I use them quite a bit when flying to Vegas. It isn't bad once you get used to what they offer and how they price things. Typically, on a trip of more than two nights, I select their just-for-you bundle which includes seat selection, priority boarding, and a checked bag. The total is usually $180 to $220 including all that stuff. The value added is that they are direct flights. If I fly Southwest out of the same airports, my total is usually going to be in the $400 to $500 range all in and I am going to have a layover on the way out, way back, or both.
I agree if you are over 6 ft spring for the exit row or big front seats. You can often get the big front seats for $2 to $3 over the minimum bids if they have empty ones just before boarding. My advice on the drinks and snacks is to buy them once you clear security and take them with you. If you are going to do just the personal item, find a bag that maximizes those dimensions. I find that a backpack or gym bag works best. If you try and do a bag with wheels, those wheels and the extendable handle are going to eat too much of your limited space. Also, since I usually get early boarding with my package, I tend to be an A-hole and store my personal items in the overhead bin. Don't forget you have your pockets to store things. If I am just doing the personal item, I overstuff that personal item bag to the point of it not fitting into the sizer. Then before boarding, I offload a lot of stuff into my pockets. Once on the plane, after I clear the sizer, I stuff those items back into my bag and as I said put the bag in the overhead bin.
I just returned from a flight on Allegiant and their seating/pricing is very similar. You do get roughly an extra inch of leg room but your seat is an inch narrower because their aisles are wider. They use the same type of thin padding that Spirit and Frontier use on their seats. I note Southwest is getting ready to launch new smaller and thinly padded seats in 2025 so the small seats are becoming the norm on domestic flights.
