I finally caved and flew on the 'worst airline in America' — hither's what it was like

People in line for Spirit Airlines flight airport Getty Images

People stand up in line to cheque in at the Spirit Airlines counter at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Aerodrome.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

If you lot've heard of Spirit Airlines, the odds are those things were on the negative terminate of the spectrum. Consumer Reports ranked Spirit equally the worst airline in America before this twelvemonth. The airline's no-frills fares are often at the root of bad reviews, since everything from a comport-on purse to a bottle of h2o will cost you actress money.

After several years of hearing about Spirit Airline's notorious reputation, I bit the bullet and decided to wing from New York to Texas on the "budget" flight.

Keep reading to see what information technology was really similar on board a Spirit Airlines flying, from the good to the bad and everything in between.

The first affair to know well-nigh booking a Spirit Airlines flight is that the fare listed in third-political party fare search engines similar Google Flights or Kayak volition exist much lower than is realistic.

Spirit Airlines might seem less expensive on sites similar Google Flights, only non if y'all have into business relationship the extra fees.
Google Flights

The price reflected on a third-party site volition exist the base fare. But Spirit Airlines advertises "unbundled" fares, which means that toll tag y'all see but covers the flight itself and 1 personal item. They call this the "bare fare."

Y'all pay extra fees for a carry-on bag, a checked purse, and more.

The "Thrills Combo" can salve you coin, but only if you need all the add-ons.
Spirit Airlines

Behave-on bags are $37 each way. Spirit Airlines offers a "Thrills Combo" for $77.49 each mode, and that includes one conduct-on, one checked bag, seat option, priority boarding, and "flight flex" (which allows you to brand changes to your trip once it's booked for minimal extra fees).

I was flying to Dallas for a long weekend, then 1 personal item (my backpack) and a standard size wheeled carry-on bag was all I needed.

A brief search online will reveal merely how controversial Spirit Airlines really is.

The bright yellowish plane is impossible to miss.
Philip Pilosian/Shutterstock

On TripAdvisor, Spirit averages 2.5 out of 5 for its ratings with over 8,000 total reviews. About 2,700 of those reviews rank it as "terrible" and many of the users say they'll never fly with the company again.

The Yelp page for Spirit Airlines doesn't paint a more pleasant flick.

1.5 out of five stars is pretty bleak.
Yelp

"The Garbage of the Air, Spirit Airways," a 1 star review from Alex H. says on Yelp. "If yous always want to know what information technology'due south like to be in Department 8 Air Lifestyle, this is your airline. If you similar being charged for everything, and I hateful everything except for Air, this is your airline. If you want horrible client service and terrible management and entreatment, cull Spirit. They will spiral your wallet every way they can, and will smiling while they do information technology. Get f--- yourself Spirit Airlines :)."

All this being said, I was prepared for problems simply kept an open listen equally I booked my flight and headed to the airport.

The departures expanse of New York City's LaGuardia Airport.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

I checked in online the day before my flight and arrived at LaGuardia with my printed boarding pass in hand.

Spirit charges you a $10 fee to have an employee print your boarding pass at the bank check-in counter, then it behooves you to check in online or at the kiosk.

I typically take advantage of online check-in anyways, simply Spirit has kiosks most their counter, too.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

This is peculiarly easy if you're only bringing carry-on items. If you're checking a bag, yous can still bank check-in online or at the kiosk and so drop your bags at the counter.

Every bit with most airlines, Spirit has a handy bag-measuring station so you tin make sure your conduct-on items will fit.

Spirit Airlines makes its extra charges clear on the signage.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

I was slightly worried at the sight of this station. My wheeled comport-on suitcase seemed slightly larger than the space seen here. But I decided to take my chances, since I didn't want to pay any boosted fees.

Once through security, I made my style to the gate.

The Spirit Airlines gate in LaGuardia Airport.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

Since Spirit Airlines is rather new, the gates feel slightly cramped betwixt other airlines. But the boarding was a piece of cake, and really began early (a rarity in air travel) on my manner to Texas.

Once on board, my worries about the overhead bin space were assuaged. The wheeler suitcase fit fine up summit.

The overhead space is the same every bit other standard planes.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

I eventually learned that Spirit puts yous in a boarding grouping depending on how many items you've pre-purchased to bring on, along with other individual factors like seat location.

This likely minimizes the odds of overhead space filling up earlier yous have a run a risk to board (which has happened to me on other airlines).

