 inch pitch and won't be updated as those are aircraft they inherited from Continental and are planning to retire soon. Also a lot of United's 737-800s have older interiors with 30in pitch.
Also, frontier allows changes for free over 90 days prior to departure. Other than the snacks and POSSIBLE IFE (many United regional aircraft still lack WiFi and IFE) the comparison in the video isn’t the best.
I decided to try Frontier and Spirit back-to-back from SEA --> LAS --> SEA right before the pandemic. I knew what I was getting into and the only upsell I bought into was the ability to choose my own seat. I have wide shoulders and sitting in the middle seat is just painful for all three of us, so I wanted to make sure I got the window. I flew with a single under-seat carry-on 'personal item' bag as it was just a weekend trip. All-in-all it was a dirt cheap trip and for the price, the flights were satisfactory. I wouldn't want to be on the plane for a long trip not due to physical comfort, but because of the sheer number of screaming children on the flight both directions.
I flew with Frontier going down there, which has their own terminal far away from everyone else at SEA and required a bus out to the apron. Honestly, I don't remember the terminal arrangement with Spirit flying out of LAS, but I do remember the experience being marginally better. The cabin crew were friendlier and didn't seem like they didn't want to be there. In fact, it seemed like they really tried to make the trip 'fun'. Honestly, if I'm taking a flight less than three hours, I would absolutely consider them again depending on how much I feel like spending or how fares with the legacy carriers compare at the time of booking.
We flew Spirit from Las Vegas back to Sacramento. It was a good flight and the first time on an Airbus. The plane was nice as well as clean. We had no complaints. The plane was not old and dingy like the planes in United or American we have been on. We even ran into an Engineer for Spirit who was flying on the plane. He was friendly and answered all the questions my wife had.
Loved this video but it completely ignores Jetblue's potential acquisition of Spirit? I personally think Jetblue should purchase them and dissolve the Spirit brand given it's poor reputation. Their networks align much better than that of Frontier and the addition of several NEO's to their fleet will help replace their legacy A320's.
As a bit of a JetBlue loyalist I was down on this idea at first, given the operational disaster they've been turning into and the cost of refitting the Spirit fleet with JetBlue interiors. But if their leadership sees it more as a windfall of new airframes and crews and rebalances the route network, it might be one solution to their operational issues. Spirit has had some operations issues of their own and most of JetBlue's issues come from its hunger for expansion in an unfavorable environment. Together, they could use the help.
They will spend billions trying to convert spirit! Horrible process and expensive, jetblue union is not even happy let alone spirit union already upset.
@@cco53587 Believe in JESUS today, confess and repent of your sins. No one goes to heaven for doing good but by believing in JESUS who died for our sins. Hell isn't fun. GOD loves you soo much unconditional❤🙌❤😘❤🍂❤😌❤
Not going to lie I finished this video the day before the JetBlue announcement, so poor timing. That said, it remains way more likely Frontier merges with them than JetBlue - JetBlue's business model (and network concentration) don't match well with Spirits
@@cobyexplanes Jetblue is buying spirit for its aircraft/ routes and manpower being that its hard to find new pilots/ mechanics. Not to take over spirits business model. They have made it very clear that they would keep the jetblue image and brand and essentially become a fourth competitor to the legacy 3
I've never flown spirit, but I've flown Ryanair and it's supposedly worse. The thing that was most annoying was that they didn't give a jetbridge (spirit might, depending on the airport) which means if the weather isn't perfect it can be bothersome. Besides for that, if you bring a bag of peanuts and bring an empty bottle of water to fill up in the airport before your flight, it isn't such a painful experience. Also if you're the type that can't look out the window the entire flight, make sure you bring something to do, particularly on a phone or iPad because the tray tables are tiny. In the end, you get to go on a plane, and anything that brings you up in the sky is a win in my book.
The main thing Ryanair has going for it is it's way cheaper than even Spirit. It's not a pleasant experience, but it's super cheap for intra-europe routes which tend to be short flights anyway. The other main inconvenience is their tendency to operate out of airports that may be sometimes a couple of hours away from the city they serve and far more annoying to get to (airports with poor public transit connections). It's common for the drive (it's rare for outlying airports to have rail/metro connections) to the airport to fly Ryanair taking longer than the flight itself.
Frontier announced in April 2022 that they are giving up their jet bridge gates at Denver International (their major hub) and are moving to another terminal which has only boarding using stairs. The move will save them some money. I guess that this is what Ultra Low Cost Carrier means.
