A travel expert revealed the reason why she thinks it’s better to have the best seat on a budget airline than the worst seat on a more expensive name after taking six flights on Spirit and Frontier Airlines last week.
Frequent flyer Dawn Gilbertson had “far from luxurious” flights after spending between $80 and $200 per ticket, but one gave Delta “bang for its buck.”
“Spirit and rival Frontier, long famous for cheap tickets and fees on everything, are adding frills in a high-profile effort to woo more luxury travelers and increase revenue,” Gilbertson wrote for The Wall Street Journal.
“The airlines are hoping that existing passengers will get an upgrade and those of you who are in the camp of the never-discount airlines, give them a try.”
Despite her seemingly rotten experiences, Gilbertson concluded there was “definitely value” for MileagePlus and SkyMiles enthusiasts.
Travel expert Dawn Gilbertson had ‘far from luxurious’ flights after spending between $80 and $200 per ticket, but one gave Delta ‘value for money’
Frontier Airlines, headquartered in Colorado, serves more than 120 destinations and is known as a low-cost airline.
Millions of travelers choose to fly with Frontier every year, but the airline is far from perfect, according to the travel expert.
Gilbertson pointed out that through June, Frontier ranked last in on-time performance year to date.
Frontier also involuntarily bumped 3.21 people per 10,000 passengers between early 2023 and 2024, according to a study by Upgraded Points shared with Travel + Leisure.
Spirit Airlines is another low-cost airline headquartered in Florida.
It flies to more than 80 destinations around the world and has been Frontier’s rival for years.
Although Spirit has higher revenue than Frontier, it is also often cited as one of the worst airlines Business insider.
Despite her apparently rotten experiences, Gilbertson concluded there was “definitely value” for MileagePlus and SkyMiles enthusiasts
Gilbertson claimed that Frontier does not offer power seats or recline screens and that none of their seats recline.
Frontier also didn’t have Wi-Fi, and the travel expert revealed that food and drink fees are still being charged even for those who, like Gilbertson, purchased the Business Bundle.
“The new Business Bundle, 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,” she wrote.
“They have a little more padding than seats further back, but let’s not call them soft.”
Cross-border flyers with the Business Bundle are usually the first to board the plane, and they also have a luggage room just for them all.
Gilbertson reportedly paid $129 to upgrade her one-way flight on top of her $234 ticket.
While $363 may sound high, Gilbertson revealed that at the time it was “much cheaper than last-minute options” for economy seats on Delta ($464), American ($656) and Southwest ($688).
After her Frontier experience, Gilbertson concluded she would choose the Business Bundle again, but only if she has bags that need to be checked.
“I didn’t check any bags for this trip, so I left money on the table. Frontier’s cheaper premium bundle includes a carry-on bag and extra legroom, but no blocked middle seat,” she wrote.
The travel expert revealed she would fly with both airlines again if she could get upgraded seats
Like Frontier, Spirit doesn’t offer in-seat power, seatback screens or reclining seats.
There was Wi-Fi, and Gilbertson claimed the airline was “going further in its offering to higher-spending holidaymakers.”
“The airline has made its biggest in-flight draw, 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 reportedly spent $283, which she said was cheaper than a standard economy ticket from JetBlue.
Lucky Go Big passengers can enjoy an extra-large aisle or window seat in the first two rows of the plane.
Go Big tickets also come with one free checked bag, early boarding, a carry-on bag with waste space, and unlimited snacks and drinks.
Spirit’s Go Comfy option is not as luxurious, but does have a blocked middle seat.
The travel expert didn’t have much praise for Spirit, but she could see that the airline was working to make its fliers happy.
“Spirit Airlines went further in its offering for higher-spending vacationers, and it shows,” she wrote.
“It’s the most expensive of the four new options and worth every penny, if my journey is any indicator.”
