Spirit: PHL-DFW $78 ai 2.99 cpm
Dec 9, 2012, 12:15 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Programs: Frontier Gold, DL estranged 1MMer, Spirit VIP, CO/NW/UA/AA once gold/plat/comped gold now dust.
Posts: 38,152
Well, flying as an air courier 3 times in the early 90s with just a carry-on for a 2-week Asia trip was good preparation for flying Spirit. Have been to Cancun for 5 days and San Jose C.R. for 5 days with just the rucksack that's the maximum you can carry without paying. Would be harder to pull off to a cold-weather destination (maybe just wear all your clothes layers)
Spirit miles also aren't like regular airline miles. Expiration is aggressive unless you have the credit card, and you really need the card to build much quickly. Off-peaks are in narrow windows and go very quickly, so they're seriously over-baiting people by touting them so much. If you can spend 20K+ miles, availability is easier, but then there's no advantage over legacy airlines and you're always subject to the pile of junk fees they have. Avoiding all those is an art in itself and takes maximum flexibility (and it helps to be single, though 2 savvy people also can do it). I use Spirit only for trips I totally wouldn't take otherwise, like maybe $60-ish RT 2-dayers to FLL (sometimes Tuesday-Wednesday!). People with less-flexible arrangements tend to run into the fees more, and those can make it more expensive than regular airlines.
Spirit miles also aren't like regular airline miles. Expiration is aggressive unless you have the credit card, and you really need the card to build much quickly. Off-peaks are in narrow windows and go very quickly, so they're seriously over-baiting people by touting them so much. If you can spend 20K+ miles, availability is easier, but then there's no advantage over legacy airlines and you're always subject to the pile of junk fees they have. Avoiding all those is an art in itself and takes maximum flexibility (and it helps to be single, though 2 savvy people also can do it). I use Spirit only for trips I totally wouldn't take otherwise, like maybe $60-ish RT 2-dayers to FLL (sometimes Tuesday-Wednesday!). People with less-flexible arrangements tend to run into the fees more, and those can make it more expensive than regular airlines.
Dec 9, 2012, 2:43 am
#17
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ATL
Posts: 802
Dec 9, 2012, 11:48 am
#20
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Dec 9, 2012, 12:58 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: BGM/ PHL
Programs: US (Silver, *A Silver), AA, Starbucks (Gold)
Posts: 2,242
Make sure you get a Big Front Seat™.
Dec 9, 2012, 1:48 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: CHA, MAN;
Programs: Delta DM 1 MM; Hz PC
Posts: 11,169
Dec 9, 2012, 2:44 pm
#23
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: AA Plat Pto, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,538