Mike FriedmanBefore we can beat Spirit Airlines, let’s look at the history of low cost carriers. Many years ago, there were network carriers. They flew customers all around the world, in different classes of service and occasionally handed out decks of playing cards. And the passengers saw that it was good.
Then, there was Southwest airlines, a discount carrier. It didn’t offer a lot of frills, but in return, its fares were low and service was friendly. And the passengers saw that it was good.
And now, we have Ultra-low cost carriers (ULCC), like Spirit, Frontier and Ryan Air. They squeezed in as many passengers as they could and offered rock bottom prices, but all you got was safe passage. If you wanted anything else, whether that’s a seat assignment or a can of Coke, it cost extra. And passengers hated it, but they flew anyway, since the prices were so low.
What Is A ULCC?
An Ultra-Low Cost Carrier is simply the latest iteration in a series of attempts to get the cost of flying as low as possible. The premise is simple: The airline will sell you a ticket for a ridiculously low price. But that’s all you get. If you want to take a bag, choose a seat or do anything other than simply get on the plane, there will be an additional charge.
ULCCs don’t make any bones about their business models. In fact, they brag about them. Spirit Airlines, for instance, makes more than $50 per passenger in “ancillary fees,” a number that it discusses every quarter on its analyst conference call. In fact, passengers often pay more in extras than they do for the ticket itself! But, you can still beat Spirit Airlines and low cost carriers.
Beat Spirit Airlines
How To Beat The System (Or At Least Play The Game Well)
But the fact that the ULCCs set the rules doesn’t mean that you have can’t play by your own. So remember this: Their business model is based on your being unprepared and inflexible. The more you can fight those habits, the better off you’ll be. And remember, you can always check the optional charges at the website, like this one for Spirit or that one for Frontier. You really can beat Spirit Airlines. Let’s take a look.
Low Cost Carriers – Bring Your Own Food And Drinks
I am always surprised by how many people I see buying meals onboard flights. Really? People love to complain about eating free airline food, never mind paying for it. And on low coast carriers, it becomes a bigger issue, since they charge for all drinks, not just alcohol.
So do yourself and your credit card balance a favor: Pack an empty water bottle and some snacks. The snacks are particularly important if you have kids, since you know they will be begging you for food.
Do It Early And Do It By Yourself
Oh, and get your mind out of the gutter. Stay focused, since we are trying to beat Spirit Airlines.
One of the ways that these airlines save money is by minimizing employee expenses, so the fewer times that you bother them for something, the better. They will, of course, incentivize you to do as much as possible ahead of time.
Check out the chart above: If you want to check a bag, it will cost you $30 if you do it while you are booking the ticket. And then it goes up from there, to as much as $60 if you do it at the gate. The same policies apply for seat selection and check-in. The earlier you do it, and the fewer people that you involve, the better. How bad does it get? Spirit will actually charge you $2 to print your boarding pass from an airport kiosk! That’s an expensive piece of paper.
Determine What’s Worth Your Dollars
We’ve gotten used to certain “perks” on airlines, but now you can determine if they are necessary or simply nice extras.
- How many bags do you need? If you’re traveling as a couple, can you squeeze all of your clothes into one bag? Can your kids share a bag? Cut your bags from four to two and you’ll save $60 or so.
- And how fast do you need those bags? If you’re willing to check them, you’ll actually save $5 per bag on either Frontier or Spirit. That’s right, they charge you more to carry on a bag and use the overhead compartments than they do to check a bag.
- Traveling alone? Consider skipping the advance seat assignment and letting them give you one at the gate. Yeah, you’ll risk getting stuck in a middle seat, but you will save money. And if it’s a short flight, it might not matter much anyway.
- Here’s my personal favorite: If you buy the ticket through the website or a call center, you’ll pay a fee for that, as well. The fee is only waived if you actually buy the ticket at the airport. It’s tough to avoid this one.
Consider A Bundle To Save A Bundle
The airlines figure that if you’re buying one service from them, you’re probably good for a bunch of them. For the major airlines, it’s not as big a deal, since many of their amenities are included. But for the ULCCs, fees are the bread and butter of their business models (And yes, they’ll charge you for the bread. And the butter. And the knife to spread the butter.). So it might be worth it to go the cable company route and buy everything in a bundle.
Okay, so maybe you don’t need double miles (mostly because their mileage plan is awful), but instead of paying $35 for a bag, $20 for a seat and everything else that they’re going to charge you for, consider bundling the services. Sure, you’re going to get a few extras that you wouldn’t want otherwise, but they’re already included, so go wild and crazy.
Join The Fare Club. Or Don’t.
Hey, want even lower fares and other goodies? The ULCCs will offer you those, too. For a fee, of course. Spirit calls it their $9 Fare Club, while Frontier has the Discount Den.
These subscription programs offer you access to even better fares and/or other benefits, such as a “Kids Fly Free” offer on certain flights at Frontier, or discounted ancillary fees. They run $60 per year each, although that’s an intro offer for Spirit, which goes to $70 in its second year.
It should be easy enough to determine whether the fare club is worth it for you. If you (and people in your party, who will also be covered) are going to be paying a ton of fees on your next trip (and I hope you won’t), then the fare club is worth your time. Likewise, if you’re going to be flying one of the carriers frequently, it may also be worth joining in.
Remember, though, that any subscription is a sunk cost. You will feel like you are locking yourself into using only that particular airline, but you are still a free agent. Go where the value is.
But no matter what you do, print your boarding pass ahead of time. $2 is still $2.