I just flew Spirit for the first time. I saw a couple of other Spirit flights get cancelled as I was waiting but my trip was not too painful. The seat pitch of course isn't great, the seat cushions are hard and thin, the interiors don't get properly cleaned between fast turnarounds, and the flights were packed. Seats are assigned at least - I'd hate for that to be a free for all. On my first flight I didn't lean back because someone with greasy hair left their mark on the headrest. Of course there was the requisite crying baby, but that's just par for the course. I did buy a can of Coke for $3.50 on one of the legs.
I’ve flown Frontier a few times. Brand new A321’s. Pre-reclined seats weren’t bad. Legroom was ok. For a short or medium haul flight, it’s a seat that will get you there quicker than flying. I have a phone…I don’t need in flight entertainment. Know the fees ahead of time and you probably don’t need the entire bundle of add-one. For coach, seats are a commodity. Don’t expect more than what it is. They’re perfectly fine.
I’m surprised you didn’t bring up the unsolicited JetBlue offer to buy Spirit, or the new startup airlines like Breeze and Avelo, which as they grow will slot into the low cost carrier realm. Remember when Southwest was a low cost leader? They’re much closer to legacy carriers in price, but don’t have the full service legacy carriers offer.
I doubt they're going to be increasing prices significantly, they make money off of their fees and not so much off of the actual fare
And if they do increase them alot, people may as well just go with Southwest or Jetblue
@@AlphaGametauri this is true, butif southwest or jetblue don't raise their prices, then they would be the best value carriers and they'll get more passengers
One other view is that by not increasing fares, they expand the market to those who, otherwise, would not be able to afford to fly. While it may be true that most people make price their number one criteria, I believe that even those folks have limits as to how much they will give up to save a few dollars. By being able to connect the major airports of the east and west coasts, they can tap into customers who, otherwise, might not fly at all.
I know from my own experience that having to connect to make a journey makes me much less likely to travel, given the choice. For example, I want to go visit my son for a weekend. Direct, it’s about two hours, which is fine for a weekend trip. An all-day journey, no matter how inexpensive, is a non-starter. So, in the end, it’s not about low-cost fares in general, but about the combination of low-cost and convenience. That could be a lucrative market.
@@jcspotter7322 Believe in JESUS today, confess and repent of your sins. No one goes to heaven for doing good but by believing in JESUS who died for our sins. Hell isn't fun. GOD loves you soo much unconditional❤🙌❤😘❤🍂❤😌❤
@@alunesh12345 that's how you don't get people to believe in God
I flew Spirit from FLL to RDU because they were about the only airline that had a direct flight. But by the time you add fees for a carry on and a checked bag the savings over other airlines is not that great.
so your point is... it is still cheaper and the service is the same, oh yeah it's a direct flight. yet you seem so disappointed ?
@@lta0314 When you add all their extra fees they are not the bargain airline they advertise, the seats are tighter and the tray table is a joke compared to SW air.
Flew from Detroit to LAX in 2019, one carry-on for the five day trip was C$330 round-trip. Flight was fine, just purchased a bottle of water for the four hour flight and chilled, only real thing is they pitch you a credit card at the end, but staff was friendly and everything seemed fine. From what I’ve heard the airlines are fine when they’re fine, but once there starts to be delays that’s when it kind of gets out of hand.
Two experiences on Spirit. One missed connection because the initial leg was four hours late. The other was a cancelled flight from ft Lauderdale to Detroit allegedly because of "fog" in FLL,(the flight wasn't until 7 pm, the so-called fog had cleared out before noon). Never again with them.
Love Spirit always look forward to flying with them, bigger planes lower price, win win.
I fly Frontier a lot (multiple times a year) to visit my Dad when he’s at his Winter home in Naples FL and aside from the seats in the back being a little uncomfortable (which is why I pay for seats up front) but aside from that I’ve never had any complaint. I know what I’m flying and the flight time from PHL to RSW is less than 3 hours and it’s one of the major carrier with consistent routes to and from my home base in Philly to Fort Myers RSW) which is the closest airport to Naples Fl at an only 25 to 30 min drive. I’ve thought about using Southwest as PHL is a hub for them but too many people I know have had bad experiences. I sometimes fly American’s Regional services as they fly Embraer Rj 175s and it’s a nicer more comfortable Jet, plus to either have your own seat or sit with my dad if we’re flying down on the same dat is nice.
