If you are an inexperienced flyer it won't be such a shock. If you began flying in the 70's you would be bummed on how low the standards for airlines have fallen.
So if it’s a short(1-2hr max) and direct flight take Spirit. If it’s a long non direct flight, take a major carrier like Delta, got it! Thanks for the awesome tips guys and sorry you had a bad flight.
You bet! I think a lot of it comes down to your risk tolerance and budget. If Spirit is the only option that works for a budget, then it’s better than nothing!
My wife and I made a 40 minute international connection from Rome, Italy to New York, JFK to Orlando, FL. We arrived at the last gate at terminal 4 at JFK, went through customs, claimed our bags, went on the train to switch from terminal 4 to terminal 2, and passed TSA with olive oil from Italy using extra screening. I wish I recorded it, but we had to do what we had to do to get the job done. We made the connection. Go go go.
I’m flying Spirit airlines in 6 days for the first time. I was scheduled to fly them 2.5 years ago but they overbooked my flight and offered to fly me to Orlando on Southwest for free and gave me a $250 voucher on top. Because of Covid, I had them extend it twice but they wouldn’t extend it beyond Sept, 2021. I drove to Orlando, leaving the car at the airport and flying home. Then, after spending the holidays at home, I’ll fly Spirit back (both non stops), stay for two weeks, then drive home. So baggage isn’t a problem. I’ll leave my cloths and toiletries in my trunk and carry a small personal case on board. I have a few Christmas items that I’d like to take back, if they fit in the personal item case or my 4 large coat pockets. I’d never fly Spirit on anything but a non stop and not having to meet any deadline arrival time. I flew Air Asia 14 years ago from Chiangmai, Thailand with my bride to Bali for a honeymoon. It was in two parts; Chiangmai to Kuala Lumpur and then to Bali. I bought them as two separate tickets, with a 3.5 hour layover. The Chiangmai flight took off late and we arrived with 50 minutes left in the layover. I had explained this to the Chiangmai flight attendant and she said Kuala Lumpur agents had been notified and we would be rushed to make the flight. When we landed, the new agents denied this and refused to let us board, even though we were at the gate with 30 minutes left and the plane sat until it took off on time. The agents then said they would get me on the same flight the next day, at their full fare price. After arguing, I paid it (I subsequently disputed the charge with my credit card company and the dispute held. I’ve flown Air Asia since on non stops, so I wasn’t barred). Needless to say, it put a damper on our honeymoon.
Yeah that nonstop-no deadline rule you have is a good one. Anything other than that is a risk you have to be willing to take to save some $$$. Sometimes it works, sometimes not!
I missed a connection flight with Qatar Airways once due to their fault, and I ended up staying in Doha for a while. Transport, food, and a luxury hotel room for the day, everything on them!
Ooo that sounds awesome! That happened to me once with LATAM too. I wouldn’t have minded if Spirit would’ve given us accommodation... but they said they wouldn’t because the limit is 90 minutes for a connection and we had 94 😒😒😒
That always makes me laugh. People fly carriers like Southwest and Spirit and demand that it feel like Etihad or Emirates. LMAO, what are they smoking?? On the other hand, a Spirit employee dropped me a dirty secret: tip your flight attendant in secret and they'll do nice things like bring you water bottles and snacks. Try it, you have only $2 or 3 to lose...
I'm a frequent flyer of spirit; 2-3 times a month for the last year. From So Cal to Vegas (45min-1hour flight)... I haven't had any issues. No boarding pass issues (print out or the mobile app), no baggage issues... Nothing. I think you guys just got unlucky... I wouldn't discount Spirit... Just my experience.
there was baggauge isieus they charged 100 for this guys on sintrgra mskateboard where he cracked it in half go check it out !!! sorst airline hopefully they get lcosed down !!!
Why do they charge so many extra fees?? I booked a one way from NYC to LA, original stating price $149 by the end of my booking it was fucking $286 and I didn't add any extras just a carry on.....wtf
@@m2kaay If you have 1 carry-on, like a backpack, or small luggage that can fit in the overhead bins... You can treat that as "1 personal item" and not get charged (people get that mixed up with pay for a carry on). Also... Don't select/pay for a seat, let spirit pick one for you if you have a short flight. Don't pay to get on the plane faster aka zoning. No need to pay for insurance. Lastly... Try to plan your trip at least 3 weeks in advance for cheaper flights. Just my 2 cents.
@@Mdroudian Not true. My carry on fit inside of overhead but they don’t care. It’s the a metal box they have at the front, before get into plane. If your carryon doesn’t fit inside stupid metal boxes, you have to pay $100! I was so pissed! Southwest didn’t charge me anything.
8:00 dude, totally can relate! And no you are not paranoid. I have been robbed and bags snatched 3 times in south Asia and now I have serious trust issues when travelling on anything public. Actually you can never be too careful and if you aren't, you just have something bad waiting to happen at some point. Lock your zippers, don't put any valuable items in compartments which are accessible from outside of the bag, either keep it within your legs or inward face it in the overhead bin. Also it's a good idea to attach some trackers in your bags. Don't sleep next to strangers for too long if travelling alone. Don't share foods with strangers. I learned my lessons the hardest way.
Definitely when I book tickets I book non-stop regardless of airline. Minimizing the room for error at every point. Also another tip is book your flights early!!!! Most likely the plane would have been parked ready to leave, the airport is less busy and many more things. Like people being nicer as they haven’t had rude customers etc.
This connection problem can happen to any airline, not just Spirit. When you travel internationally you NEED to have plenty of time for connections or get Global Entry and bypass most of immigration.
How much time would you say minimum? This is new for me. When I few to Asia a few years back, I boarded my 1st flight and switched flights in the same country. Then when I reached my destination country, I went through customs there. On my return trip, I don't remember going through customs. I'm sure I did, but it wasn't eventful, so I don't remember it.
Spirit accidentally kicked me off my plane today- and didn’t realize they made a mistake until AFTER the plane left. I was hysterical. I needed to get back to my two kids- They tried to tell me it was because I checked in last so I didn’t have a seat on the plane ( Which also wasn’t true because I counted at least 20 people that walked to the counter after me and checked in)- the plane which was overbooked but here’s the kicker… I checked in the night before I even paid for my seat on the plane, via their website… However, what’s more frustrating was the fact that they had not one, not three, but SIX volunteers willing to give up their spot on the plane for extra accommodations. Needless to say I got home five hours after my checked bag did, I flew Southwest airlines that they paid for with one layover and they gave me a $650 in credit +50% off voucher. But I’m nervous to even book with them again.
Oh man that sounds like a mess! If that ever happens again, you should demand that they give you cash and not a voucher. I actually talk about that in my next video we’re about to publish. I’m sorry you had that experience!
8:55 ... Benadryl, normally used for allergies, is also used by nurses to help get their sleep cycles back to normal after they work crazy late shifts. Dramamine is good for general motion sickness.
Evoiding connected flights with Spirit is a major tip. My flight Boston-Miami was canceled and the reschedule option was only in 24 hours. The hotel canceled my reservation as I didn't arrive and I lost my vacation and money.
I'm flying southwest. My first flight is Nonstop, the way back is 1 stop no plane change. I'm much more comfortable with a no plane change than changing planes.
Spirit is my go-to budget carrier! I really enjoyed watching your video! Another thing: if you live near an airport and can access it, it is cheaper to book Spirit flights at the airport than online. The $19.95 booking fee is waived when booking with airport staff. I realize not every experience is good, but perhaps I’m just on a lucky streak. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it!
2 years ago I used Spirit Airlines to fly to Las Vegas from Detroit... they wanted to charge me for printing a boarding pass picking my seat and extra fee for everything and I refused but I did have to pay $5 for a boarding pass... on the way home from Las Vegas they oversold the flight because I did not purchase a seat I got bumped off.. they gave each of us a $350 voucher for a future flight. PLUS it was already late in the evening so they gave us a free hotel room plus money for food.. the following year before it expired I booked me and my son a trip to Arizona for basically free😂.. some people hate Spirit Airlines but I like them because I would rather not prepay for all the extra stuff like meals and drinks on the plane
I'm just going on an hour flight from MD to SC I hope everything goes. Smooth. This is my first time on a plane the short distance shouldn't be as bad thank you for the tips
Thank you so much for this video. I had flown on Spirit years ago and vowed that I wouldn't do it again and now...I will be flying on Spirit for a last minute trip to Cancun. So the tips you mentioned are great for me to prepare for this trip!!!
So many good travel tips in this video to use anytime and anywhere regardless of airline! Another option for zipper security is to use simple twist ties like you get free when shopping for produce in a grocery store.
