Pat Gaudette

In February, my husband and I flew on Spirit Airlines. The tickets were cheap and the flight was non-stop. Our seats, in the middle of the plane, that we’d paid an additional $8 apiece for in order to actually guarantee that we would have a seat on the plane, had so little leg room that our knees dug into the back of the seats in front of us. It was not an enjoyable flight.

Spirit doesn’t offer First Class seats but they do have a few front rows that offer a bit more space for more bucks. On our return flight we paid $16 apiece in order to move closer to the front and gain a couple more inches of leg room. Our knees still touched the seats in front of us but at least we could sit with our legs together instead of spread-eagled. The “big seats” at the very front, for our flight, were an additional $40.

There were no free snacks or beverages. Beverages such as cola or juices were $3, coffee and tea were $2, and water $3. Alcoholic beverages were $6.

Spirit has now decided to add a charge per carry-on bag, effective August 1, 2010, of $30 for online phone or check-in, or $45 at the gate. A personal item that fits underneath a seat, limited to one item per seat purchased, is free. Only one paid ($30 or $45) carry-on bag is allowed per passenger.

That’s not the end of the add-on charges. The current checked bag fees are also going up on August 1, 2010. First bag: $25 for online phone or check-in, $45 at the gate. Second bag: $30. Third through fifth bag, $85. Those are all domestic rates; International rates are slightly higher. Sporting equipment, excluding golf clubs, is a flat fee of $75. All rates are per leg, not roundtrip.

Adding all the extras into the cost of a ticket, Spirit no longer seems to be the best value. Perhaps the other airlines will follow Spirit’s example but they may not if they see how these additional charges send Spirit ticket sales plummeting. We all have choices. I believe my husband and I will choose to fly in friendlier skies our next trip.