One of my good friends from residency sent a Facebook group message to the rest of us who are in the field of Critical Care saying, "Hey we are having a party at the Lakehouse, do come!'. Given it has been a year since we have seen or spoken to each other I decided that I will head 'home' i.e. Cleveland for sure *hoping my chief gives me off that weekend*
So with the goal in mind made plans. I scoured the internet for flight deals and found the cheapest flight on 'Spirit Airlines'. I had been warned through ads colleagues and even Trevor Noah (talk show host who sneaks in quick punches on the airlines) that the experience will be horrible and there will be flight delays and I will be left stranded. Anyhow, cheap as I was I decided to take my chances. So this is my post on travel with Spirit Airlines. I have in no way been compensated by the airlines and this is my OWN thoughts on the trip.
Prior to packing I googled and checked what are the dimensions of the luggage that I can carry. To be frank any regular bag pack should be okay but I have just put the dimensions for those who like numbers. 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). Anything bigger than this will have to be checked or billed, which is EXPENSIVE. So please pack wisely for the trip. Please note that they do not have weight restrictions on the bag.
I packed my bag with essentials for a 2 day getaway. The check in process was painless, which I did 24hrs in advance. I got my boarding pass on the Spirit airlines app in Android and breezed through security. The boarding process itself was a bit confusing. I was on Zone 3 but I think the lady at the gate really did not care in which order we boarded so once Zone 1 was done we all just stood in a big line with a mix of Zone 2-4 in no particular order. Next came to stowing luggage either under the seat or in the overhead bins. Given I am tall I quickly put my bag in the over head bin and had all the room in the world to stretch my legs which was a blessing. The seats do NOT recline which is no a big bother to me but some people do complaint about the same online. Given I was post call I slept the entire duration of the flight. There was beverages that were served during the flight but all for a fee. So I would recommend shopping for drinks/food BEFORE getting on the flight. Once we landed it was the same process as any other flight, with disembarking in chaotic order. But disembarking nonetheless.
On the way back, same ordeal but the man at the gate announced that we had to board in Zones which was good to hear. I was again in Zone 3 and arrived at the gate when my time was ready. We boarded the flight in a safe and orderly manner and arrived at Boston on time and in one piece.
So in all, Spirit is great for a short trip/getaway and if you have very minimal stuff to carry. It is NOT great for long destination and if you have a lot of luggage. I would recommend any other airline as it will be cheaper in the long run.
So with the goal in mind made plans. I scoured the internet for flight deals and found the cheapest flight on 'Spirit Airlines'. I had been warned through ads colleagues and even Trevor Noah (talk show host who sneaks in quick punches on the airlines) that the experience will be horrible and there will be flight delays and I will be left stranded. Anyhow, cheap as I was I decided to take my chances. So this is my post on travel with Spirit Airlines. I have in no way been compensated by the airlines and this is my OWN thoughts on the trip.
Prior to packing I googled and checked what are the dimensions of the luggage that I can carry. To be frank any regular bag pack should be okay but I have just put the dimensions for those who like numbers. 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). Anything bigger than this will have to be checked or billed, which is EXPENSIVE. So please pack wisely for the trip. Please note that they do not have weight restrictions on the bag.
I packed my bag with essentials for a 2 day getaway. The check in process was painless, which I did 24hrs in advance. I got my boarding pass on the Spirit airlines app in Android and breezed through security. The boarding process itself was a bit confusing. I was on Zone 3 but I think the lady at the gate really did not care in which order we boarded so once Zone 1 was done we all just stood in a big line with a mix of Zone 2-4 in no particular order. Next came to stowing luggage either under the seat or in the overhead bins. Given I am tall I quickly put my bag in the over head bin and had all the room in the world to stretch my legs which was a blessing. The seats do NOT recline which is no a big bother to me but some people do complaint about the same online. Given I was post call I slept the entire duration of the flight. There was beverages that were served during the flight but all for a fee. So I would recommend shopping for drinks/food BEFORE getting on the flight. Once we landed it was the same process as any other flight, with disembarking in chaotic order. But disembarking nonetheless.
On the way back, same ordeal but the man at the gate announced that we had to board in Zones which was good to hear. I was again in Zone 3 and arrived at the gate when my time was ready. We boarded the flight in a safe and orderly manner and arrived at Boston on time and in one piece.
So in all, Spirit is great for a short trip/getaway and if you have very minimal stuff to carry. It is NOT great for long destination and if you have a lot of luggage. I would recommend any other airline as it will be cheaper in the long run.