First of all, love your videos. Wish they were in Spanish though. But they wouldn't be so popular then... I already subscribed! Now, I absolutely love Spirit and whenever I say that people look at me like something is wrong with me. I live in Costa Rica and SJO is an expensive airport to fly to and from. We would never be able to afford flying to the US without Spirit. Even Jet blue and frontier don't match to the Spirit fares. We flew SJO -MCO on 2017 and I loved Spirit so much we got the credit card. No annual fees, always have 0% 3-6 month installments and sometimes double points or give you 5.000 points on regular basis. We've flown SJO-EWR roundtrip for $412 for two people! We flew without checked bags or carry ons. Personal items only using the tips on your other video (we figured them out before watching you). We spent two weeks with clothes from our personal item by doing laundry twice during the trip. It also helps that us latin americans in general are short. So the seat is no problem. My advice though is that if you are connecting via FFL (most times you will since it's their hub) ALWAYS leave 4 hrs for connection. Otherwise you won't make it. If you're not TSA check (Latin Americans cannot) you'll go through several screenings and will spend at least one and a half hour doing that. Then getting from the international terminal to domestic always takes time. Don't risk it. You DON'T want to miss a Sprit flight like we saw on the video because they are always jam packed. My other tip is to bring beverage packages and ordering a FREE ice cup. Yup! Spirit DOES give your free ice cups. 100% checked in my last flight on Sept 2022. We flew SJO -MCO for $60 each!!! Exit tax included. It was awesome. I think we paid 10.000 points each but they practically give points away. My other tip is buying a sturdy Duffel bag that folds into a small package, shove it into your backpack and then using it for luggage on your trip back. We stuffed so much in ours it was unbelievable. We only paid $40 for the checked bag home. So if you plan to come to Costa Rica, request that card, use the welcome points to come for cheap, and then get rid of it if you want. The MCO and FLL crew to Costa Rica are hilarious too, and the flight is less than three hours. I see Spirit as a bus service like the ones we have here. So, if I can go to Disney every year for next to nothing every year,yeah I'll do it. I've never had a problem with Spirit and have always enjoyed great service. Plus, if you have the credit card, even the basic, you get priority boarding and will always be seated with your booking party. In the States racking priority points is extremely easy and that gets you free checked bags and snacks. Nowadays every airline is nickeling and dimming. Even Lufthansa is not giving free meals in some flights. Pack a slice of hot pizza from home like I did, enjoy it at the gate and sleep or watch a movie during the flight. You can bring any type of food with you in a separate plastic bag, as long as it's not liquid or pasty. I enjoy Spirit so much I'm already planning my next trip with my free spirit points in my beautiful credit card. If you refer people, they'll give you 5.000 points for free too!
Wow those are some awesome tips! Thanks for sharing! Also if you prefer Spanish, you can add the auto-generated Spanish subtitles in the video settings, but these seem to only work if you’re watching from a computer (the setting doesn’t show up on phones unfortunately). Would be awesome to visit CR soon! 😎
I've flown with Spirirt many times. I've never had an issue. No weird forms to fill out, no baggage issues, no problem boarding ( ive even had them print out my boarding pass at the ticket counter due to the kiosk line being out of control). No problems at all. Period. They even helped me get a different flight due to a canceled flight due to bad storms. So, i realize we all have different experiences but, ive never had an issue. 🤷♀️
Another packing trick is to wear a travel vest that has lots of pockets you can pack things in and wear during your travels. Although those specially designed travel vests can get expensive, so another tip would be to buy a fishing vest which you can probably get cheaper.
As to comfort, it depends on how and what I packed in which pockets. But in general, yes, I would stow it if necessary. This is an especially good idea if you travel with kids and/or babies. It’s so much quicker and easier to pull something out of a pocket than have to rummage through a diaper bag or back pack.
I also suggest getting children their own travel vest once they are old enough. Let them “pack” it themselves (with adult supervision). That way they know what they have in which pocket.
The most important lesson here is always giving yourself enough time with layovers, especially when you have to go through immigration! We were planning a trip to Slovinia from the USA. A popular booking app kept routing us through Amsterdam, a city that I would love to visit. Unfortunately, the Amsterdam flight left less than an hour and a half after our arrival time. We were not confident that we would make the flight. BTW, I flew 24500 miles last year foor pleasure travel. As for Spirit, my wife refuses to fly with them. I will only use them for direct flights.
Going from Boston to Miami tomorrow, non stop flight, went from Boston to Vegas before, non stop flight no problems, i guess problem with connections can happen to any company anyway, if its a reasonable amount of money for a direct flight just do it, avoid the hassle, thanks for the hints btw, going to target right now to get myself a fanny pack and the motion sickness pill for daughter, thanks!
Spirit air is OK provided there are no cancelations, I had two flights canceled in the last six months and the way they handled it was horrible. I no longer use them for anything that involves a stop and a change of planes, if they cancel a flight I don't want to be at some strange airport with the counter personal telling me it will take a week to get me to my destination...
I got a Spirit flight cancellation yesterday (Bogota to Columbus) and it was impossible to re-book. The web site kept giving me an error message that explained nothing, no one answered the customer service phone for awhile, then only got an infuriating software-only voice. Finally I was able to get a new flight using the chat feature, but only after NOT closing the chat session and persisting no matter what nonsensical message I got.
Thank you so much for this video! I am flying them next week and I am excited to see what's in store for me! I will be flying BWI to LAX (no connections thankfully!) and will keep you posted on how it went on my channnel
That's a good way to put it. Also, don't assume there will be enough time for your connection just because they sell it together as one flight - especially with international flights where you have to go through immigration. If you get held up in immigration, the airline is not responsible (which I suppose is fair..but if they know it's a problem, they shouldn't sell flights with short connections).
Without having flown on spirit (until this coming Monday), I’ve flown on Allegiant which is a similar budget airline to spirit and exit row seating is a must. I’m 6’6” and the amount of pressure on my knees is almost unbearable.
Ouch. Sometimes if you ask the gate agents or flight attendants nicely, they may be willing to upgrade you to a extra legroom seat for free. I have had my seat changed last minute numerous times like this.
Nice trick! Yeah the flight attendant upgraded us the the emergency exit row on one of our flights because he was trying to shuffle people around so they could sit with their family. I never thought about just asking them upfront when you enter the plane - it definitely wouldn’t hurt to ask!
I'm with on that. I'm 6'6" and 340lbs. I always do the bigger seats or exit rows. Exit row on spirit runs from 25 to 35 each way. The bigger seats are 40 to 55 depending on when you book. If you are booking last minute will cost you. Plan accordingly.
Sometimes your luggage could not be loaded onto the aircraft because it would exceed its Maximum Take off weight. This is especially true to Airlines that operate small Turboprop aircraft. An Aircraft that’s overloaded will put lives in Danger.
We follow the rules, get to the gate early, and have a 100% good experience after many flights on Spirit. On the average the ticket cost on Spirit has been half of SouthWest!!! Bob in Nevada
They forgot to mention that you have to pay for your seating if you want to sit together and know exactly where you are going to sit. If not seating is free. A lot of times we've ended up sitting next to each other or the same vicinity without paying.
Coming late to the party... Great video. You guys are awesome. FYI, I hate having to take connecting flights, but whenever I do I assume the worst. I just assume I'm going to miss my connecting flight and plan for it. I expect it, because that's the world and I'm just cursed. I don't think this phenomena is unique or special to spirit. I've had similar experiences with American and other major carriers. Just assume you will miss the connecting flight and have a plan b in your pocket. Check the airline schedules and even price out local hotels for contingencies so you're prepared. If you expect the worst and the worst does not happen, well then, that's a good day! Thanks again!
I am flying with Spirit for the first time the end of this month. Scheduled my flight in December and flight schedule has changed 3 times and to the worst.. My layover started with a 1H 8m now….7H25m
Some things to clarify: Your flight from FLL - STL - LAX was actually the same aircraft. Your plane was to be on the ground at STL for 50 - 59 or so minutes, which is normal with Spirit at most small - middle sized airports. Your FLL - STL flight was to arrive at 10:09AM but the flights are usually a few minutes early, since many airlines add on extra minutes to the scheduled flight time to account for small delays during the flight. The 10:15AM you mentioned is the boarding time, not departure, Spirit starts boarding 45 minutes prior to departure. So in reality, your scheduled layover in STL was 10:09AM - 11:00AM. I fly with Spirit a lot and the empty water bottle trick is a very helpful. I never flew international with Spirit but from what it sounds like, this is a not a unusual issue since FLL airport has alot of negative reviews with how they handle international arrivals.
Thanks for that clarification! It sounds like you know more about these flights than the person working at the check-in counter haha (and her manager) - because that’s not what they told us! When we brought it up, they just said “oops!” and then spent another 45 minutes trying to find a different flight. Anyway, you’re completely right. Most of the problems here stemmed directly from the airport and that specific Spirit staff team at that airport. We’ve flown Spirit a lot in the past as well (mostly direct domestic flights). When we originally started making the video, our plan was to promote Spirit. But when things turned south, we felt we had to share our experience. It wouldn’t feel right promoting a video on how great Spirit is when our experience actually sucked. That said, as we mentioned in the video, everyone’s experience is different. And just because we had a bad one doesn’t mean everyone will. That said, we personally will not be taking those kinds of flights on Spirit in the future.
@@ProjectUntethered Sadly Spirit, Frontier, and most smaller airlines usually have ground staff from third party companies. Such employees seem unbothered and unempathetic. I understand its a tough job but hey they're not there for free. A number of ppl who work for Spirit just do so to move onward to being a flight attendant with them and they cant care less about us travelers. I have flown over 100 times and I can confidently say, my biggest issue with Spirit is the poor customer service by their ground staff. I once had a flight with Frontier that I missed, from Las Vegas to Calgary, that flight runs once a week every Saturday so the agent was offering me a new flight 7 days from then. A tried to find another way out, since I do not even live in Vegas. I did know Frontier has a Denver - Calgary flight every Sunday and they have multiple Las Vegas - Denver flights daily, so I asked if that routing is possible. The first gate agent seemed confused and the other agent next to her was like, "I think he's right, there is one" and they put me on the next day flight via Denver. When things like these happen, I start looking at google flights for possible routings with the same airline, and ask if I can be put on that. If not, then I get creative and ask if I can fly to another nearby destination instead if it saves me from a overnight layover. FLL airport is awful for long layovers, and the music they play all night makes it nearly impossible to sleep, as if the bright lights and lack of armrest-less chairs isnt a hurdle itself. A good way to check your aircrafts info is the flightradar24 website. You can see the exact aircraft tail number, aircraft routes for the day, and live tracking of the airplane, that is how I found out the same aircraft does FLL - STL - LAX (for now atleast). A quick look at the airlines route map can also help too.
