Tips for affordable travel with Spirit Airlines

Hannah Finnie was tired of all the hate.

She heard it from her friends, from her colleagues. The shade had even made its way into pop culture, popping up on social media and "Saturday Night Live."

"Michael Che and Colin Jost just love to make a Spirit Airlines joke," said Finnie, 31 who lives in Washington, D.C. "So then I just got really defensive and was kind of like, no, this airline is decent."

Finnie started a fan account for the airline on X called "That’s the Spirit."

"I felt the need to speak up for this little airline," she said.

Despite what you might hear, people love Spirit Airlines. And not just Finnie. When the ultra-low-cost carrier filed for bankruptcy protection last year, fans were devastated by the thought of losing it for good. Their devotion underscores a simple fact: Spirit is often the most affordable way to travel. Sometimes even cheaper than Amtrak or the gas money it’d take to drive.

"I have been able to do so much traveling and say yes to things I otherwise probably would not have been able to say yes to" because of Spirit, said Julie Schreiber, 28, another Spirit sympathizer in D.C. "I appreciate its existence so much."

I’m with the fans. The last time I flew Spirit Airlines between D.C. and Austin, with a layover in Orlando, I braced myself for the worst — for naught. The flight attendants were chipper, the company was pleasant and the flights departed on schedule. Better yet, my ticket was more than $300 cheaper than fares on other airlines.

"You get what you pay for," Finnie said. "If you want a slightly nicer experience, either switch to another airline or just add on a feature. It’s pretty simple."

Spirit is far from perfect; it has strengths and weaknesses and very clear limitations. But it is so much more than its reputation. So I interviewed Spirit fans to get their tips for making the most out of flying the polarizing airline.

Do buy your ticket at the airport

Spirit’s often the cheapest ticket in town, but you can make it even cheaper by buying yours in person. At the airport. Like it’s 1960.

"You can get a pretty sizable discount," said Matthew Burke, 30, a Spirit regular who lives in Frederick, Maryland.

That’s because Spirit has a "passenger usage charge" for tickets purchased on its website. You can knock about $20 off each leg of your trip, for each person.

Burke says the smoothest way to do this is to go to the airport with flight details written on a piece of paper that you hand to an agent. You should probably do this in advance so you’re not rolling the dice on your travel day, particularly for a busy period like spring break or Thanksgiving week.

Do take short trips

Spirit’s economy seats are about as bare bones as you get — just a thin rigid slab that doesn’t recline. That means the airline is serviceable for a quick trip and potentially painful for anything longer. Most of the Spirit regulars I talked to said their maximum flight time is 2½ to three hours.

Do bring gear for a long haul

At the end of the day, a Spirit fare can be hard to beat, so you just have to take it no matter the distance. If you’re braving a coast-to-coast, international or red-eye flight, you need to bring in reinforcements for those little seats. Save yourself some physical agony by packing gear like a good neck pillow, an ergonomic seat for fewer backaches, a foot sling — anything to take the edge off.

Or you could upgrade to the "Big Front Seat," which is wider, better cushioned and offers more leg room plus free refreshments.

Don’t overpack

This is where the fees start adding up. Be ruthless when it comes to packing and stick to an 18-by-14-by-8-inch personal item so you don’t have to pay for a carry-on or a checked bag. However, you may be fine if your cup runneth a little over. Finnie says she thinks the airline is more strict on how many bags people are bringing vs. the exact size, as long as you’re not overdoing it with a huge suitcase.

"I have a pretty large yellow backpack; I’ve tied shoes onto the outside of it when they wouldn’t fit inside, and it’s been totally fine," Finnie said.

Don’t forget a book

Besides the jovial flight attendants, you will find no entertainment onboard a Spirit flight. No tiny seat-back screen with free movies, no in-flight magazine. Schreiber, the Spirit regular, says she warns newcomers that they must "bring something to do," adding, "I bring a book and I’m fine."

Do BYOB

As on a bus, you won’t get free snacks or drinks on a Spirit flight. Unless you buy one of the "Go Big" or "Go Comfy" ticket upgrades, you’ll need to pay for any refreshments. Or you can BYO something from home to tide you over. The absence of snacks doesn’t bother Schreiber. It’s a price she’s willing to pay for a $52 plane ticket.

"When people say to me, ‘On Spirit they don’t give you anything,’ I’m like, ‘Okay, American Airlines gives you a Biscoff? Wow,’" Schreiber said. "You’re not convincing me."

Do invest in the Spirit Saver$ Club

If you’re a regular traveler and Spirit flies from your home airport, consider the Spirit Saver$ Club, a $69.95 annual membership that gets you discounts on tickets, luggage and other upgrades. Those discounts can be applied to up to eight people when booked on your reservation. Fans say it pays off quickly if you fly enough.

If a paid membership isn’t for you, you can sign up for the Free Spirit loyalty program to accrue points for similar benefits over time. Fly enough and one day you may earn a free Long Island iced tea on your flight to Orlando.