Wow I do this exact same thing, frontier or spirit from Philly to fort myers
@@zackmetzler5498 Yeah, it’s a nice short flight. And escaping the Philly weather sometimes to chill in the Naples sunshine is the best. Im going on the 2355 Flight Departing 5:35pm May 1st.
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Philadelphia isn’t a hub for Southwest.
Southwest doesn’t have a Philly hub. American does.
Flew NK several times from FLL to PA and I always had a great experience, great staff, on time and brand new planes, sure, seat pitch aint the best, but for short haul flight, they do the job right
In trying to get a last minute flight due to a death in the family I used a third party site to snag a Spirit flight. It was a mistake. Our flight was canceled and we were given tickets on a different flight going the wrong way with a connection where we wanted to go, then that one got cancelled as well (not enough people flying on either flight). We were offered a different flight that would get us there the day after the funeral. When I later did fly Spirit (not by choice, my sister who I was visiting bought the tickets) it was the roughest landing I've experienced.
I should be doing an assignment but here I am?
Lol you here
BTW why haven't you got the checkmark yet?
@@togafly. who knows lol
@@MiniAirCrashInvestigation I think you have to apply for it to RUclips. Theyll provide it after verifying you.
@@MiniAirCrashInvestigation Go get that check mark it's a nice ego boost ;)
If the deal goes through, it’s the time for Ryanair to expand to the US!
As much as it would be nice, the Chicago Convention wouldn't allow it. It would mean for that to happen, Ryanair would have to be granted 9th freedom rights, and the US government would never allow that to happen.
@@apertureaviation1970 They would just create a US sister company...
@@alph5230 AirAsia group already does this in southeast asia. Issue is the existing US carriers will lobby heavily against this.
Bad news....ruclips.net/video/XwqMlf-n5xE/видео.html&ab_channel=CobyExplanes
@@cobyexplanes I’ve flown all levels of carriers. You get what you pay for & get the best experience when prepared for the unexpected & compensate for whatever they don’t provide. I did a leg on Spirit from DEN to FLL & return on United. I’ve flow discount mostly in last 7 years that I forgot what a “luxury” legacy was, especially with seat comfort. I don’t care about extras-only fly with carryon backpack so legacies offer little benefit over cheap seats. Over 2 hours in discount seats starts to be uncomfortable though so I’m taking that into consideration more lately when going coastal.
The problem with low cost carriers Spirit and Frontier is that you have to chop off your legs above the knee to fit into their seats. The added cost of putting your new prosthetic legs in the overhead bin offset any saving you may have acquired over the legacy carriers. It all works out in the end except that you no longer have feet, ankles, shins and knees. I would layout the extra cash for United, American or Delta just to avoid the surgery.
I’ll only fly Spirit, or any regular economy seat, if I become a contortionist.
I’ve flown Spirit several times, primarily between Philadelphia and Dallas/Ft.Worth. When all goes well, it’s a decent experience for the money. I wouldn’t fly Spirit on longer routes. About 3 hours is my route max with them. Generally, I’ll look at Spirit when I’m flying last minute.
Im with you on this rule
There are times when I use Low-Cost airlines (Southwest and JetBlue are usually excluded from my low-cost list).
- Emergency
- Someone else covers my flight but no need for an IOU
- No Layovers! If there’s a layover, I’ll take a legacy carrier. Don’t want to get stranded.
- Only flight that can be direct (albeit it has to be competitive compared to the other flights)
After you add on some extra fees at Frontier (1 bag, seat selection) the total usually comes out being very close to the premium airlines like United. Frontier seems to draw you in with just the low fair but then hike up your price significantly during checkout and hope you don’t compare that price to a premium carrier.
Also, most of Frontier’s planes are VERY nice (A320neo) but are then ruined by the legroom, terrible seat and lack of tray table and armrests! Wish United had more Neo’s and Max’s in their fleets.
I totally agree. I used to fly Frontier in the early 20 teens before they changed and it was great. Then a few years later I made the mistake of booking a round trip Detroit - Denver. The baggage and other fees (including my bicycle, which used to be charged at the checked bag price) exceeded the base price of my ticket. Plus, they had replaced the seats with these plastic shells with bubble wrap for padding. Most. Uncomfortable. Flight. Ever. I would never fly them again. (had a similar experience with Spirit Detroit - Ft. Myers).