@@TheBudgetTraveller786 Wow. If you would've been stranded for a whole week, now that would've been a REAL nightmare - especially if you had somewhere important to be. That's an awesome tip about flightradar24, I'm going to tuck that one away in case we run into any other problems!
@@TheBudgetTraveller786 Just wondering when this happened because Frontier does not offer service from Las Vegas to Calgary or Den to Calgary. flights.flyfrontier.com/en/flights-from-las-vegas I actually do not see any flights to Canada from Frontier or Spirit. Now this may have been changed since this happed.
@@chadrosemayer6837 This happened in 2018. Frontier announced flying to YYC in 2017 as part of their expansion plan but finally discontinued their DEN - YYC in 2020 and seem to have no plans to restart it. They also did LAS - YYC for a few months during 2018 but I am assuming that route did not perform well.
That is absolutely right, Its not spirit's fault for you to miss your flight, but how slow and umprepared is U.S Customs to handle many people comming back to the U.S. You created your own nightmare for not planning right.
That is absolutely right, Its not spirit's fault for you to miss your flight, but how slow and umprepared is U.S Customs to handle many people comming back to the U.S. You created your own nightmare for not planning right.
I flew one time with spirit about 5 years back . Battled my way through self check in etc , I was helped by their staff at the airport all in all it went really well I’m over 70 and trip was m off - dfw
One BIG plus about Spirit is the insanely easy on-line flight change and cancellation process! And changes are not as expensive as other airlines, under $100, but I always buy the "one free flight change" option.
We did zip ties locks for our stuff from Melbourne to Boston. However after a 38hr travel with a missed connection at lax, and unable to get into our hotel room and had to wait 20mins for help, we just wanted to go to bed. But then we suddenly realised once get had got in to the room we’d had to find staff again cause we needed scissors to cut them off so another 15min wait for staff. And ended up just buying suitcase locks for our 3 more states b4 back to Australia as we forgot to pack more. Also found out at least in the states, if the “break in” they leave an official declaration that they did open it etc… We also have a suitcase strap that goes around the case that has an inbuilt tsa lock and are coloured so it makes it easier to find the right black bag. Or we’d tie a ribbon or colour ID tag. We have each family member a different colour.
I just don't understand what the negative hype is with Spirit I've been fly with them everyday for the pass year for work in business class each flight and never had any issue once so ever except for one engine failure in mid air and one hydraulic failure which happens with numerous airliners world wide I guess everybody just has there own experiences good and bad but maybe if people stop trying to look for the bad in spirit then maybe they wont have bad experiences with the airliner
This is a true statement. We flew with Spirit in January and had no problems. It was non-stop. The flight attendants were friendly and the plane was VERY clean. My Sister was dead set against flying with Spirit because she's heard bad things about them but she was pleasantly surprised.
@@grajalesmint Thanks for sharing! there honestly a really good airlines. I think some people literally just look for the problems with Spirit because it’s the talk of the town, but it’s really a small percentage of people with bad experience and Im someone who’s on spirit flights Monday thru Friday working with artist in the music industry as there MD/Bass Player and Ive never had an issue with them I’ve come to realize people who bring problems to any airliner will get problems back in return it’s that simple
We’ve only taken spirit across the country and you would think that the no padding in the seats is 100% awful but actually no padding gives a modicum of more knee room. We pay to sit together and pay for one bag and we are pretty happy with the whole experience.
I will never take a connecting flight again after Spirit Airlines recently cancelled 2 of my connecting flights within 4 days. That airline deserves the horrible reputation that it has. If the service is this bad in June, then God help anyone traveling with Spirit Airlines during the holidays.
Only use spirit for domestic short flights. Also, if you didn't give yourself enough time to go through immigration, and YOU missed your flight, how does that make spirit a nightmare? 2-3 hours early for international or pay to skip TSA - this is the key!
We made the mistake of trusting that the itineraries they offer give you enough time for connections. Then trusting that they replacement flight they gave us would have enough time. Basically the trick is to assume they will do everything wrong, then you’ll be ok.
I’ve flown spirit once. No bad experiences but I’d rather not.. Had to set up an account online and pick my seats n pay for the seats. Then download the app n get my boarding pass. Otherwise I’d get charged for it. I always just bring a carry on bag anywhere I go and it fit.
Yeah there are a few extra steps with spirit if you don’t want to get charged extra. The personal item is technically smaller than a carryon, but I wonder how often they actually check. I’ve read online that they are “very strict” about personal item sizes, but I’ve only ever seen them checking once (out of the 15 or so flights I’ve taken with them)
@@ProjectUntethered Yeah that’s true. I always just bring a backpack. I saw a lady bring a carry-on suitcase that was too big to fit in the thing and I think she had to pay like $50. I flew from New Orleans to LA. It was a round trip flight. I went to Hong Kong once I hit LA after a few days and caught the flight back to New Orleans. That was in October 2018. It’s funny because last year when I flew to LA from New Orleans in March they made me check my bag. I think it was American Airlines Lol I wasn’t happy about that but oh well. I was just worried that the bag could get lost or stolen because I had a lot of facemasks in there and sanitizers. I was flying to Hong Kong once I hit LA after a few days and I was already familiar about the coronavirus. 😁😄😆
Uh oh - yeah it’s best to stick to the personal item dimensions so you don’t get hit with that extra charge! I’m glad all your protective equipment arrived safely!!
Thank you so much for your information. I was thinking to buy an international flight with spirit but I don't want to experience a nightmare since I'm going alone and don't have so much experience in airports. So you guys saved me, THANKSSS
You’re very welcome! I don’t want people to think it’s always a disaster though - there are plenty of times where things go smoothly. But it’s always a risk. This is probably true with any airline, but I wasn’t impressed with how Spirit responded. I’d hope that non budget airlines would be more accommodating - but ya never know. I hope you have an amazing trip!
LOL so basically, to make it through Spirit airlines, take pills XD Jokes aside, thanks for the very informative video! Will be useful for my first flight ever from Dallas to LA
From our experience, if there is space on the plane and you aren’t the last people to check in, they’ll usually try to put you together if they can. We’ve never paid to sit by each other and we’ve always been together except once. And the only time we weren’t together was the new flight they gave us in this video after we missed our connection, which was already pretty much full so they didn’t have many options
Good morning, thank you for posting this video , we’re traveling next month with my daughter from New York to California, first time using spirit I’m getting prepared with any advice everything is helpful and appreciated! God bless you ❤️💜💙
Yall couldn't pay me to fly Sprit Airlines lol! Theres never a good story about them, or their customer service. I'll pass, but I certainly enjoyed your video! Also, on a separate note, you've got some crazy beautiful eyes! I'd love to see a review on Allegiant Airlines as well, another carrier I'll happily pass on flying!
Hey Christopher! Yeah I’d say the only good reason to fly with them is if you’re traveling light and they happen to offer significantly cheaper prices than other airlines. Other than price, the rest of the experience can’t compare with better airlines. An Allegiant airlines review is a brilliant idea! We’ll definitely do that the next time we’re in the good ol US of A 🇺🇸 and thank you for the eyes compliment 😇
Shipping items can sometimes be much cheaper than checking them thru the carrier. But you to plan the logistics well to your destination. Obviously, return shipping time is not so critical.
@@ProjectUntethered I used to ship a box of clothes and other personal items through UPS when I would visit my Brother in Florida. It was a little bit cheaper than checking a bag, plus the big thing is you don't have to go wait for 30 minutes at the carousel for your luggage. I would ship the stuff about 3 days before my flight and it would usually be at my brother's house that day or even the day before. On the way back, we would stop at a UPS store and ship it to my house.
@@ProjectUntethered Even if it's the same price as checking luggage or a few dollars more, it saves you the hassle of waiting for it at the airport, plus lugging it from your car to the ticket counter. I wouldn't send a bunch of stuff, maybe just enough clothes for 4 or 5 days plus my toiletries. I'm not sure since everything has gone up if it's that much more expensive than checking a bag. Like I said, you don't have to get off the plane and go find luggage claim and wait for 30 minutes, hoping the stuff didn't get lost in the first place. Plus, a lot of times TSA will rummage through your luggage.
I flew Spirit airlines to vegas and it was the most uncomfortable flight of my life ! Super tiny seats. Rude crew..Not even a glass of water for free..Then if u buy anything when u get home they start charging your debit for all kinds of crap...
@@ProjectUntethered thank you, I'm traveling to Colombia next month as a US citizen, did you need to fill out and print the forms when entering Colombia or when leaving? And what forms were these? Thank you again 🙂
For an airline that's trying so hard to rape us in the butts, Spirit actually charges fair prices for some of its drinks like coffee and tea. I was expecting those to cost at least $1 more. PS: the water bottle, freeze it overnight and take it with you. Tell the TSA agent that you have a frozen bottle and show it to them. I did that on a trip three weeks ago and they let me take it through security.
I don't blame the immigration delay on Spirit, but I was not happy with how they handle the situation. They let other people cut the line to make their flight, but not us (even when I told them we were going to miss it). They claimed they wouldn't help us with accommodation because of a 3-minute difference, which I'm not 100% convinced was even accurate. And if there are regular problems with immigration delays in that airport, I wonder why they offer flights with such tight connections. The delay itself wasn't their fault, but how they respond to it and treat their customers is.
