At the end of July, Spirit Airlines (SAVE) surprised longtime travelers by announcing that it was doing away with the standard low-cost airline model of offering a base fare and then having customers pay for extras such as baggage or priority seating in favor of four separate fare classes.
The basic "Go" fare is the bare-bones seat with only a small personal item like a backpack or a purse included, while the top "Go Big" fare comes as close to business class as a low-cost carrier can. Travelers who buy this type of ticket get a carry-on item and checked bag, a large armchair-style seat with extra legroom at the front of the plane, priority check-in and boarding, free Wi-Fi and flight attendants who come around with a selection of snacks and drinks.
Related: I just flew Spirit for the first time ever — here’s what it was like
While the airline has recently been in the news over what kind of future it has after the blocked merger with JetBlue Airways (JBLU) , it is also not going bankrupt anytime in the immediate future. I had a chance to test the new fare classes on flights between New York's LaGuardia Airport and O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. I flew Go Big and returned in Go Comfy in order to compare the two and review both.
Veronika Bondarenko
Go Big vs. Go Comfy? I had a chance to compare
As someone who almost never flies anything other than economy for my personal travels, the differences in Go Big become apparent even before, but certainly as soon as, you arrive to the airport.
A checked bag on a domestic flight in economy is always an "extra" that needs to either be purchased or earned as a perk through status, while boarding first and sitting at the front of the plane allows you to avoid the bottleneck of people putting their bags into overhead compartments.
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As the "all perks" fare class, Go Big has all those things, alongside leather armchair-style chairs and flight attendants who come by with a basket of complimentary snacks to choose from and free soft and alcoholic drinks like wine, beer or cocktails that can be made with common spirits. There is also free Wi-Fi that you would, in all other fare classes, need to buy for what on my flight was $12.99 for a lower speed and $15.99 for a higher one.
None of these things may "matter" enough to make someone who is trying to save money go with the most expensive ticket option but they certainly make flying more pleasant and can take the edge off what is for many people an increasingly stressful experience. Flight attendant Alex of the Orlando crew was especially warm and attentive to all the passengers seated in my zone.
Veronika Bondarenko
Veronika Bondarenko
The perks include larger seats, alcohol vs. soft drinks and boarding before the bottleneck
After spending two days exploring Chicago (I once wrote about how much I love the city for everything from its architecture to its museum and food scenes), it was time to return to NYC.
Go Comfy, or the second-highest fare class offered by Spirit, has most of the same "non-negotiables" and fewer of the extras: You still get an included carry-on bag and a checked bag, have an assigned seat closer to but not at the very front of the plane and board in zone two before the majority of the other passengers.
You sit in a regular Spirit plane seat but are guaranteed to have an empty middle seat next to you whether you pick an aisle or window seat. You get a snack chosen by the airline (in my case, a chocolate chip cookie) and choice of coffee, tea or soft drink but no alcohol.
Another felt difference from Go Big was, for me, the tiny Spirit tray table that low-cost airlines use to cut down the airline's weight but that passengers traveling in Go Big avoid. It is also important to note that, regardless of which class you choose, you will not be able to charge your devices on the plane as Spirit aircraft do not have chargers for the same reasons of weight reduction. This is especially important to note when taking a longer flight to some of the carrier's destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.
Veronika Bondarenko
Veronika Bondarenko
Which fare class to pick? Some thoughts from this travel writer
So which fare class should you pick on Spirit flights you may take in your future? Go Comfy was true to its name in being comfortable, but if perks are important you definitely have to go with Big.
It is also worth noting that, when booking in advance, the differences in price are not that large. The same trip from LGA to ORD booked for a weekend at the end of October currently comes up on the Spirit website as $87 for Go (the most basic fare class), $122 for Go Economy, $137 for Go Comfy and $157 for Go Big in one direction.
The low-cost airline model is based on attracting travelers with that low base fare, but if you're buying the $122 fare and then giving in to in-the-moment temptation to get the in-flight Wi-Fi and a small bottle of Prosecco, you've already paid more than it would have cost you to get that higher fare class.
And in that higher fare class, you would not need to worry about things like fitting all of one's things into one bag and whether one of the people moving down the line during boarding will sit next to you or you will luck out on the extra space (all economy travelers have felt that anxiety at some point).
But for those who just want to get to one's destination at the lowest price possible and can travel light while also not giving in to temptation to make in-flight purchases, there is still the basic no-frills option.
Veronika Bondarenko
Spirit Airlines provided Veronika Bondarenko with transportation from LGA to ORD while she covered her accommodation and time spent in Chicago.
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