Hi all!

I'm in metro Detroit, and my wife and I figure we'll take one long trip per year, plus a trip home to my family for Thanksgiving (on Delta using my dad's miles), and maybe a weekend getaway. I finally got enough Delta miles for a domestic rountrip ticket about 2 years ago and haven't been able to use them yet to the lack of 25,000 mile availability. So, since the reward programs obviously aren't worth much to infrequent flyers, I've been thinking about trying Spirit, but I've got a couple questions for those who've flown them before:

1) How far in advance are their Big Front Seats typically available? We're both a bit overweight, so we're more than willing to pay extra for more width but the same level of service, but I'm concerned about not being able to get one since there's only one row on the A320/321 (but curiously 4 rows on the A319 - what's the reasoning behind that?). How's everyone's experience been snagging those on short notice? About how much extra do they cost? (I guess an exit row would be a decent alternative, as we typically fly Delta Comfort Plus, which I imagine is about the same pitch.)

2) How often (and on how short notice) are their $9 Fare Club specials typically available, and how much cheaper are they? (I'm guessing it's a set number of tickets per flight?) Has the membership been worth it, or have most of you canceled it after the introductory period?

Yes, I'm aware of Spirit's horrible reviews, but most of them are centered around the fees (which can be planned for), the horrible regular seat pitch (which I'm hoping to avoid via paid upgrades), and their un-PC advertising campaigns (some of which I've actually found amusing). Looking forward to some feedback from frequent Spirit flyers who actually don't hate them.