Is the amount at checkout including the booking fee and any other “hidden” fees if there are any? I don’t want to purchase my tickets and then get charged a bunch of other fees (I’m not checking in bags or carry ons)
When you buy online it should show you the price including everything. Most people don’t even realize they’re paying the booking fee since it’s all bundled together. That said I don’t think the online booking fee is unique to spirit. I think a lot of airlines have it - if you go to the airport, you don’t have to pay. But for most people, the hassle of driving to the airport and waiting isn’t worth the money saved (unless you’re buying tons of tickets or live right next to the airport perhaps)
That’s awesome. We’ve had some good experiences too. When we started recording this video, our goal was actually to promote spirit. But then when we had our bad experience, we felt we needed to share. Otherwise it’d be weird making a video talking about how great spirit was, when in reality our experience was pretty crappy. I’m glad you’ve had good luck with them though!
Nice! Good to hear you were able to get comfortable being so tall. Yeah the checked bags are a killer. That’s why we decided to share a check bag for our trip. Worked out nicely!
yeah, my first time with spirit was ok i was like 9 or a bit younger, their chairs were plastic, there tray table were small as hell, and the price after booking the flight was unbelievable
Thank you! was considering this airline for our family of 3 from smf to dfw for this Thanksgiving holiday. Definitely not going to use Spirit airlines.
Bring a coffee travel mug instead. You can use it for water, cold drinks or hot coffee or tea. Most flight attendants are happy to fill it for you on the flight, so you get twice as much coffee. Also, when I fly on Spirit, I buy a coffee, then ask for a refill once they have put the cart away. Since they aren't going to sell any more coffee and will be just throwing it out, they have never charged me. I've been flying Spirit for 15 years now, and I love them. I have a Free Spirit MasterCard, and it has a special customer service just for card holders when little or no wait times. The Big Front Seats are great. Always check the prices on them. For Richmond, VA to Fort Lauderdale they were $86, but from Fort Lauderdale to Guatemala City, they were $35. When I fly to GUA, I always have to layover in Florida until the next day, so no worries about missed connections. Even if I add in a hotel, I'm still saving $200 to $300 over a regular airline.
Hey guys...does Spirit make everyone stick their personal item in the sizer in your experience? Or do they just put the big carry on bags in the sizer? My backpack is 1 inch too wide😅 I thought fanny packs count as a second bag. Keep up the good work on videos❤️🤗
Hey Anna! I don’t think they’ve ever asked me to put my personal item in the sizer, but it’s always a risk. Is it the bag itself that’s too big? Or just because it’s stuffed full? If it’s too jammed full, you could always take a couple things out and put them on your body if you ever need to fit it in the sizer. I’ve never had anyone say anything about my Fanny pack over the past several years, but I swing it behind my back so it’s somewhat hidden when I pass by the counters. Your mileage may vary!
I was going thru your comments & clicked a video you listed & I'm dying 🤣😭 I can't find where it was but it was about Spirit & the extra charges for everything. I've never flown w them & was thinking as I considered booking "good lord they just tag on cost for everything" 🤣 I really appreciate the tips & especially the water bottle trick bc I HAVE to have my water. I'm determined to go on this quick trip & really don't want anything to go wrong but yall makin me so nervous with this Airline. I'll have to seriously consider this 🤣
I stopped that Spirit nightmare after flying domestic twice direct! As your wife said, the discounted fare with the crazy carry on restrictions and the mismanagement of the of the airline is not worth the reduction in price from Delta, United or American. Not that they are perfect, but Spirit introduces some stuff not experienced on the other airlines.
They sent us a couple different emails with forms about COVID we had to fill out. We also needed a negative test. But I think the paperwork you need all depends on your destination.
@@ProjectUntethered On most airlines the COVID paperwork is built into the check-in kiosk. I don't know how Spirit handles it if you check in in person or online. On the other hand since you were flying internationally you might have had to do it with physical paper regardless.
Yeah we got an email saying to bring the physical paper or we could get a fine. But then at the airport they made us do it again during check in anyways.. weird!
Life is too short and too precious to be wasting time and going through palpable anxiety just to save a few hundred bucks. In Chinese we say, be meager at home but be generous on the road. I think there is a lot of wisdom in that saying.
I loved Day's comment..."bring tons of snacks so you don't die".😂😂😂
She’s a wise woman! 😂
I'm flying for the first time with Spirit airlines very soon. Thank you for these tips. They really helped out an inexperienced flyer like me.
You’re very welcome - I hope you have an awesome flight! 😎
If you are an inexperienced flyer it won't be such a shock. If you began flying in the 70's you would be bummed on how low the standards for airlines have fallen.
I’m curious to know how flying was in the 70s!
@@clintfalk You're absolutely right! Since this is the first time I've flown since my very early childhood, it felt awesome! No complains from me!
Nice! I’m glad to hear you had a good trip!!
So if it’s a short(1-2hr max) and direct flight take Spirit. If it’s a long non direct flight, take a major carrier like Delta, got it! Thanks for the awesome tips guys and sorry you had a bad flight.
You bet! I think a lot of it comes down to your risk tolerance and budget. If Spirit is the only option that works for a budget, then it’s better than nothing!
My wife and I made a 40 minute international connection from Rome, Italy to New York, JFK to Orlando, FL. We arrived at the last gate at terminal 4 at JFK, went through customs, claimed our bags, went on the train to switch from terminal 4 to terminal 2, and passed TSA with olive oil from Italy using extra screening. I wish I recorded it, but we had to do what we had to do to get the job done. We made the connection. Go go go.
Nice!! Sounds like you had to hustle! I think I also made a 40 minute one in Panama, but it was way easier than I thought. That was with LATAM though
Spirit doesn’t fly out of JFK
@@SebastianRodriguez-lp4ph, he didn’t say that he and his wife flew with Spirit Airlines.
@@SebastianRodriguez-lp4ph 1 we
@@SebastianRodriguez-lp4phYou right....But they do fly out of newark.
I’m flying Spirit airlines in 6 days for the first time. I was scheduled to fly them 2.5 years ago but they overbooked my flight and offered to fly me to Orlando on Southwest for free and gave me a $250 voucher on top. Because of Covid, I had them extend it twice but they wouldn’t extend it beyond Sept, 2021. I drove to Orlando, leaving the car at the airport and flying home. Then, after spending the holidays at home, I’ll fly Spirit back (both non stops), stay for two weeks, then drive home. So baggage isn’t a problem. I’ll leave my cloths and toiletries in my trunk and carry a small personal case on board. I have a few Christmas items that I’d like to take back, if they fit in the personal item case or my 4 large coat pockets.
I’d never fly Spirit on anything but a non stop and not having to meet any deadline arrival time. I flew Air Asia 14 years ago from Chiangmai, Thailand with my bride to Bali for a honeymoon. It was in two parts; Chiangmai to Kuala Lumpur and then to Bali. I bought them as two separate tickets, with a 3.5 hour layover. The Chiangmai flight took off late and we arrived with 50 minutes left in the layover. I had explained this to the Chiangmai flight attendant and she said Kuala Lumpur agents had been notified and we would be rushed to make the flight. When we landed, the new agents denied this and refused to let us board, even though we were at the gate with 30 minutes left and the plane sat until it took off on time. The agents then said they would get me on the same flight the next day, at their full fare price. After arguing, I paid it (I subsequently disputed the charge with my credit card company and the dispute held. I’ve flown Air Asia since on non stops, so I wasn’t barred). Needless to say, it put a damper on our honeymoon.
Yeah that nonstop-no deadline rule you have is a good one. Anything other than that is a risk you have to be willing to take to save some $$$. Sometimes it works, sometimes not!
Atleast southwest is better than spirit
I missed a connection flight with Qatar Airways once due to their fault, and I ended up staying in Doha for a while. Transport, food, and a luxury hotel room for the day, everything on them!
Ooo that sounds awesome! That happened to me once with LATAM too. I wouldn’t have minded if Spirit would’ve given us accommodation... but they said they wouldn’t because the limit is 90 minutes for a connection and we had 94 😒😒😒
Wow, I hope I get to fly with them sometime. I've heard good things about them.
I’ve been on Qatar many times they are for sure one of the best airlines competing with emirates
Thank you so much for your honest review and your calm demeanor handling a very stressful situation. Safe travels to you both.
When your boarding pass counts as a carry-on you know you're on Spirit!
🤣😂🤣
😂😂
I got a kick out of this one: th-cam.com/video/3bLvcnhthAE/w-d-xo.html
When teenage girls are stuffing things under their shirts to look pregnant, you know you're on Spirit!
I love Spirit airlines. Remember it is a DISCOUNT airline to get you safely from here to there. I’ve never had a problem.
I’m glad to hear things have gone well for you!
That always makes me laugh. People fly carriers like Southwest and Spirit and demand that it feel like Etihad or Emirates. LMAO, what are they smoking??
On the other hand, a Spirit employee dropped me a dirty secret: tip your flight attendant in secret and they'll do nice things like bring you water bottles and snacks. Try it, you have only $2 or 3 to lose...
I wish that I has saw your video before I few from Baltimore to ATL. It truly was an experience that I will NEVER have again.
I'm a frequent flyer of spirit; 2-3 times a month for the last year. From So Cal to Vegas (45min-1hour flight)... I haven't had any issues. No boarding pass issues (print out or the mobile app), no baggage issues... Nothing. I think you guys just got unlucky... I wouldn't discount Spirit... Just my experience.
there was baggauge isieus they charged 100 for this guys on sintrgra mskateboard where he cracked it in half go check it out !!! sorst airline hopefully they get lcosed down !!!
