What On Earth Is Up With Spirit Airlines? If that is a question you have asked yourself quite often, you are not alone. If you are from the Americas or if you have ever traveled around the Americas, you will know that Spirit Airlines is an ultra-low-cost airline carrier. You have probably heard that Spirit Airlines provides cheap fares but then makes you pay for a lot of additional things and that they may be late in on-time arrivals.

This was true in the past, and Spirit Airlines recognizes these faults and has put time, research, money, and a whole lot of effort into changing their brand from focusing on money to focusing on the guest experience and providing customers with the most for their money. Spirit has the commitment to change and adapt from their former business model and it has already shown a success.

We have flown Spirit Airlines many times over the past few years [yes, we spent our own money and chose to fly with them] so you can trust our judgment as consumers and travel writers. We have flown Spirit to locations such as Lima, Peru, Jamaica, Baltimore, Cleveland, Oakland California [twice!] and more with no issue and always a pleasant experience

If you haven’t flown Spirit Airlines in a few years or if you haven’t ever considered flying them, this post is for you and will tell you what the heck has been up with Spirit and why you may want to consider giving them a try.

What On Earth Is Up With Spirit Airlines?

 A La Smart Travel Let’s You Build Your Custom Experience

Did you know that when you fly Spirit Airlines, your total price is on average 30% less than other airlines? People see that we fly Spirit quite often [their times, fares, and destinations often line up with our travel plans] and complain to us that Spirit charges for every little thing.

This is what Spirit calls the #morego experience of A La Smarte Travel and one reason we love flying Spirit and recommend then to others! This means that you decide exactly how you want to fly and you can build your trip with fares, options, and extras. You know that airline that gives you “free bags” and “free TV?” News flash: those things aren’t free! They are built into your fare and you are forced to pay for them, even if you don’t check two free bags or don’t want to eat any snacks.

Spirit Airlines doesn’t force you to pay for things you don’t want or need which is called unbundled fares. The price you see on Google Flights, for example, is the base price. You can totally fly for that price if you are looking to save and carry your clothes in a personal item [such as a backpack] and sit in any seat you are given. You will save a ton! If you are looking for a more leisurely experience, you can book and pay for extras such as a seat selection and checked bag, but forgo the snacks and bring your own. This is Spirit’s way of allowing you to choose what is best for your trip.

When we flew to Cleveland for a family wedding, we were looking at all our flight options and decided to settle on Spirit for the route timing and fare pricing. We knew we would have to pay for extras, but competitor airlines offered two free checked bags and a much higher price [almost double] for the one way flight we needed to take. Sure, we had to pay $35 each to carry-on a bag, but our fare was still much more affordable than any other airline options we had! See, we really do put our money where our mouths are!

 

#MoreGo Let’s You Spend Money On Things That Matter

We are luxury travelers and a great way to afford luxury travel is to consider flying an airline such as Spirit Airlines which allows you to only pay for what you need so that you can save the money to spend on #morego at your destination! Of course, not everyone cares about the same thing! Your #morego experience may be splurging on your Spirit Airlines flight for a Big Front Seat [the best and most comfortable class of seating] and alcoholic beverages on your flight.

Whatever your definition is, Spirit will help you save money to spend on things that matter! That is what they call #morego and we think it should be celebrated instead of complained about! Who wants to be forced to pay for things you may or may not use anyway?

Spirit Is Introducing Wifi On All Planes

We were elated to hear that Spirit Airlines was introducing Wifi on all planes but were concerned about the cost. We were even more thrilled to hear that the average cost for purchasing wifi on a Spirit Airlines flight would range from $6 for normal wifi and $9 for streaming. Most airlines don’t even offer streaming on their wifi and if they do, it is a whole lot more expensive than $9 [think $30-$45 from what we have seen].

While wifi sounds great, it also sounds like it would take a long time to add, right? Wrong! Spirit will add wifi on some planes by November 2018 and on all 128 planes by summer 2019. They will also introduce 15 new planes with wifi per year. We were shocked and pleased at how fast the addition of wifi will roll out and can’t wait to use it on a future Spirit Airlines flight!

