Fun with Spirit Airlines?

Okay, I should have known better.  Hell, I did know better. We booked a short vacation, all-inclusive, including air fare.  I could have changed airlines when I saw that it was Spirit... having heard nothing positive about them.  Lesson learned.  When you see that "cheap fare", just add $350 or so to that price, and that's what you'll actually pay. So, we get charged for checked bags...so what? Everybody does that in one way or another. But being charged to carry on luggage? Really??? The fees are cheaper if you book it online, so that's what I did.  So here we go: right around $35 per bag....not bad. Including carry on... PER LEG!!! So you pay these fees for each leg of your journey. It was 2 legs down and 2 legs back. Plus, to get assigned seating (not preferred, nothing special...just to be able to print your boarding passes before you get to the airport) are you ready.....$10 each...PER LEG.  Now if you want a soda...$3.00. That gets you a can of Coke and a cup of ice.


Now I know that on any given day, ANY airline can be the best or worst you've ever flown on. I've had customers come up to me after an 8 hour delay and multiple inconveniences, and tell me "Thank you...that was a great fight.".  No kidding!  But then turn around and have a smooth and flawless flight, on-time, uneventful.... and someone who's pissed-off about something totally unrelated to our flight says: "I'll never fly this airline again!".... They'll be back.    That being said, out of our 4 landings, all were "interesting".  Something about swerving back and forth on the runway after touchdown makes me uneasy. And I know what's going on up there....it's what I do for a living, and I understand the cross winds, short approaches, wake turbulence etc. But when I get out of the plane and the wind is only blowing 10-15 knots?  Not buying it. Not 4 in a row on 2 different days. 


I will say this: the crews were very nice, Pilots and Flight Attendants alike. Very cordial and professional.  Just don't deal with the gate agents. The less exposure, the better.  On our return trip we were delayed about 3 hours.  No information was posted, no updates given.  So I had to keep going back to the agent to see when it was estimated to depart. Our 4 1/2 hour layover in KFLL was now about 2.  Just enough to clear customs and go back through security. We arrived alive, and so did our luggage. That's about all I can say.


When I say "I'll never fly this airline again!".... just like I've heard so often over the years, it's different. I mean it.  Maybe if it were free....totally free.  So the actual comment should be: "I'll never ever pay to fly on this airline again!"... That sums it up.  I knew better.  I have confirmed the reviews and comments I've heard about Spirit through the years.


I know better.... and now, so do you!