@Marc D That’s not a similar comparison.. talking about International flights with connections, not day trips..
Why do they charge so many extra fees?? I booked a one way from NYC to LA, original stating price $149 by the end of my booking it was fucking $286 and I didn't add any extras just a carry on.....wtf
@@m2kaay If you have 1 carry-on, like a backpack, or small luggage that can fit in the overhead bins... You can treat that as "1 personal item" and not get charged (people get that mixed up with pay for a carry on). Also... Don't select/pay for a seat, let spirit pick one for you if you have a short flight. Don't pay to get on the plane faster aka zoning. No need to pay for insurance. Lastly... Try to plan your trip at least 3 weeks in advance for cheaper flights. Just my 2 cents.
@@Mdroudian Not true.
My carry on fit inside of overhead but they don’t care.
It’s the a metal box they have at the front, before get into plane.
If your carryon doesn’t fit inside stupid metal boxes, you have to pay $100!
I was so pissed!
Southwest didn’t charge me anything.
8:00 dude, totally can relate! And no you are not paranoid. I have been robbed and bags snatched 3 times in south Asia and now I have serious trust issues when travelling on anything public. Actually you can never be too careful and if you aren't, you just have something bad waiting to happen at some point.
Lock your zippers, don't put any valuable items in compartments which are accessible from outside of the bag, either keep it within your legs or inward face it in the overhead bin. Also it's a good idea to attach some trackers in your bags. Don't sleep next to strangers for too long if travelling alone. Don't share foods with strangers.
I learned my lessons the hardest way.
All very good non-paranoid tips in my opinion! Most people are good people, but the rotten 1% force you to take precautions
What happened when you shared food?
@@nleem3361 I was wondering the same thing too
Definitely when I book tickets I book non-stop regardless of airline. Minimizing the room for error at every point. Also another tip is book your flights early!!!! Most likely the plane would have been parked ready to leave, the airport is less busy and many more things. Like people being nicer as they haven’t had rude customers etc.
That’s a really good point!
I told my friend, only take short non international non stop flights
This connection problem can happen to any airline, not just Spirit. When you travel internationally you NEED to have plenty of time for connections or get Global Entry and bypass most of immigration.
How much time would you say minimum? This is new for me.
When I few to Asia a few years back, I boarded my 1st flight and switched flights in the same country. Then when I reached my destination country, I went through customs there. On my return trip, I don't remember going through customs. I'm sure I did, but it wasn't eventful, so I don't remember it.
It only takes one bad experience. I am flying Spirit for the first time , I am trying to have a positive attitude and not stress out.
Pampered beta males whine a lot, you will be sitting in a comfortable seat with Air Conditioning as you zip to your destination, be happy!
Same, in mid May!
same in two weeks!
Same in 4 days🤞🏽
how did it go?
Spirit accidentally kicked me off my plane today- and didn’t realize they made a mistake until AFTER the plane left. I was hysterical. I needed to get back to my two kids- They tried to tell me it was because I checked in last so I didn’t have a seat on the plane ( Which also wasn’t true because I counted at least 20 people that walked to the counter after me and checked in)- the plane which was overbooked but here’s the kicker… I checked in the night before I even paid for my seat on the plane, via their website… However, what’s more frustrating was the fact that they had not one, not three, but SIX volunteers willing to give up their spot on the plane for extra accommodations. Needless to say I got home five hours after my checked bag did, I flew Southwest airlines that they paid for with one layover and they gave me a $650 in credit +50% off voucher. But I’m nervous to even book with them again.
Oh man that sounds like a mess! If that ever happens again, you should demand that they give you cash and not a voucher. I actually talk about that in my next video we’re about to publish. I’m sorry you had that experience!
Did u get ur kids back?
@@ProjectUntethered I didn’t know that was an option! I’ll def go watch that! Thanks for the heads up and advice.
@@dmariowilson5049 luckily the little gremlins were safe and sound in MN the whole time. Thanks for asking 🫡💚
I used to love to fly. But like everything in our modern world, it's become a complicated, expensive, nightmare.
I will ONLY fly Spirit with nonstop flights.
You should be safe then!
Me too. From New Orleans to L.A.
Same i went to seattle with non stop and the flight was not bad our snacks and drinks were free bc my cousin is flight attendant for spirit
Nice!!
We have a buttload of miles for American Airlines and United, so haven’t tried Delta yet!
Well I pray my son and I flight is smooth and comfortable.
You should be as long as you follow my tips! 😇
@@ProjectUntethered simple. Just stay in the cargo hold
Now that’s thinking outside the box 😂
@@ProjectUntethered we were safe and comfortable
Awesome! I’m glad to hear it!
8:55 ... Benadryl, normally used for allergies, is also used by nurses to help get their sleep cycles back to normal after they work crazy late shifts. Dramamine is good for general motion sickness.
We’ll have to try that on our next long flight! The only thing I don’t like is arriving to a destination all drowsy 😵💫
Melatonin, anyone?
They say that can help with jetlag!
Evoiding connected flights with Spirit is a major tip. My flight Boston-Miami was canceled and the reschedule option was only in 24 hours. The hotel canceled my reservation as I didn't arrive and I lost my vacation and money.
Im sorry to hear that, and i agree - connections make things riskier.
I'm flying southwest. My first flight is Nonstop, the way back is 1 stop no plane change. I'm much more comfortable with a no plane change than changing planes.
Spirit is my go-to budget carrier! I really enjoyed watching your video! Another thing: if you live near an airport and can access it, it is cheaper to book Spirit flights at the airport than online. The $19.95 booking fee is waived when booking with airport staff. I realize not every experience is good, but perhaps I’m just on a lucky streak. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it!
That’s a great tip - I need to try that one!! 🤑
Do you have to go in person to book?
From what I understand, if you go to the airport in person to buy your flights (or have someone do it for you), you avoid the booking fee
Yea but what if the flight is full on the day u Wana go ? Lol
Haha I think you’d want to go in advance, so it’s be an extra trip to the airport which may or may not be worth it
Love your hack to use ties for bags. 2 thumbs up
This video is still relevant i didn’t even know about the extra forms! Thank you
Ive flown with Spirit many times. Not one time did they send me extra forms to fill out. Sooo, have no clue what that's about.
2 years ago I used Spirit Airlines to fly to Las Vegas from Detroit... they wanted to charge me for printing a boarding pass picking my seat and extra fee for everything and I refused but I did have to pay $5 for a boarding pass... on the way home from Las Vegas they oversold the flight because I did not purchase a seat I got bumped off.. they gave each of us a $350 voucher for a future flight. PLUS it was already late in the evening so they gave us a free hotel room plus money for food.. the following year before it expired I booked me and my son a trip to Arizona for basically free😂.. some people hate Spirit Airlines but I like them because I would rather not prepay for all the extra stuff like meals and drinks on the plane
I'm just going on an hour flight from MD to SC I hope everything goes. Smooth. This is my first time on a plane the short distance shouldn't be as bad thank you for the tips
You bet! I’m sure everything will go according to plan!
Thank you so much for this video. I had flown on Spirit years ago and vowed that I wouldn't do it again and now...I will be flying on Spirit for a last minute trip to Cancun. So the tips you mentioned are great for me to prepare for this trip!!!
I hope you have an awesome trip!! 😎
So many good travel tips in this video to use anytime and anywhere regardless of airline! Another option for zipper security is to use simple twist ties like you get free when shopping for produce in a grocery store.
I love it!
First of all, love your videos. Wish they were in Spanish though. But they wouldn't be so popular then... I already subscribed! Now, I absolutely love Spirit and whenever I say that people look at me like something is wrong with me. I live in Costa Rica and SJO is an expensive airport to fly to and from. We would never be able to afford flying to the US without Spirit. Even Jet blue and frontier don't match to the Spirit fares. We flew SJO -MCO on 2017 and I loved Spirit so much we got the credit card. No annual fees, always have 0% 3-6 month installments and sometimes double points or give you 5.000 points on regular basis. We've flown SJO-EWR roundtrip for $412 for two people! We flew without checked bags or carry ons. Personal items only using the tips on your other video (we figured them out before watching you). We spent two weeks with clothes from our personal item by doing laundry twice during the trip. It also helps that us latin americans in general are short. So the seat is no problem. My advice though is that if you are connecting via FFL (most times you will since it's their hub) ALWAYS leave 4 hrs for connection. Otherwise you won't make it. If you're not TSA check (Latin Americans cannot) you'll go through several screenings and will spend at least one and a half hour doing that. Then getting from the international terminal to domestic always takes time. Don't risk it. You DON'T want to miss a Sprit flight like we saw on the video because they are always jam packed.
My other tip is to bring beverage packages and ordering a FREE ice cup. Yup! Spirit DOES give your free ice cups. 100% checked in my last flight on Sept 2022. We flew SJO -MCO for $60 each!!! Exit tax included. It was awesome. I think we paid 10.000 points each but they practically give points away.
My other tip is buying a sturdy Duffel bag that folds into a small package, shove it into your backpack and then using it for luggage on your trip back. We stuffed so much in ours it was unbelievable. We only paid $40 for the checked bag home.