United has no neos and likely never will, they do have probably one of the nicest 737 MAX cabins around though, Uniteds newest 31 inch pitch seat in the 737 is comparable to the 32 inch pitch seats on southwest, and even 18in width on the MAX. Southwest's MAX cabin is identical to their 738 cabin, which is still good by modern economy standards. Finding neos and MAXs with a decent legacy grade or at least SWA or JetBlue grade cabin is difficult as the bulk of both have gone to ULCCs. Then you get American which has put an absolutely awful cabin in both their MAX and neo
Thats the trick Spirit and Frontier plays, shows thier price in comparison to premium carriers as less, but then if you decide to add services (baggage, seat assignment, etc) your flilght can often become more, but then without wifi, drinks, snacks and better seats.
Honestly, Frontier's legroom on the refurbished planes is quite comparable and because the seatbacks are fixed in a reclined position, no passenger can cut into that by obliviously reclining the seat in front of you.
@@mrvwbug4423United is getting A321NEOs within the next year, including the A321XLRs.
All my flights with Spirit were always on time, never lost luggage.
Omg. Your tier3 list of topics is amazing and very interesting.
Looking forward to watching them.
I have flown Spirit twice from Tampa to Atlanta. Both flights were great. The planes were new, the staff was helpful and the flights left early!
Breeze Airways will fill that slot with their A220s. There is also two more low cost carriers that are very young and just starting service in the US.
Breeze looks like a really good product. I hope they can make it work. They have a ton of new cities starting in June.
I feel that Frontier and Spirit serve different markets.
They do
In March I flew spirit to go from ATL to LAX and back. It was the worst experience I’ve ever had. In ATL the flight left 30 minutes early at a whole other terminal than what was on my ticket. I ended up being in ATL for 16 hours so I could get another plane to LAX. On the LAX to ATL leg of the trip, spirit canceled all their flights from LAX after I went through TSA and everything. They had the worst customer service during the whole thing, one person straight up yelled at me. I ended up trying to get a refund and paying extra for a delta ticket, cause they’re next flight that they could get us on would leave at 12:30am Monday morning and not arriving in ATL til noon on Wednesday. Honestly I would rather drive across the country than fly with spirit. The experience on the plane also sucked. Seats were uncomfortable and the pilots weren’t the best flyers. The delta experience was way worth the price hike.
I took my first flight ever a week ago. To Florida. I took Spirit. I was scared to fly period but after I booked the flight I seen horrible reviews about Spirit I was even more worried. It was perfectly fine. Wasn't as bad as people make it seem. Somehow they knew it was my first flight and the attendant brought me a card from the pilot saying congratulations for choosing Spirit for your first flight. That had me suspicious but I will definitely fly Spirit again.
I flew Spirit last Thursday. Was on a vacation with friends and one of them booked late so the Southwest return flight we all planned to take was booked. I ended up being the one who had to cancel to rebook with her and we had to go with Spirit since it was the least expensive.
The scheduled takeoff was changed like 4 different times (first 6 minutes, then 21 minutes, then back to the original time, then an hour) but I wasn't that bothered initially. But then the incoming flight landed, everyone deplaned and they told us it would be just a few minutes while the flight crew cleaned and sanitized. We were supposed to take off at 3:12. The incoming flight actually landed around 2:10 or so, which had been our previous departure time. No big deal--except our boarding time came and went--it took them 40 minutes to allegedly clean and sanitize, so we didn't board until 3:15. The flight itself was fine, pretty smooth and went without incident. We landed, deplaned and went to get our bags. 45 minute wait for our bags to come out onto the carosel. At least two or three other flights arrived after us and their passengers came and got their luggage and went before ours started coming out. We never had a Spirit representative come to explain the issue or anything. Very frustrating. Will stick with Southwest from now on.
If you fly Spirit, spring for the big seats in the front OR the Exit row for leg room. It’s not much $ and worth it.
I flew Spirit once, and never again. And this was funded by my employer, and near saw the $80 I paid for luggage back. One family member flew with Frontier on a cheap $24 fare, but after, all the fees, he would have been better off on a legacy airline. Recently, another family member flew to on Spiri, only to pay $3.20 for a 16 oz bottle of water. That's really ridiculous. I'm sure they paid $0,25 a bottle on a high volume purchase, so do the math. Me, I'll continue to fly legacy airlines.
