I guess it's easier to lower your expectations if you're coming over from Spirit. In ATL we've very recently been spoiled for choice but have the ongoing disaster with the security wait times. NK and F9 also are getting the gates with the longest walking distances (I think E36 is the worst).

Spirit and Frontier both do the 180-day/$15 bit. It's one of the more dubious fees to label as "optional."

There's also a great chance that any change or redeposit fees will exceed the ticket value in many cases, meaning that lots of people will just walk away if they can't do a trip.

On the positive side, Spirit greatly overhypes its reduced-mile awards for cardholders, but if you're flexible enough to travel in specific times of the year that are lowest-demand, it can be a good deal.

Frontier, OTOH, has an elite program with the carry-on and possibility of seating with normal seat pitch (basically trying to get to parity there with the legacies). Will get to elite status after this weekend.