So if you plan to come to Costa Rica, request that card, use the welcome points to come for cheap, and then get rid of it if you want. The MCO and FLL crew to Costa Rica are hilarious too, and the flight is less than three hours. I see Spirit as a bus service like the ones we have here. So, if I can go to Disney every year for next to nothing every year,yeah I'll do it. I've never had a problem with Spirit and have always enjoyed great service. Plus, if you have the credit card, even the basic, you get priority boarding and will always be seated with your booking party. In the States racking priority points is extremely easy and that gets you free checked bags and snacks. Nowadays every airline is nickeling and dimming. Even Lufthansa is not giving free meals in some flights. Pack a slice of hot pizza from home like I did, enjoy it at the gate and sleep or watch a movie during the flight. You can bring any type of food with you in a separate plastic bag, as long as it's not liquid or pasty. I enjoy Spirit so much I'm already planning my next trip with my free spirit points in my beautiful credit card. If you refer people, they'll give you 5.000 points for free too!
Wow those are some awesome tips! Thanks for sharing! Also if you prefer Spanish, you can add the auto-generated Spanish subtitles in the video settings, but these seem to only work if you’re watching from a computer (the setting doesn’t show up on phones unfortunately). Would be awesome to visit CR soon! 😎
@@ProjectUntethered I'd prefer to listen to you speak Spanish! But English is fine. Thanks again for the wonderful tips.
Thank you guys for this. I'm about to embark on um first ever spirit airlines experience in December . Pray for me 😎
🙏🙏🙏
same on the 10th. just need my id since its domestic RIGHT??? help..
i flown 3 time from Florida to Chicago the only issue was the wheel chair and that's on the Airports. Spirit people were wonderful. Will fly again
Glad to hear it went well!
Soon Spirit airline will charge you for oxygen, or you can bring your own as carry-on for a fee of $50.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You’ll have to pay for a seat like any other airline but they’ll also start charging an entrance fee 😆
Or perhaps a cleaning fee or paid bathroom privileges
@@ProjectUntethered LOL the bathroom door will have a credit card slot. And inside you’ll have to pay per square of toilet paper and squirt of soap.
Hopefully you’re an efficient wiper!😂😂
I've flown with Spirirt many times. I've never had an issue. No weird forms to fill out, no baggage issues, no problem boarding ( ive even had them print out my boarding pass at the ticket counter due to the kiosk line being out of control). No problems at all.
Period.
They even helped me get a different flight due to a canceled flight due to bad storms.
So, i realize we all have different experiences but, ive never had an issue. 🤷♀️
Another packing trick is to wear a travel vest that has lots of pockets you can pack things in and wear during your travels. Although those specially designed travel vests can get expensive, so another tip would be to buy a fishing vest which you can probably get cheaper.
So smart! I wonder how comfortable it would be to sit with this on the plane though? Or would you take it off and store it somewhere?
As to comfort, it depends on how and what I packed in which pockets. But in general, yes, I would stow it if necessary. This is an especially good idea if you travel with kids and/or babies. It’s so much quicker and easier to pull something out of a pocket than have to rummage through a diaper bag or back pack.
I also suggest getting children their own travel vest once they are old enough. Let them “pack” it themselves (with adult supervision). That way they know what they have in which pocket.
Very clever indeed
Nothing better than passing travel wisdom
Onto the next generation!
The most important lesson here is always giving yourself enough time with layovers, especially when you have to go through immigration! We were planning a trip to Slovinia from the USA. A popular booking app kept routing us through Amsterdam, a city that I would love to visit. Unfortunately, the Amsterdam flight left less than an hour and a half after our arrival time. We were not confident that we would make the flight.
BTW, I flew 24500 miles last year foor pleasure travel.
As for Spirit, my wife refuses to fly with them. I will only use them for direct flights.
Going from Boston to Miami tomorrow, non stop flight, went from Boston to Vegas before, non stop flight no problems, i guess problem with connections can happen to any company anyway, if its a reasonable amount of money for a direct flight just do it, avoid the hassle, thanks for the hints btw, going to target right now to get myself a fanny pack and the motion sickness pill for daughter, thanks!
Haha once you experience the power of the fanny pack, you’ll never travel without it! 😎
I’m so sorry you had such a horrible trip! You seem like really nice people!
Thank you, we appreciate it!! 😊
Spirit air is OK provided there are no cancelations, I had two flights canceled in the last six months and the way they handled it was horrible. I no longer use them for anything that involves a stop and a change of planes, if they cancel a flight I don't want to be at some strange airport with the counter personal telling me it will take a week to get me to my destination...
That is the worst feeling ever!
Thank you like and subscribed! I was trying to find a cheaper way to travel and you saved my Life!
Honored to have you as a subscriber! 😇😇
I got a Spirit flight cancellation yesterday (Bogota to Columbus) and it was impossible to re-book. The web site kept giving me an error message that explained nothing, no one answered the customer service phone for awhile, then only got an infuriating software-only voice. Finally I was able to get a new flight using the chat feature, but only after NOT closing the chat session and persisting no matter what nonsensical message I got.
Oh my word that sounds like a nightmare!
Thanks for the tip. I will be flying Spirit to Vegas for the first time and this video was very helpful, especially when it comes to packing.
Thank you so much for this video! I am flying them next week and I am excited to see what's in store for me! I will be flying BWI to LAX (no connections thankfully!) and will keep you posted on how it went on my channnel
Awesome! May the force be with you!! ✈️
Spirit Air: Please silence your crying baby or we will be forced to put it in the overhead compartment.
Spirit in my own experience is good at getting you on a plane and fly cheap. No more. Gotta plan connections properly with Spirit or other airlines.
That's a good way to put it. Also, don't assume there will be enough time for your connection just because they sell it together as one flight - especially with international flights where you have to go through immigration. If you get held up in immigration, the airline is not responsible (which I suppose is fair..but if they know it's a problem, they shouldn't sell flights with short connections).
Man, you have such beautiful eyes!! I'm hypnotized!!
Thank you! 😇😇
Without having flown on spirit (until this coming Monday), I’ve flown on Allegiant which is a similar budget airline to spirit and exit row seating is a must. I’m 6’6” and the amount of pressure on my knees is almost unbearable.
Yikes! Yes I definitely recommend nabbing the exit row or the one of the first rows. Let me know how much it costs (I think it varies) - I’m curious!
Ouch. Sometimes if you ask the gate agents or flight attendants nicely, they may be willing to upgrade you to a extra legroom seat for free. I have had my seat changed last minute numerous times like this.
Nice trick! Yeah the flight attendant upgraded us the the emergency exit row on one of our flights because he was trying to shuffle people around so they could sit with their family. I never thought about just asking them upfront when you enter the plane - it definitely wouldn’t hurt to ask!
I'm with on that. I'm 6'6" and 340lbs. I always do the bigger seats or exit rows. Exit row on spirit runs from 25 to 35 each way. The bigger seats are 40 to 55 depending on when you book. If you are booking last minute will cost you. Plan accordingly.
That doesn’t sound so bad if it means not being miserable crammed in a small seat for hours
I fly spirit all the time and it’s always amazing.
Sometimes your luggage could not be loaded onto the aircraft because it would exceed its Maximum Take off weight. This is especially true to Airlines that operate small Turboprop aircraft. An Aircraft that’s overloaded will put lives in Danger.
I sincerely hope my 1 lb fanny pack doesn’t put us over the limit 😂
We follow the rules, get to the gate early, and have a 100% good experience after many flights on Spirit. On the average the ticket cost on Spirit has been half of SouthWest!!! Bob in Nevada
They forgot to mention that you have to pay for your seating if you want to sit together and know exactly where you are going to sit. If not seating is free. A lot of times we've ended up sitting next to each other or the same vicinity without paying.
Coming late to the party... Great video. You guys are awesome.
FYI, I hate having to take connecting flights, but whenever I do I assume the worst. I just assume I'm going to miss my connecting flight and plan for it. I expect it, because that's the world and I'm just cursed.
I don't think this phenomena is unique or special to spirit. I've had similar experiences with American and other major carriers.
Just assume you will miss the connecting flight and have a plan b in your pocket. Check the airline schedules and even price out local hotels for contingencies so you're prepared.
If you expect the worst and the worst does not happen, well then, that's a good day!
Thanks again!
Expect the worst, hope for the best. I love it!
I am flying with Spirit for the first time the end of this month. Scheduled my flight in December and flight schedule has changed 3 times and to the worst.. My layover started with a 1H 8m now….7H25m
Oh no that is horrible! I’m sorry to hear that 😔
Bring snacks so you don’t die. Lol 😂. I love it.
😂😂😂
Some things to clarify: Your flight from FLL - STL - LAX was actually the same aircraft. Your plane was to be on the ground at STL for 50 - 59 or so minutes, which is normal with Spirit at most small - middle sized airports. Your FLL - STL flight was to arrive at 10:09AM but the flights are usually a few minutes early, since many airlines add on extra minutes to the scheduled flight time to account for small delays during the flight. The 10:15AM you mentioned is the boarding time, not departure, Spirit starts boarding 45 minutes prior to departure. So in reality, your scheduled layover in STL was 10:09AM - 11:00AM.
I fly with Spirit a lot and the empty water bottle trick is a very helpful. I never flew international with Spirit but from what it sounds like, this is a not a unusual issue since FLL airport has alot of negative reviews with how they handle international arrivals.
Thanks for that clarification! It sounds like you know more about these flights than the person working at the check-in counter haha (and her manager) - because that’s not what they told us! When we brought it up, they just said “oops!” and then spent another 45 minutes trying to find a different flight.
Anyway, you’re completely right. Most of the problems here stemmed directly from the airport and that specific Spirit staff team at that airport.
