Spirit Airlines
Round trip, LAX to Dallas
King of the low-fare airlines and the carrier fliers love to hate. Almost everything on the plane will cost you except the air you breathe.
The airline flies to destinations throughout the United States and the Caribbean, Central and South America. Spirit, like Allegiant, departs from LAX Terminal 3, so plan accordingly. Don’t expect coffee and bring your own food.
The plane/your seat: The Airbus A320 was filthy. How filthy? There was a half-eaten cookie under the seat in front of me, dirt was caked on all the metal surfaces, and black and brown smudges of undetermined origin covered the overhead bins and window frames.
I paid $35 each way for seating in a cracked leather seat in an exit row, which had plenty of legroom, with a 38-inch pitch. (Standard seats have a 28-inch pitch.) No in-flight entertainment; no charging stations. Customer ser vice: The flight attendants were friendly and had a sense of humor. When addressing the passengers before takeoff, one attendant told us to “finish up Instagram, Tinder, Grindr.” They also cracked jokes about nothing being free.
What you’re eating: Nothing, unless you bring it or want to pay for it. Water, soft drinks, juice and cocktail mixers cost $3. Liquor is $7. Snacks (chips, nuts, candy) are $2 to $4.
What I paid: Round-trip airfare, including taxes: $221.18. $70 carry-on bag fee; $40 seatselection fee. Printing your boarding pass at the airport (I did not) will cost you $10. Grand total: $331.18 round trip.
Did I save money? Yes. Next lowest roundtrip base fare for LAX-Dallas on United in the same time period: $360. Overall grade: C-, based on the dirty plane and fishy explanations for flight delays.