I’ve always been the type of person to pay for what I like. If convenience is an extra charge, here’s my card. I approach travel the same way. However, being a family of five, sometimes that’s not so beneficial. No one stretches the dollar like a mother. You must cut corners and sometimes cheaper is the better route.

For us, the go to airline is Delta. I find their loyalty program is decent. I’ll have to do my research on which one is the best.

It wasn’t until a recent trip to Dallas, when we decided to shop for airline tickets with some of the cheaper airlines. It was only for a weekend, and for just 2 days why not? I always do my research and decided to check out the top 10 US airlines from 2017.

Here’s what I found:

We’ve heard horror stories about Spirit, so I could see why they held the number 10 spot. The memes floating around about Spirit is HILARIOUS. So automatically that was out…. Right??

Wrong! After waiting… again (I do have plans on doing better) I ended up searching for tickets on Spirit’s website. It turned out they really had the best deal. The average round trip flight cost about $117 and according to Hopper (Flight Finding App) it is the 2^nd cheapest.

I was able to convince my husband this was a good choice, as he was dead set on NOT flying Spirit. Besides, the flight from Atlanta to Dallas was a little over 2 hours, not too long. If it turned out to be awful, I would never hear the end of it though. So, we went with a one-way flight to Dallas on Spirit, while taking a one way back on Delta. At least if the flight there was awful, we wouldn’t have to fly it coming home.

Our one-way ticket cost us a grand total = $232 (price for 2). They do offer a $9 fare club that offers discounts on everything from flights to baggage. We opted out.

Fees

Seem to be one of the biggest complaints and I must admit you are charged for everything. They have more of an a la carte option, where you pay for what you need. Even with the fees added, I must admit it still did not break the bank for us. I strongly suggest anything you decide to “pick” you do that during the actual booking process. Prices will go up before/during 24 hour check in and even higher if you wait until you get to the airport to pay.

For our luggage, I made a mistake during the checkout and paid for a carry-on ($35) instead of paying for a checked bag ($30). You’ll have to see Spirit’s Baggage Calculator for an exact amount. After calling customer service, the representative was able to re-adjust the fee. I had to pay an additional $5 because it was not during the original booking process. Yep 1^st checked bag during booking is $30, after booking anytime before/ during the check in process that same bag goes to $40.If I waited until we got to the airport, that same bag would have cost $50.

Another save, my husband and I shared our luggage. Yes ladies, it is possible to share your luggage with the boo. I was proud of myself; I tend to go overboard. I made sure to stay within the 40-pound weight requirement. Again remember, a la carte. The more luggage you bring, the more money you will spend. Don’t wait until you get to the airport, it will cost you!!

This was the 1^st time I had to pay to pick our seats also. Spirit charges $7 for each seat assignment during booking. After booking, I would also suggest printing your boarding pass prior to arrival. There’s an additional $10 added for each boarding pass printed at the airport. Again don’t wait until you get to the airport!!!

If you’ve read 15 Hours in Dallas, then you know we missed our flight and had to wait until the next day to fly out. Luckily, we were already checked in which saved us $100, Always check in 24 hours before!!! I knew refreshments were not going to be passed around without a fee, so we made sure to eat while at the airport.

I’m not exactly sure what I was thinking before getting on the plane but the flight wasn’t bad at all. I mean the seats were a little smaller, and the space was a little tighter, but nothing outrageous. I slept the entire way, which is a good sign lol. I don’t know, it’s something about the engine roaring that’s a little peaceful.

My flight experience was better on Spirit, then my return flight on Delta. How ironic!? Apparently, it was that pilot’s first time landing a plane and my first time using the barf bag the airline provides. How did we know it was the pilot first landing?? The crew joked about it, as we were leaving. Totally not funny might I add.  So, I guess in this case cheaper was better!

Thoughts to myself like:

As far as budget, customer service, and experience goes, Spirit gets a check on all 3 in my book. This is one reason why sometimes you just need to experience things for yourself. It’s great if others are knowledgeable and you want their expertise, but ultimately your biggest teacher will be experience. If I would have listened to the horror stories, I probably would have been out of even more money. After all, the one way from Dallas to Atlanta cost us $266 + $25 (checked bag fee). I’m just glad I did my research prior!!

As always,