That 777 x-wing landing in the beginning was very nice. Great video.
@Mo River 3.20 for a water bottle is also in line with what you would pay at the airport.
I frequently fly spirit just because they offer direct flights. I’m 6’4” so I usually sit in the emergency exit row (added fee that has went up drastically). Also Spirit’s prices are now getting to the point of where it’s almost the same as flying with the larger carriers who offer way more than a seat.
I recently flew frontier and it was a direct flights that were way cheaper than Spirit but the only downside with Frontier is that the routes will be there one day and gone the next
With respect to Spirit, once was enough. The actual flight experience on the outbound leg was fine since I paid extra for the big seat in the front. The problem was that on my return flight, they switched aircraft and my seat in 2A was no longer a big seat. Long story short, I never got a refund or even a future travel credit of my upgrade fee. They lost me as a customer after that. In fact that’s a reason why I won’t fly any of the ultra-low-cost airlines. Their customer service organizations barely exist which means they are awful at processing this sort of reimbursement. In short, if they pull something like this, they get to keep your money.
Same last name same predicament happened to me. However I switched my seat to a zero cost seat on the day of departure. Upon calling customer service after repeating the situation three times and expressing my displeasure they offered a credit good for only 60 days. Ridiculous I'll be disputing the $56 at my bank.
Did u try disputing charge at your bank?
@@howardhansen7918 - No because, A) the flight attendant told me that she "would take care of it" and B) the upgrade was part of the original fare, so it wasn't separate. In the end I just wrote it off to experience.
Yes thats it you placed faith in a flight attendant that's over worked. It took 3 explanations to same customer representative he finally caved with a future credit i won't use anytime soon. Ridiculous robbery.
Seat 2A is *always* a big front seat. On 319s, 320s, and 321s. Always. There’s something you’re not telling us.
spirit isn't even that bad you get what you pay for.
Never flown on spirit or frontier but I’d imagine that their quality still won’t be close to JetBlue or even Southwest, so I feel like any price shifts will be less than expected
This is one of the worst analyses I’ve seen on this merger. Frontier & Spirit make almost all of their profit from fees, their “bare fare” does not factor in whatsoever with their bottom line. Their entire value proposition is to undercut legacy carriers by a significant amount. As you said, they’re targeting a different market than the legacy carriers, and by increasing fares, all they do is lose customers. If anything, they would increase fees, but that doesn’t affect the cost-conscious consumer because those that can afford to purchase the unnecessary extras (carry-on, snacks, checked bag, printed boarding pass, chosen seat, etc.) would simply choose to pay those fees or fly with a legacy carrier.
Totally agree. There is no "room" for Spirit/Frontier to increase prices as they are already mostly more expensive than Southwest on many routes once you add in the fees. In addition, Breeze and the newer startups will be looking to grab some of this market share as well, brining more balance and preventing price hikes. The only places they will be able to get away with it is where there is no competition (few routes).
Spirit wasn’t bad actually. The a320 I few in had seats that looked like you were flying southwest, but the legroom was the same as the typical spirit plane. Overall, Spirit should not get all the bad rep it gets because it is great for the price you pay.
I noticed you qualified it with the price you pay.
It gets bashed because cheap people are most likely to complain. Think about anything in the service industry. When I was a server as a teen a long time ago the people I had the most issues with were always the cheap ones who left bad or no tips on cheap bills and were the most demanding out of all customers. Sure you run into people willing to spend more that also like to complain but the reality is that cheap people complain far more about everything in life than people who have the financial means to get something better but choose not to or receive the same service as the cheap people. The stories about fights happening near where people board flights, disruptive and loud passengers, etc reflects more on the quality of people buying the tickets than the airline itself.
I recently flew on JPATS. That airline makes Spirit look like Emirites.
I live 12 miles from a Spirit hub and fly with them to Florida few times a year. Never had a bad experience yet and with a checked in bag and seat choice that I choose as an upgrade, it stil costs about 300 rt
My only experience with Spirit was horribly uncomfortable seats. I did not wish to pay for the larger seats and regret that decision now. Their cheap (cafeteria type) were the worst I’ve ever encountered. My flight was only two hours long and it was agony.
