A travel expert revealed why she feels having the best seat on a cheap airline is preferable to the worst seat on a higher-end brand after flying on six Spirit and Frontier Airlines flights last week.
Frequent flyer Dawn Gilbertson had flights that were “far from luxurious” after spending between $80 and $200 per ticket, but one gave Delta “a run for its money.”
“Spirit and its rival Frontier, long famous for its cheap tickets and fares for everything, are adding frills in a high-profile effort to attract more upscale travelers and boost revenue,” Gilbertson wrote for The Wall Street Journal.
“Airlines hope existing passengers will upgrade and those of you who are in the camp of airlines that never offer discounts will give them a chance.”
Despite their seemingly bad experiences, Gilbertson concluded that there was “definitely value” for MileagePlus and SkyMiles enthusiasts.
Travel expert Dawn Gilbertson had flights that were “far from luxurious” after spending between $80 and $200 per ticket, but one gave Delta “a run for its money.”
Based in Colorado, Frontier Airlines serves more than 120 destinations and is known for being a low-cost airline.
Millions of travelers choose to fly with Frontier each year, but the airline is far from perfect, according to the travel expert.
Gilbertson noted that Frontier ranked last in on-time performance so far this year through June.
Frontier also involuntarily increased 3.21 people per 10,000 passengers from early 2023 to 2024, according to an Upgraded Points study shared with Travel + Leisure.
Spirit Airlines is another low-cost airline based in Florida.
It flies to more than 80 destinations around the world and has been Frontier’s rival for years.
Spirit has higher revenue than Frontier, but is also frequently named one of the worst airlines, according to Insider business information.
Despite their seemingly bad experiences, Gilbertson concluded that there was “definitely value” for MileagePlus and SkyMiles enthusiasts.
Gilbertson said Frontier does not offer power screens in the seats or backrests and that none of its seats recline.
Frontier also didn’t have Wi-Fi, and the travel expert revealed that it still charges for food and drinks, even for those who, like Gilbertson, purchased the Business Bundle.
“The new Business package, which I purchased on two of my three Frontier flights, includes an aisle or window seat in the first two rows of the plane, with extra legroom and an empty middle seat,” he wrote .
“They have a little more padding than the seats further back, but let’s not call them luxurious.”
Frontier travelers with the Business package typically board the plane first and also have a dedicated overhead bin for all of them.
Gilbertson allegedly paid $129 to upgrade his one-way flight in addition to his $234 ticket.
Although $363 may seem high, Gilbertson revealed that it was “much cheaper than last-minute options” for economy seats at the time with Delta ($464), American ($656) and Southwest ($688).
After her experience with Frontier, Gilbertson concluded she would select their Business package again, but only if she has bags that need to be checked.
‘I didn’t check bags for this trip, so I left money on the table. “Frontier’s least expensive premium package includes a carry-on bag and extra legroom, but without a blocked center seat,” she wrote.
The travel expert revealed that she would fly on both airlines again if she had upgraded seats.
Like Frontier, Spirit doesn’t offer power seats, seatback screens, or reclining seats.
It had Wi-Fi, and Gilbertson claimed the airline “went further in its pitch to higher-spending vacationers.”
“The airline has made its biggest onboard attraction, the first-class Big Front Seat, the centerpiece of a new ticket option called Go Big,” Gilbertson wrote.
The travel expert opted to pay an extra $190 for her Go Big seat for her one-way flight from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles.
She allegedly spent $283, which she claimed was cheaper than a standard JetBlue economy ticket.
Lucky Go Big passengers can enjoy an oversized aisle or window seat in the first two rows of the plane.
Go Big tickets also include a free checked bag, early boarding, a carry-on bag with container space, and unlimited snacks and drinks.
Spirit’s Go Comfy option isn’t as luxurious, but it does include a locked center seat.
The travel expert didn’t have much praise for Spirit, but she did realize that the airline was working to make its travelers happy.
“Spirit Airlines went above and beyond in its pitch to appeal to higher-spending vacationers, and it shows,” he wrote.
“It’s the most expensive of their four new options and is worth every penny, if my trip is any measure.”