Originally Posted by
dave_261
OP said the traveler had status, so in essence, has an 'all-inclusive' fare.
So seems the decision is whether to fly Spirit to save $5 and get the Big Front Seat. Odds are OP won't find many people on this message board who would steer you to Spirit, especially as previous poster noted about irrops recovery issues.
In essence, the $5 cheaper fare gets my son a much better seat (in Spirit - a seat similar to first class; in AA - regular coach seat, as he is only oneworld ruby). I can definitely understand why he considers the NK flight to be a good option - especially since it is at the time he wants to fly.