We’ve flown Spirit a lot in the past as well (mostly direct domestic flights). When we originally started making the video, our plan was to promote Spirit. But when things turned south, we felt we had to share our experience. It wouldn’t feel right promoting a video on how great Spirit is when our experience actually sucked. That said, as we mentioned in the video, everyone’s experience is different. And just because we had a bad one doesn’t mean everyone will. That said, we personally will not be taking those kinds of flights on Spirit in the future.
@@ProjectUntethered Sadly Spirit, Frontier, and most smaller airlines usually have ground staff from third party companies. Such employees seem unbothered and unempathetic. I understand its a tough job but hey they're not there for free. A number of ppl who work for Spirit just do so to move onward to being a flight attendant with them and they cant care less about us travelers. I have flown over 100 times and I can confidently say, my biggest issue with Spirit is the poor customer service by their ground staff.
I once had a flight with Frontier that I missed, from Las Vegas to Calgary, that flight runs once a week every Saturday so the agent was offering me a new flight 7 days from then. A tried to find another way out, since I do not even live in Vegas. I did know Frontier has a Denver - Calgary flight every Sunday and they have multiple Las Vegas - Denver flights daily, so I asked if that routing is possible. The first gate agent seemed confused and the other agent next to her was like, "I think he's right, there is one" and they put me on the next day flight via Denver.
When things like these happen, I start looking at google flights for possible routings with the same airline, and ask if I can be put on that. If not, then I get creative and ask if I can fly to another nearby destination instead if it saves me from a overnight layover. FLL airport is awful for long layovers, and the music they play all night makes it nearly impossible to sleep, as if the bright lights and lack of armrest-less chairs isnt a hurdle itself.
A good way to check your aircrafts info is the flightradar24 website. You can see the exact aircraft tail number, aircraft routes for the day, and live tracking of the airplane, that is how I found out the same aircraft does FLL - STL - LAX (for now atleast). A quick look at the airlines route map can also help too.
@@TheBudgetTraveller786 Wow. If you would've been stranded for a whole week, now that would've been a REAL nightmare - especially if you had somewhere important to be. That's an awesome tip about flightradar24, I'm going to tuck that one away in case we run into any other problems!
@@TheBudgetTraveller786 Just wondering when this happened because Frontier does not offer service from Las Vegas to Calgary or Den to Calgary. flights.flyfrontier.com/en/flights-from-las-vegas I actually do not see any flights to Canada from Frontier or Spirit. Now this may have been changed since this happed.
@@chadrosemayer6837 This happened in 2018. Frontier announced flying to YYC in 2017 as part of their expansion plan but finally discontinued their DEN - YYC in 2020 and seem to have no plans to restart it. They also did LAS - YYC for a few months during 2018 but I am assuming that route did not perform well.
That is absolutely right, Its not spirit's fault for you to miss your flight, but how slow and umprepared is U.S Customs to handle many people comming back to the U.S. You created your own nightmare for not planning right.
A real pro tip: Don't book flights too close together when needing to clear customs. Funny how he doesn't mention that.
Thanks for watching!
That is absolutely right, Its not spirit's fault for you to miss your flight, but how slow and umprepared is U.S Customs to handle many people comming back to the U.S. You created your own nightmare for not planning right.
Thank you for this video! You gave some awesome tips!
It wasn't that bad for me in 2018 BUT I paid EXTRA to have the premium option (e.g. check in a big bag).
I flew one time with spirit about 5 years back . Battled my way through self check in etc , I was helped by their staff at the airport all in all it went really well I’m over 70 and trip was m off - dfw
One BIG plus about Spirit is the insanely easy on-line flight change and cancellation process! And changes are not as expensive as other airlines, under $100, but I always buy the "one free flight change" option.
Ooo that’s a good idea if you need something flexible!!
@@ProjectUntethered If you cancel within 24 hours of your purchase... You get all your money back
We did zip ties locks for our stuff from Melbourne to Boston. However after a 38hr travel with a missed connection at lax, and unable to get into our hotel room and had to wait 20mins for help, we just wanted to go to bed. But then we suddenly realised once get had got in to the room we’d had to find staff again cause we needed scissors to cut them off so another 15min wait for staff. And ended up just buying suitcase locks for our 3 more states b4 back to Australia as we forgot to pack more.
Also found out at least in the states, if the “break in” they leave an official declaration that they did open it etc…
We also have a suitcase strap that goes around the case that has an inbuilt tsa lock and are coloured so it makes it easier to find the right black bag. Or we’d tie a ribbon or colour ID tag. We have each family member a different colour.
I just don't understand what the negative hype is with Spirit I've been fly with them everyday for the pass year for work in business class each flight and never had any issue once so ever except for one engine failure in mid air and one hydraulic failure which happens with numerous airliners world wide I guess everybody just has there own experiences good and bad but maybe if people stop trying to look for the bad in spirit then maybe they wont have bad experiences with the airliner
This is a true statement. We flew with Spirit in January and had no problems. It was non-stop. The flight attendants were friendly and the plane was VERY clean. My Sister was dead set against flying with Spirit because she's heard bad things about them but she was pleasantly surprised.
I’d rather fly spirit for nonstop flights . I’ve never had a problem with them . I’ve had many problems with other airlines in the past .
@@grajalesmint Thanks for sharing! there honestly a really good airlines. I think some people literally just look for the problems with Spirit because it’s the talk of the town, but it’s really a small percentage of people with bad experience and Im someone who’s on spirit flights Monday thru Friday working with artist in the music industry as there MD/Bass Player and Ive never had an issue with them I’ve come to realize people who bring problems to any airliner will get problems back in return it’s that simple
Thank you for the advise, i really needed right now!
We’ve only taken spirit across the country and you would think that the no padding in the seats is 100% awful but actually no padding gives a modicum of more knee room. We pay to sit together and pay for one bag and we are pretty happy with the whole experience.
I will never take a connecting flight again after Spirit Airlines recently cancelled 2 of my connecting flights within 4 days. That airline deserves the horrible reputation that it has. If the service is this bad in June, then God help anyone traveling with Spirit Airlines during the holidays.
Only use spirit for domestic short flights. Also, if you didn't give yourself enough time to go through immigration, and YOU missed your flight, how does that make spirit a nightmare? 2-3 hours early for international or pay to skip TSA - this is the key!
We made the mistake of trusting that the itineraries they offer give you enough time for connections. Then trusting that they replacement flight they gave us would have enough time. Basically the trick is to assume they will do everything wrong, then you’ll be ok.
I’ve flown spirit once. No bad experiences but I’d rather not.. Had to set up an account online and pick my seats n pay for the seats. Then download the app n get my boarding pass. Otherwise I’d get charged for it. I always just bring a carry on bag anywhere I go and it fit.
Yeah there are a few extra steps with spirit if you don’t want to get charged extra. The personal item is technically smaller than a carryon, but I wonder how often they actually check. I’ve read online that they are “very strict” about personal item sizes, but I’ve only ever seen them checking once (out of the 15 or so flights I’ve taken with them)
@@ProjectUntethered Yeah that’s true. I always just bring a backpack. I saw a lady bring a carry-on suitcase that was too big to fit in the thing and I think she had to pay like $50. I flew from New Orleans to LA. It was a round trip flight. I went to Hong Kong once I hit LA after a few days and caught the flight back to New Orleans. That was in October 2018. It’s funny because last year when I flew to LA from New Orleans in March they made me check my bag. I think it was American Airlines Lol I wasn’t happy about that but oh well. I was just worried that the bag could get lost or stolen because I had a lot of facemasks in there and sanitizers. I was flying to Hong Kong once I hit LA after a few days and I was already familiar about the coronavirus. 😁😄😆
Uh oh - yeah it’s best to stick to the personal item dimensions so you don’t get hit with that extra charge! I’m glad all your protective equipment arrived safely!!
Thank you so much for your information. I was thinking to buy an international flight with spirit but I don't want to experience a nightmare since I'm going alone and don't have so much experience in airports. So you guys saved me, THANKSSS
You’re very welcome! I don’t want people to think it’s always a disaster though - there are plenty of times where things go smoothly. But it’s always a risk. This is probably true with any airline, but I wasn’t impressed with how Spirit responded. I’d hope that non budget airlines would be more accommodating - but ya never know. I hope you have an amazing trip!
LOL so basically, to make it through Spirit airlines, take pills XD
Jokes aside, thanks for the very informative video! Will be useful for my first flight ever from Dallas to LA
Bahaha that’s what Dayan does and she swears by it! 😂
I've flownSpirit Airlines once and that's all you need
Did you pay extra to sit next to each other. We are flying to PR tomorrow
From our experience, if there is space on the plane and you aren’t the last people to check in, they’ll usually try to put you together if they can. We’ve never paid to sit by each other and we’ve always been together except once. And the only time we weren’t together was the new flight they gave us in this video after we missed our connection, which was already pretty much full so they didn’t have many options
Good morning, thank you for posting this video , we’re traveling next month with my daughter from New York to California, first time using spirit I’m getting prepared with any advice everything is helpful and appreciated! God bless you ❤️💜💙
Yall couldn't pay me to fly Sprit Airlines lol! Theres never a good story about them, or their customer service. I'll pass, but I certainly enjoyed your video! Also, on a separate note, you've got some crazy beautiful eyes! I'd love to see a review on Allegiant Airlines as well, another carrier I'll happily pass on flying!
