It doesn’t always make sense to use miles or points for a domestic ticket. You have to compare the price of the ticket to the amount of miles you would have to use for the same route. But beware of the extras you would have to pay if you are comparing the price of a ticket on one of the legacy carriers to one of the ultra low-cost carriers (ULCCs).
Budget airlines tempt you with cheap fares, but they charge extra for everything from seat assignments to carry-on bags. Is it worth it? Which low-cost carrier is the best? And what about their frequent flyer programs? Let’s take a closer look at Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit.
Spirit Air is an ultra low-cost airline that’s earned a bit of bad rap, some of it well-deserved. Its 28-inch pitch is the worst in the industry, and they charge for just about everything on board. However, Spirit’s burning desire to upsell extra services can be used to your advantage.
For a small fee you can get a seat that by just about every measure is first-class quality. Spirit’s calls it the Big Front Seat.
There are two types of people who will benefit from flying Spirit and having the Spirit credit card: those who want rock-bottom prices and aren’t interested in perks, and those who don’t mind paying a little extra for a comfortable seat.
While Spirit will never win a popularity contest, it’s hard to argue with its financial success. It was profitable even in the hardest of times, when every other airline was struggling to stay afloat. Spirit Airlines has only one competitive angle: low price. And for that price, it provides only one service, transporting you from point A to point B. Everything else costs extra.
Free Spirit, the frequent flyer program for Florida-based budget carrier Spirit Airlines, is very controversial. On the one hand, it is very restrictive. Your miles expire after only three months of inactivity, unless you have the Bank of America Spirit Airlines World MasterCard (see below). Most programs give you at least a year, and some up to two years. On the other hand, Free Spirit miles can give you amazing and unbeatable value if you’re in the right place at the right time.