Finally, the wifi coverage will be satellite which means there will be no dead zones flying over the ocean. Your wifi will work 98% of the time on all routes and then 100% of the time by 2021! We don’t know about you, but that is something to get excited about!

You Get To Fly Some Of The Youngest Planes In The USA

Along with all the other things Spirit Airlines has been up to in the past few years, they have also been building one of the youngest fleets of planes in the USA! These planes are just over 5 years old and 12 brand new planes have just been added! Spirit takes care to provide the safest and newest technology on their planes so that you have an enjoyable in-flight experience. If you hate flying on dated and dirty planes [we have been on soooooo many] you are in luck with Spirit because that is nowhere to be seen!

Their On-Time Performance Is Among The Best In The Industry

Yes, Spirit Airlines used to be at the bottom for delays and lack of on-time performance a few years ago, but they took this information to heart, sat down, came up with a plan, and are now one of the leaders in on-time performance! They rank #4 and are beaten by Alaska Airlines, Hawaii Airlines, and Delta Airlines as of June 2018! Don’t worry, with their quick rate of innovation, we are confident they will continue to grow.

On our trip from Cleveland to Tampa, we ran into an unexpected delay that wasn’t Spirit’s fault [weather if I recall]. We had a layover in New Orleans and were worried about missing our connection as our plane was really late. When it was all said and done, even though we did leave late, we got into Tampa on time to the minute! We were thrilled that Spirit was able to safely make up time in the air on both flights and get us back home on time, even after a weather delay.

 

Spirit Has Been Spending Time Improving The Guest Experience

Spirit isn’t just focused on improving your experience, they are committed to it and welcome your input! They reply quickly on social media if you have a question and really want to help out! Spirit works closely with those who train Disney employees [no really!] to create Spirit Signature Service. This is the service that employees are trained in to provide you with the best possible experience.

When our flight was delayed, we thought we were going to miss our connection. In most cases, you have to flag down a flight attendant and specifically ask for them to radio the connecting plane and ask if there is a possibility of it being held. We never had to do this on our delayed Spirit flight. The flight attendants had already taken it upon themselves to see that some passengers had a very tight connection and to radio the connecting plane. They also gave us instructions on how to get to the plane and made all other passengers sit down to let us off first. When we arrived on our full connecting flight, everyone cheered and we thanked everyone for waiting. This little extra touch of service really made us appreciate Spirit and be thankful that they are spending time investing in the guest!

Another way Spirit has invested in the guest is through the increased addition of technology. For example, The Spirit Airlines app is better than ever and easier to understand than ever and they are still working to improve it. If you don’t want to print your boarding pass at home or pay to print it at the airport, you can simply download it on the app! You can also tag your checked bag yourself instead of waiting in long lines. This also allows you to ensure your bag is going to your desired destination because you input it yourself!

Spirit Is Adding So Many New Destinations And Routes To Their 67 Destinations

If you have always wanted to travel to Central or South America or the Caribbean, Spirit Airlines is truly the way to go! They also fly all over the USA as well! A flight from Tampa to Lima Peru was about $280 per person when we went last year! Isn’t that insanely affordable to go all the way to Peru? We sure thought so!

Spirit has over 500 daily flights to 27 countries and will be adding more very soon. They will be making Orlando their second biggest hub after Fort Lauderdale so if you love Disney like we do, now is the time to start packing your bags. This new hub will also allow people to fly in for their cruises out of Port Canaveral and spend the money they saved on their vacation. Check out the full route map here! 

Now You Know What On Earth Spirit Airlines Has Been Up To!

Spirit Airlines has been working on these changes for a long time, behind the scenes, and didn’t want to put the word out until they were efficient and proven. That time is now so if you haven’t flown Spirit for a few years, or ever, we highly recommend giving them a try! Make sure to sign up to their email list for super great flash deals on flights! If you have never flown, now is the chance to try! If you have flown and had a less than desirable experience, we highly recommend giving Spirit a second chance too now that all the changes and innovations have been implemented!

Please note: This post has been written in partnership with Spirit Airlines. All experiences and opinions are our own and reflect our honest experience with the brand.