Unlike about of its competitors, Spirit's seats don't recline and have minimal cushion.

The setup was much like you'd find on any standard airliner.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

The seats were all the same reasonably comfy, though certainly less luxurious. There'southward as well no in-flying entertainment options or Wi-Fi.

I'd recommend downloading some TV shows or movies onto a laptop, tablet, or your phone alee of fourth dimension, and bringing a neck pillow if you lot take trouble falling asleep on planes.

I had paid six dollars ahead of time to select the window seat on my flight.

The tray tabular array is tiny.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

Upon settling in, I was surprised to encounter such a small tray table in front of me. There was also no backseat pocket. Instead, stretchy cords held the condom data and on-flight menu.

Finding room for my feet and my backpack was a slight struggle.

I'grand 5 feet seven inches, and leg room was tight but non unbearable.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

I figured information technology wouldn't be too bad for a flight that was only nether 4 full hours.

Earlier I could truly go comfortable, a flight attendant asked if I wouldn't heed moving to the seat in forepart of my original one.

Leave row guests get all the legroom they could need.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

The seat they moved me too (without caption) was in the leave row. In one case I assured them I would be comfortable helping with any emergency evacuation procedures, I was happy to stretch my legs out.

Once the flight took off, I perused the menu. I knew I needed to purchase at least a h2o (since no beverages are free on Spirit and I had no food or drinks with me).

The standard beverage carte.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

Iii dollars will get y'all a soda, water, or juice. 2 bucks buys y'all a coffee or tea. There are also modest snacks similar chips and muffins to choose from, and of course a pick of alcohol.

Since the seat in forepart of me was then far away, my tray table popped upwards from my armrest.

Getting a full can of soda and regular-sized water bottle was a surprise.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

My drinks came get-go, and I was happy to see a full-sized can of soda with a standard size water bottle. Other airlines requite you these drinks for gratuitous, merely you typically have to ask to keep the full can (and the h2o bottles are usually tiny).

My snack pack arrived in a neat, small box.

The box was the aforementioned bright yellow equally the Spirit Airlines airplane.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

At this point, I was a very happy camper. The boarding and seating process had been piece of cake, and I was on-the-fly upgraded to get maximum leg room.

The snack box came with Skittles, Wheat Thins, cheese spread, salted almonds, and Milano cookies.

The contents of the snack pack.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

Everything came in what seemed like the smallest possible size, but it wound up existence a perfect mix of sugariness and savory. I saved my Milano cookies, ate the rest, and spent the residue of my flight reading or napping.

My render journey to New York shook out most the same, with ane major fail: The cheese plate.

The cheese plate arrived room temperature.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

On my flight back to New York, I slept for a couple hours and woke upwards starving. This fourth dimension I had remembered to buy my ain water bottle at the airport, and then I decided to merely purchase the cheese plate this fourth dimension around.

Equally the packaging revealed, this cheese plate was actually a pick of processed "pasteurized cheese foods."

This was a really bad note upon which to end my Spirit Airlines experience.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

The package independent three "cheeses," nigh vi crackers, and a measly department of dried cranberries (with 2 itty fragmentary pieces of dried apple). The cheeses were all room temperature, creating a grainy and sweaty texture I didn't care for at all.

Subsequently regretfully eating almost of my warm "cheese" plate, it was shortly wheels-downwards time.

Hello, New York City. Goodbye, Spirit Airlines.
Kim Renfro/INSIDER

Overall, most of my experience on Spirit Airlines was fine. Nothing super great, and merely the cheese plate was something I would mark down as truly, truly bad.

However — I doubt I'll be booking another Spirit Airlines flying again.

People stand up in line to cheque in at the Spirit Airlines counter at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The toll departure didn't seem that much cheaper after bags, seat pick, and on-board drink purchases. If the base fare was e'er truly much lower (I'thousand talking at least $100 less), I would book Spirit Airlines — but only for flights under four hours.

I'thou fortunate enough to exist financially capable of shelling out a bit more for an airline I adopt.

As a California transplant who lived in New York City for 10 years, Virgin America/Alaska Airlines became my become-to.
David McNew/Getty Images

For longer journeys, that added condolement of reclining, padded headrests, and bodily tasty cheese plates — not to mention the free in-flight movies and Tv — is worth spending more than.

For more airline coverage from INSIDER, read our guide on when to purchase plane tickets if you're trying to salve money.

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