7 hacks to get around Spirit Airline fees

It’s no secret you can save money flying Spirit Airlines, which is in a dispute with pilots that disrupted travel of tens of thousands of customers. Nightmare scenes this week over canceled flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport aside, the Miramar-based carrier appeals to travelers on a tight budget by offering some of the lowest fares in the industry.

One-way “Bare Fare” flights can be as cheap as $29. But county buses have more free amenities, like leg room and Wi-Fi, than Spirit.

The airline is upfront with customers: “We start you off with an unbundled, strippeddown Bare Fare. Then you get Frill Control, which allows you to pay only for the options you choose — like bags, seat assignments and refreshments — the things other airlines bake right into their ticket prices,” according to Spirit.com.

These “frills,” as Spirit refers to them, include more than 30 ways to charge you more (water is a luxury item). These add-ons — some travelers may find a larger seat necessary to make a flight bearable — bring the seductively low base fare into focus. Fees for optional services add up quickly.

Here is what you should know about flying Spirit:

Booking: Save almost $38 on round-trip fares by reserving flights at ticket counters at the airport. The airline tacks on a “Passenger Usage Fee” of up to $18.99 per flight, per customer, for trips booked on Spirit.com. When booking online, Spirit helpfully offers to add a seat assignment, carry-on and airport check-in for $144. Or, choose to customize options yourself. Unfortunately, you’re assaulted by so many pop-up offers to book hotels, cars and activities, you may be tempted to abandon ship before a price can be tallied. Computer challenged? Calling a live agent to make a reservation costs $35.

Boarding pass: Print it at home or at the hotel, otherwise it’s $2 per pass at kiosks or $10 if printed by an agent.

Seats: They don’t recline. Spirit calls itself a “cozy airline” and ups the sardine factor by cramming more seats on planes. But you can buy a “Big Front Seat,” which presumably is the airline’s answer to first class. Fees are $12 to $199 each way. There are only a few on each plane. If those seats go unsold, they may be available at a discount. Ask at check-in.

Also, seating is unassigned. Want to make sure you’ll sit with your wife or get extra leg room? Pay up to $31 to reserve a seat.

Baggage fees: You’ve heard of the Soup Nazi on “Seinfeld”? Spirit is the Suitcase Nazi. Prices for bags are so utterly confusing, it’s difficult to predict what you’ll pay. A visit to the website and a not-free call to Spirit robots (humans must cost extra) failed to clear up the matter. You can bring one small personal item on for free, like a purse or backpack, as long as it’s no larger than 18-by-14-by-8 inches (40 linear inches).

A carry-on bag (22-by-18-by-10 inches including wheels and handles) up to 40 pounds costs $39, I think; check it for $32, according to the website. Go over by even one pound and it’s $30 or more, said the robot. Larger suitcases can cost $100 to $150 each, depending on weight and size. Read the rules at Spirit.com/Bags and roll the dice.

The cheapest option: Make decisions about baggage when purchasing tickets online. Don’t wait until you get to the gate, because items checked there can cost up to $100 per bag, depending on route and date. Why? “It costs time and resources to process at the airport,” explains the website.

Spirit does offer a hilarious, yet helpful YouTube video on how to pack light, which shows a young woman wearing 10 layers of clothes. That option could save you some serious coin.

Memberships: It’s free to join the frequent flyer club, which offers rewards for miles flown and gives access to deals. The $9 Low-Fare Club gets you $9 flights and baggage discounts. Cost is $19.95 for a 60-day trial or $59.95 for the first year. Renew for $69.95.

Rewards: Spirit Airlines World MasterCard is free for the first year and offers 15,000 miles for joining, which could equal up to six one-way flights depending on time of year and distance. But, the airline charges $15 to $100 to redeem rewards unless they are booked 180 days in advance. Renew for $59 a year.

BYOD: Bring your own drink and food. Water and soft drinks are $3 each; snacks are $2.50 to $6.50; beer, wine and liquor are $7 each. Only credit or debit cards are accepted.

The carrier’s approach generates customer complaints, especially about baggage fees. It nonetheless was named the most improved airline last year in an annual Airline Quality Ratings study conducted by Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The bottom line: If you want rock-bottom pricing, Spirit will get you where you want to go, assuming it makes peace with its pilots.

Doreen Christensen