Hey Christopher! Yeah I’d say the only good reason to fly with them is if you’re traveling light and they happen to offer significantly cheaper prices than other airlines. Other than price, the rest of the experience can’t compare with better airlines. An Allegiant airlines review is a brilliant idea! We’ll definitely do that the next time we’re in the good ol US of A 🇺🇸 and thank you for the eyes compliment 😇
Thank you for this video! I was contemplating getting some cheap plane tickets from Spirit but Whew you saved me!
It might be worth it depending on the flight and the savings!
I wish I had seen this prior to my first (and only) Spirit flight. I wasn't aware of their 40 lb limit and it cost me dearly. Ugh.
😥😥😥
Learned my lesson years ago with Spirit Airlines. Will NEVER 👎 fly Spirit ever again.
What happened?
Shipping items can sometimes be much cheaper than checking them thru the carrier. But you to plan the logistics well to your destination. Obviously, return shipping time is not so critical.
That is very clever! I could see this being a great idea if you have to move tons of stuff, like if you’re relocating abroad as an expat or something
@@ProjectUntethered I used to ship a box of clothes and other personal items through UPS when I would visit my Brother in Florida. It was a little bit cheaper than checking a bag, plus the big thing is you don't have to go wait for 30 minutes at the carousel for your luggage. I would ship the stuff about 3 days before my flight and it would usually be at my brother's house that day or even the day before. On the way back, we would stop at a UPS store and ship it to my house.
That’s so smart! And it’s interesting that the price is actually cheaper!
@@ProjectUntethered Even if it's the same price as checking luggage or a few dollars more, it saves you the hassle of waiting for it at the airport, plus lugging it from your car to the ticket counter. I wouldn't send a bunch of stuff, maybe just enough clothes for 4 or 5 days plus my toiletries. I'm not sure since everything has gone up if it's that much more expensive than checking a bag. Like I said, you don't have to get off the plane and go find luggage claim and wait for 30 minutes, hoping the stuff didn't get lost in the first place. Plus, a lot of times TSA will rummage through your luggage.
What you say about the TSA is a very valid point. My luggage always gets rummaged!
Thank you for your tips! I'm flight with Spirit for the first time and it's good to know. :)
I flew Spirit airlines to vegas and it was the most uncomfortable flight of my life ! Super tiny seats. Rude crew..Not even a glass of water for free..Then if u buy anything when u get home they start charging your debit for all kinds of crap...
Wow seriously?? That sucks! I’m sorry you had to deal with that. What kind of extra stuff were they charging you for?
Hello do you bring the snacks from outside the airport or do you have to buy them inside the airport?
Outside the airport for sure!
@@ProjectUntethered thank you, I'm traveling to Colombia next month as a US citizen, did you need to fill out and print the forms when entering Colombia or when leaving? And what forms were these?
Thank you again 🙂
For an airline that's trying so hard to rape us in the butts, Spirit actually charges fair prices for some of its drinks like coffee and tea. I was expecting those to cost at least $1 more.
PS: the water bottle, freeze it overnight and take it with you. Tell the TSA agent that you have a frozen bottle and show it to them. I did that on a trip three weeks ago and they let me take it through security.
8:21 - Did the guy next to your wife cocoon himself in a bag??? LOL...
That’s a strategy I’ve never hear of before!
How is being delay by immigration spirit faults?
I don't blame the immigration delay on Spirit, but I was not happy with how they handle the situation. They let other people cut the line to make their flight, but not us (even when I told them we were going to miss it). They claimed they wouldn't help us with accommodation because of a 3-minute difference, which I'm not 100% convinced was even accurate. And if there are regular problems with immigration delays in that airport, I wonder why they offer flights with such tight connections. The delay itself wasn't their fault, but how they respond to it and treat their customers is.
Is the amount at checkout including the booking fee and any other “hidden” fees if there are any? I don’t want to purchase my tickets and then get charged a bunch of other fees (I’m not checking in bags or carry ons)
When you buy online it should show you the price including everything. Most people don’t even realize they’re paying the booking fee since it’s all bundled together. That said I don’t think the online booking fee is unique to spirit. I think a lot of airlines have it - if you go to the airport, you don’t have to pay. But for most people, the hassle of driving to the airport and waiting isn’t worth the money saved (unless you’re buying tons of tickets or live right next to the airport perhaps)
This is what I wanted to hear. I was actually getting tired of all the videos saying that Spirit isn't that bad.
Spirit isn’t bad
We’ve flown shorter flights with no problems too. I guess sometimes it comes down to the luck of the draw
I’ve flown spirit many times and never had an problem.
That’s awesome. We’ve had some good experiences too. When we started recording this video, our goal was actually to promote spirit. But then when we had our bad experience, we felt we needed to share. Otherwise it’d be weird making a video talking about how great spirit was, when in reality our experience was pretty crappy. I’m glad you’ve had good luck with them though!
@@ProjectUntethered this makes me feel good because I have to fly with them in a week😳
Is it an international flight with connections? I think that’s probably the most risky. But hopefully everything goes according to plan!
You didnt fill out the Check Mig? Thus..the problem…not a Spirit problem
Avianca is always my choice for flying to Colombia. but i will be flying spirit soon. thanks for the tips!
You bet! If it makes you feel any better, our leg from Cali to Ft Lauderdale went quite well. It was mainly the connection that threw us off.
1st mistake was booking a flight with a 90 min layover which involved customs.
Spirit was fine i'm 6'4 I was comfortable and they move seats if it's not full.... the fuccin checced bags cost a ton
Nice! Good to hear you were able to get comfortable being so tall. Yeah the checked bags are a killer. That’s why we decided to share a check bag for our trip. Worked out nicely!
yeah, my first time with spirit was ok i was like 9 or a bit younger, their chairs were plastic, there tray table were small as hell, and the price after booking the flight was unbelievable
@@zachariyahawasli6454 shut up
@@ANTTEAMSMOKE bruh ok chill
@@zachariyahawasli6454 take that corny shit somewhere else this video if for actually info
I've flown with Spirit a number of times from Guayaquil, EC to the US with really no problems. Staff for the most part have been fine.
Thank you! was considering this airline for our family of 3 from smf to dfw for this Thanksgiving holiday. Definitely not going to use Spirit airlines.
You bet! Yeah if you can afford a more comfortable reliable airline, it’ll likely make for a smoother experience
Bring a coffee travel mug instead. You can use it for water, cold drinks or hot coffee or tea. Most flight attendants are happy to fill it for you on the flight, so you get twice as much coffee. Also, when I fly on Spirit, I buy a coffee, then ask for a refill once they have put the cart away. Since they aren't going to sell any more coffee and will be just throwing it out, they have never charged me. I've been flying Spirit for 15 years now, and I love them. I have a Free Spirit MasterCard, and it has a special customer service just for card holders when little or no wait times. The Big Front Seats are great. Always check the prices on them. For Richmond, VA to Fort Lauderdale they were $86, but from Fort Lauderdale to Guatemala City, they were $35. When I fly to GUA, I always have to layover in Florida until the next day, so no worries about missed connections. Even if I add in a hotel, I'm still saving $200 to $300 over a regular airline.
Those are some awesome tips I’d never thought of before, thanks for sharing!!
Hey guys...does Spirit make everyone stick their personal item in the sizer in your experience? Or do they just put the big carry on bags in the sizer?
My backpack is 1 inch too wide😅
I thought fanny packs count as a second bag.
Keep up the good work on videos❤️🤗
Hey Anna! I don’t think they’ve ever asked me to put my personal item in the sizer, but it’s always a risk. Is it the bag itself that’s too big? Or just because it’s stuffed full? If it’s too jammed full, you could always take a couple things out and put them on your body if you ever need to fit it in the sizer. I’ve never had anyone say anything about my Fanny pack over the past several years, but I swing it behind my back so it’s somewhat hidden when I pass by the counters. Your mileage may vary!
Did you use the bag?
@@cheese68970 not yet :)
Trip got cancelled due to Covid
If it's soft and will fit in they're sizer, they'll let you bring it.
I was going thru your comments & clicked a video you listed & I'm dying 🤣😭 I can't find where it was but it was about Spirit & the extra charges for everything. I've never flown w them & was thinking as I considered booking "good lord they just tag on cost for everything" 🤣 I really appreciate the tips & especially the water bottle trick bc I HAVE to have my water. I'm determined to go on this quick trip & really don't want anything to go wrong but yall makin me so nervous with this Airline. I'll have to seriously consider this 🤣
oh no I have to fly sprint soon…
Best of luck!!
I stopped that Spirit nightmare after flying domestic twice direct! As your wife said, the discounted fare with the crazy carry on restrictions and the mismanagement of the of the airline is not worth the reduction in price from Delta, United or American. Not that they are perfect, but Spirit introduces some stuff not experienced on the other airlines.
I love spirit airlines
How come? (Other than potentially cheaper prices)
You can also bring a water bottle filled if it’s ice! It’s no longer in a liquid state if it’s ice…
Very smart!
never took spirit. what kind of paper work do you need
They sent us a couple different emails with forms about COVID we had to fill out. We also needed a negative test. But I think the paperwork you need all depends on your destination.
@@ProjectUntethered On most airlines the COVID paperwork is built into the check-in kiosk. I don't know how Spirit handles it if you check in in person or online. On the other hand since you were flying internationally you might have had to do it with physical paper regardless.
Yeah we got an email saying to bring the physical paper or we could get a fine. But then at the airport they made us do it again during check in anyways.. weird!
Life is too short and too precious to be wasting time and going through palpable anxiety just to save a few hundred bucks. In Chinese we say, be meager at home but be generous on the road. I think there is a lot of wisdom in that saying.