 |
| My first adventure with Spirit Airlines, June 2016 |
Some people use credit cards to get points to save money or
get free fare or hotels. Personally, I do not keep any credit cards (except one
for emergencies only). I know, I know, if you pay them off each month you can
get great rewards, however, in times when I have had a credit card (always a
store card) I have not been diligent about paying it off and it came back to
bite me. I know my limitations and work within those.
For some people flying on one airline and using points or
loyalty programs and do well. I do not, I book fare based upon what I find the
cheapest.
FLEXIBILITY
The biggest key to getting cheap fare is flexibility. Since
I started teaching I don’t have the flexibility that I once did, so I have to
travel within the constraints of holidays and vacation days.
Not only is being flexible with dates important, but also
being flexible with how long you go. I have purchased fare to NYC for $69 round
trip, however it was a very short 24ish hour trip, but I managed to get in two shows,
delicious dinner, and brunch.
There have been times that I actually save enough money on
airfare by staying a day longer that it pays for another night’s hotel. By that
I mean I would spend the same amount staying four days with cheaper airfare as I
would if I stayed five days with an extra hotel night. I don’t save cash, but I
gain experiences for the same price. You also have to factor in food, tickets,
and transportation for that extra night, but I will almost always add an extra
day (if I can) to get in another show if the difference won’t be that much.
FINDING FARES
I always start with a general time I want to go. This is
particularly for summer now that I’m teaching, but if I have several holiday
weekends I will look at all of them to figure out which one will be
economically best. (Opening dates of shows and limited engagements are also a
factor for me.)
I always start with a simple google search for fares. On
your smartphone (or at least on my Samsung) if you put in Dallas to NYC you
will get a box that looks like this. (It remembers the dates from last time.)
If you tap on one of the dates it will show you prices on a
calendar. If you change the departure date it will show you how much it costs
to come back on any day after that. I play on that for quite some time.
Once you determine the fare that looks the best for you then
you will choose those dates. As a general rule flying at non peak times (like
the middle of the week rather than weekends) overall tend to be cheaper. Flying
larger airports (DFW over Will Rogers in OKC) also helps. I never fly out of
OKC anymore. I also live in the middle of the two so it makes as much sense to
go to one as the other. It is worth checking to see if gas is expensive and you
wouldn’t have to pay to park at OKC because someone can drop you off then DFW
might not be the best bet for you. The key is comparison and doing research. I
never book fare before looking at all the factors.
HOPPER
When I’m looking at trips in the future I will use the
Hopper app. You can put in dates and locations and it will track trends and
give you alerts and let you know when is the best time to book is. This is
something I have recently discovered and it has helped in long term planning.
SELECTING A FLIGHT
After looking through flights and dates when I settle on a
fare that is within reason I look at various places to purchase. For example,
if I’m flying Spirit oftentimes they will have additional discounts if you book
through their website. Sometimes booking through Expedia, Travelocity, or one
of these sites will make your fare a little cheaper. I do use Expedia quite a
lot and gain points through that app which will knock some dollars off of
hotels or airfare from time to time, but I don’t rely on that, it’s just a
bonus.
AIRLINES
I am not snobby when it comes to who I fly with. I have
flown America, Delta, United, Continental, Virgin, Frontier, Spirit, and
probably more if I looked back for specifics. I fly whatever I can find for the
cheapest. With airlines like Frontier and Spirit you only get a carry on. I can
generally fit a weekend trip in a backpack without trouble (more on that here),
but if you are going to have to purchase a carry on or checked bag then you
need to factor that in. Another trick for those if you are traveling with other
people you can purchase one carry on or one checked bag and share to save
money. My mom and I did this over the summer, just be aware that they often
have a weight restriction. I have a hand held luggage scale to weigh my bags
SPIRIT AIRLINES
I fly Spirit a lot. I would say that’s what I fly the most.
Spirit advertises a ‘bare fare’. This means they get you from point A to point
B and really nothing more. No choosing seats, no snacks or drinks on the plane,
no checking in at the airport, and you only get one personal item (18”x14”x8”).
As long as you play by their rules you can get some REALLY good deals on
airfare. (Check out Spirit 101 for more detailed information) I never fly first class, I fly in a seat wherever they put me. It’s
three hours of my life at a time and I can endure it. If you have physical
restrictions where you need more room then this is not the route for you. If
you must have a window or aisle seat then you can pay (each way) for that, but
it adds up. For me, being at my destination is the most important part of any
trip, flights are a means to an end only.
Because I fly with Spirit so much it has taught me to pack
extremely light. I used to be an over packer and even with the restrictions of
one backpack I still tend to take more than I need to. There will be a whole
post about how I pack.
I know several people who have issues with this airline, but
I have not. There have only been two minor issues with flights and both of
those were weather related. One was a cancelled flight, which was fully refunded,
and the other was a delayed flight that got diverted. In the second case by the
time we landed and made it to the car we had vouchers for our next flight as an
apology.
Spirit is not for everyone. My style of travel is not for
everyone, but it works for me and allows me to travel regularly and that is
what is most important to me. Once again, it is all about priorities!
Hotel: You Have To Sleep Somewhere
No comments :
Post a Comment