volcano - 11-24-2012 at 08:03 AM
Anyone have any experience with Spirit Airlines into Los Cabos? A friend is about to book with them..all I know is her Bro uses a flight of theirs
from Tx to Portland Or///$99 per flight....and they use terminals from other lines that are not in use..usually late at night or off hours. She says
they are shoing $299 for Portland to Los Cabos.
LosCabosbound - 11-24-2012 at 08:49 AM
Check out their baggage fees for not only checked bags but carry on as well...
Last time I looked it was an unbelievable cost... and applied both ways.
Just a Thought, BUT ...............
MrBillM - 11-24-2012 at 12:08 PM
They are appropriately named should one go down.
Something to think about.
Alm - 11-24-2012 at 12:22 PM
If $299 is one way, this is very expensive. Alaska will get you there for much less - $200 for January, if you like. Luggage... I think most of them
are now charging beginning from the 1st item. Check Carrier's Contract or click somewhere on Luggage on their website.
PS: have just checked, Spirit luggage fees are pretty high:
Carry-on $25,
1st bag $20,
2nd bag $30,
3rd bag $75.
For comparison, Alaska:
Carry-on Free
1st, 2nd, 3rd bag - $20 each.
All these fees are each way. So luggage fees in Spirit with 1 carryon + 2 bags return are $70 more than Alaska ($180 difference if 3 bags). With added
inconvenience of "off-hours terminals" and roughly $100 difference in return ticket cost it doesn't look good. They would have to lower the ticket
prices a bit more, to entice me.
Southwest:
Carry-on Free
1st, 2nd bag - Free
3rd bag - $50.
Flying with 2 bags, I have never been lucky getting SW so cheap that it would make sense choosing it over Alaska, even considering lower luggage fees,
at least here on the West Coast. With 3 bags the SW luggage fees are practically the same as Alaska.
Airlines are changing luggage allowance almost every year now (to worse, naturally).
Fatality-free record of SW? This is nice, but I would also look into who maintains their fleet. A lot of US airlines have outsourced maintenance to
Asia, mostly China and Philippines, flying planes there for maintenance. Standards of quality are questionable, both parts and labor. Some of those
Asian companies are keeping their maintenance hangars in the US, but the standards are same low, with fewer people and longer hours than it should be.
Selection and training of personnel is poor, a lot of them don't even speak English and can't read the maintenance manuals. General public doesn't
usually hear much about this, only occasionally you catch a glimpse in media.
[Edited on 11-24-2012 by Alm]