I’m sure you’ve either heard of Spirit Airlines or have seen their yellow planes at some point. They have a reputation for being one of the most budget-friendly, basic airlines out there. For that reason, a lot of travelers will shy away from Spirit at all costs. However, I would not have been able to go to even half the places I’ve been to if it wasn’t for Spirit.

What is Spirit Airlines?

Spirit is a Miami, FL based super low budget airline company that flies to over 90 destinations in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Their flights offer the most BASIC in-flight experience one could imagine and the goal of the company is to provide opportunity to all people to fly to new destinations. In order to do this, Spirit has stripped all unnecessary amenities from their airlines and are offering only a ride from one place to another in the most affordable way possible.

Many would claim that the quality of a ride with spirit is subpar, but the cost of flying with spirit makes up for it 100%, in my opinion. Most Spirit flights provide very tight seating, no free luggage (only a personal item on board.. think only a backpack), no in flight food/beverage options, no free TVs/Wifi, or other amenities that may cost money to operate/maintain. In stripping these options out, and cramming more people into smaller planes, Spirit has been able to keep costs for flights VERY low in comparison to their competitors.

If you simply want a ride from point A to point B, Spirit has your back.

Where does Spirit Fly?

There are over 90 airports that Spirit flies in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean. To see a full map of airports, check out Spirit’s route map. You can input the airport you prefer to fly out of and it will show you everywhere you can fly.

Although Spirit does fly across the country and has many hubs, I would not advise traveling more than 3 hours on one of these planes. They are not comfortable and I’ve found, at least for me personally, after 3 hours I’m more than ready to get off the plane and stretch my legs (and I’m only 5’2″). You will be in cramped quarters, so plan accordingly.

Houston, Tx is typically the airport I fly out of and as you can see in the image below, I could score 1 way tickets to Vegas, Orlando, or even LA for less than $50!

My Spirit Experience(s)!

I’ve told you all about why people do NOT like Spirit (tight quarters, no free food/drink options, no free TV/wifi, no free luggage, etc.) but let me take some time to tell you why I LOVE Spirit Airlines.

I’ve flown to Detroit, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Denver, Miami, and more in the past 10 years and will always consider Spirit Airlines for any future weekend get away trips.

Before I booked these cheap flights, I did my research. I knew not to expect luxury, in flight snacks/drinks, or TV/Wifi. I knew I was only able to bring one personal item on board without having to pay extra for bags. I knew the seating was a bit cramped. Since I did that pre-arrival research, I was not disappointed when I arrived on the most basic airline ever.

I started traveling with Spirit Airlines back in college when I was BROKE (as many college students in the U.S. are). Thanks to this ultra-low budget airline, I was able to take a few weekend trips within the U.S. while I was still in college. Unlike many of my friends, I had crossed off quite a few new cities before graduation without spending too much much or putting myself further into debt.

Not only was I able to travel new places, but without Spirit’s price point, I wouldn’t have been able to visit my family while I was in grad school. I moved out to Nevada to complete my Master degree and my home base is in Michigan. Thankfully, I was able to fly with Spirit and make it home for a holiday, which just wouldn’t have been financially possible for me taking a typical airline.

Being able to go home and see my family meant a lot to me, and made me forever thankful to Spirit for providing me the option to do so. I wouldn’t have been able to afford another option at the time.

In all my trips, I’ve never had any trouble with flights being delayed/cancelled nor have I had issues with customer service or staff. That’s not to say it’s a perfect airline, but I’ve been fortunate enough to ONLY have had good experiences thus far.

Is Spirit Airlines for You?

If you’re wanting to travel and willing to give up all extras and a little bit of comfortability, then Spirit is the way to go. Take a leap, take a cheap flight, and explore all the airport hubs spirit takes you to from your hometown.

I travelled a lot more than my peers in college because I was okay with taking Spirit, packing small, and self-entertaining for a couple hours. I was more focused on adding new states and cities to my roster than traveling in style and comfort.

I’ve been coloring in this little map of the U.S. since undergrad and Spirit helped me get to many of them!

*to see an updated map of where I’ve been, visit my Travel Goals page!

If you’re not able to pack small/light and sitting on a plane for hours without in-flight entertainment and comfy seats isn’t an option, then Spirit shouldn’t be an option either. You’ll leave incredibly disappointed.

You’ll find all kinds of reviews for Spirit Airlines and most of them simply complain about how basic, boring, and uncomfortable Spirit is. That seems really silly to me because that’s exactly the goal of Spirit. Be as cheap as possible while still getting people safely from one destination to another. They want to provide opportunity to allow everyone the chance to see other parts of the world and for that,

I am SO THANKFUL.

• Spirit Airlines was bought by JetBlue in 2022, which is another ultra-low budget airline operator based in the U.S. However, Spirit is still operating as Spirit until further notice, but it may be changed to JetBlue in the future.

*I am not affiliated with Spirit in any way and this was not a paid post. I have just been a frequent flier and loyal customer for over 10 years.