I also heard that JetBlue was interested in purchasing Frontier it would be see if this gets approved
Spirit has an excellent safety record and has the newest planes on average. U is ya the only airline I feel safe flying
For anybody who sees this comment please start supporting this guy this is one RUclips channel I really look forward to watching new content to come out so do us all a favor help support him this Channel is badass 💜
LAX to NY is a mainly business route. Spirit and Frontier are more in the leisure market. This merger is also a long way away from a done deal. Jet Blue has also made an offer for Spirit.
When I flew Spirit, the safety cards had boogers in it and spit and the netting had used tissue. Cabin was really cold and a cup of water was like $8 lol.
Sitting in RDU right now. My flight from MCO is getting here the time I supposed to be landing in MCO! I've flown Spirit A LOT since 2019 and they never left on time on any of my flights. I don't think I can use them again. I'm tired of getting home 1AM when I'm supposed to there by 9
Great video as always Coby! Also I filled out the form… Can’t wait to hear back from you
I recently flew Spirit from AUS to ERW. I have to say they did a good job overall. The seat was cheap but I upgraded to something a bit more roomy. i bought a soda and two snacks for $10. Boarding was ok. I was traveling with a backpack so The flight ran me about $41. The only detractor was the credit card pitch at the end of the flight. It really gave one the impression of a real estate seminar pitch you had to live through to get the door prize.
PSA started those too
I flew spirit from Orlando to Las Vegas in February. It was fine. No delays, no issues with the airport. They charge extra for everything, so bring a jug for water or buy some stuff before getting on the plane. The seats were small, but I'm also a6 6'5" tall guy that weighs around 400 lbs. I bought two seats for myself kinda negating the reduced cost of the flight. For a smaller person the flight would have been fine, but I was immensely uncomfortable the entire flight. If you're a large person I do not reccomend spirit. But I'd rather Spirit than American.
I flew Spirit roundtrip MKE-LAX last August. It was pretty much exactly what they advertise. Did I get there on time? Yes. Was the seat comfortable and did I get anything else? No. Not even water. I'm pretty sure if they could charge you to breathe, they would. They only offered one flight per day so if anything had gone wrong, not sure they would have had a solution.
TLDR; fly Spirit only if price is your absolute number one factor.
I have looked up Frontier fares bc it's supposed to be budget and, as you explained, their barebones approach is not convenient if you are travelling with luggage (the way they price lugagge is silly) and also want the flexity of free changes. I've always preferred Southwest when flying domestic, it offers all of the flexity I need. JetBlue comes close with their Blue fares that include carry on bag, seat selection and are not that different from many Southwest base fares. Also, as far as I've experienced, both Southwest and JetBlue don't have the absolutely oudious practice of weighing and sizing your carry on.
I live on a small fixed income & I LOVE to fly spirit all the time & understanding the “rules” for flying Spiri.I dont pick a seats & have a small personal bag.So there is no added expence It's a very good airline,I had no problems with them...I fly to Ny & Fla. non-stop frequently & it's inexpensive ...It's the only one I fly...
Never flew on Spirit, but have used Frontier a few times. For a short flight (60-90 minutes), it isn't bad, especially if you are able to not get suckered into a bunch of add ons. For anything longer than that though or if I'm not able to avoid the add ons (such as if I can't reduce how much luggage I'm going to need), I'll pay the extra for Southwest (especially since if luggage is involved, it isn't that much more expensive for Southwest).
Unless I'm taking a day trip, or possibly an overnighter, Spirit/Frontier probably aren't going to work for me pricewise, the savings generally evaporate if you need to pack so much as a carry-on. Likewise for Jetblue, though the amenities they do provide - free wifi and more legroom do make it a a worthwhile contender for cross country flights.
Southwest and Alaska are my go-to airlines. Alaska is usually a little less expensive than Southwest, and offers more IFE options and AC ports on many flights. However they charge for checked bags and also if you are particular about where you sit on a plane. So that's where I look first for short or medium haul flights on 1-4 day trips. It also helps that they offer priority boarding to veterans as well as active duty military. I'll have a spot for my carry-on even if I'm otherwise in the last boarding group.
Southwest being the only US carrier offering two checked bags to everyone regardless of fare is great for extended trips out of town, though I still prefer no to check bags if I can help it. Bags getting lost or worse, potentially not even being able to get them returned to you when you're stuck overnight somewhere due to a missed connection stinks. The FCFS open-seating policy based on check-in time also makes it pretty easy to seat your family together or get an exit row seat with extra legroom or whatever you're wanting so long as you remember to check-in exactly 24 hours before your scheduled departure -- and as long as you're happy with coach class regardless. Even if I don't check a bag or plan to, it's great to have the option to do so for your trip home if you come across a larger item or something that can't be in your carry-on anyway. e.g. that great deal on booze in the Bahamas or Mexico probably ain't such a hot deal if you'll also have to pay an extra $30 just to bring it home with you.
I've flown on Spirit several times over the past years and I have never had an issue with them. If you pay the upcharge for the "big front seat", it is still cheaper than the "cheapest seats on the other airlines and you get a first class seat without the frills.
Frontier needs to thank RPA in all this for keeping them afloat and still even a thought in airline world….
I’ve flown Spirit with no issues at all. Always on time, friendly crew, great cost. To upgrade seat is cheap. I love one can get more amenities for low price if needed.
I fly Spirit Airlines from Tampa, Florida to Atlantic city, New Jersey every July during the past 8 years and never had any issues ! I think Spirit Airlines is a good good way to travel and the price is right !!! Let"s keep it going !!!
I bundle with Spirit, get one checked bag and a nice big exit row seat; it's usually cheaper than the larger carriers still. I just bring a few granola bars and fill up my refillable water bottle at the terminal and I'm golden.
The people who complain about Spirit are the ones who buy a $40 motel room then complain when they find roaches.
We flew Spirit a few weeks ago from Milwaukee to Cancun and it was fine. Not comfortable, but definitely cheap. Don't expect a full size tray table; we had these funny little half size ledges instead.
I fly Spirit every month, at least. It’s a great connection to a regional airport that is more convenient than the international airport. Yes, the fees will add up if you want extras. I fly simply with just a personal item and bring my own water bottle so I don’t need to purchase anything for my 2 hour flight. I have always had decent customer service and a simple experience. If you need extras during your flight, book on a legacy airline and enjoy the extra legroom. But for me, I appreciate the cheap fares and no hassle, especially when I make a 24 turnaround. I hope Spirit sticks around for a long time!
Isn't water forbidden on board airplanes ?
@@machintrucGaming empty water bottles go through TSA it has to be empty just fill it on the other side.
Spirit recently came to my home airport. While I don’t plan on flying with them any time soon, I might do so when I’m older just for lolz since their prices aren’t bad. I was kinda sad when the merger was announced since my airport already has Frontier and Spirit is just such a meme within the aviation community that it’ll be hard to see it go if the merger happens.
Gotta say, this was the first time you said “Let me explain” in a non-“look how funny my pun name is” tone.
Appreciated. Keep that up and I’ll sub.
My name's a pun?
I usually fly spirit out of the New Orleans airport MSY and I have had very good experiences. On time flights with very nice flight attendants and modern planes so… overall super recommended
I flew spirit from Boston to Tampa, it was a great flight. There was no turbulence and landing and takeoff was smooth. I think people don’t like it because you have to pay for carry ons and don’t get free snacks. Overall I had a very good experience.
Our family has been using spirit for the past 5 years for family vacations from New Hampshire to Orlando or Tampa.
We have a small airport in New Hampshire that has primarily monopolized by Southwest. Spirit just started flying out of there ( mht ) I have estimated I have saved over $10,000 flying Spirit Airlines versus Southwest comparing the same trips that we have taken at the time of booking.
For the most part I always go to the airport or take the bus to Boston round trip for $34 or so and pre purchase the tickets to save the passenger usage fee.
We flew Allegiant for the 1st time this past weekend down to Florida without an issue everything was perfect.
We are flying spirit back home I had enough points to get 9 of us a flight home for free which enabled it to be budget friendly for the family.
Everything went well coming home this past weekend
I flew Spirit back in September from ORD-LAX on one of their new A320 neo’s & it was one of the most relaxing flights I’ve been on
Being based in DEN, I used to fly Frontier quite a bit, before they started chasing Spirit in a race to the bottom. The biggest problem is that they serve many markets with just one flight per day, or just once per week for some international destinations. If your flight is canceled, you are totally screwed. Their standard response is to refund your $59, and send you off to find a flight on another airline, since they do not interline with anybody. If my UA flight is canceled, in contrast, I know there is probably another flight later that day, or they may put me on a DL or AA flight. If frontier cancels today's flight to Austin, they cannot even put you on tomorrow's flight, because that plane is already full. Spirit has the same weakness.