Spirit Airlines

[joey2665]

https://wmur.com/article/manchester-...-2021/36741929

Spirit to begin non stop flights from Manchester to Florida


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[phoenix]

we need more flights out of Manchester. With consolidation of airlines and SW going into Boston fares have gone up and options have come down. This will help for Florida trips

[Jdarby]

Originally Posted by joey2665

https://wmur.com/article/manchester-...-2021/36741929

Spirit to begin non stop flights from Manchester to Florida

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Just an FYI…..I know the former VP of Safety at Spirit. He does not recommend that his family or friends fly on them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


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[Biggd]

I flew Spirit once, never again.

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[8gv]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I flew Spirit once, never again.

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Has the experience haunted you?

[LakeTimes]

I can't personally speak to Spirit Airlines, but have heard from others that fly often, they wouldn't fly them again. Believe their strategy is to be more of a 'budget' airline.

As someone that flys anywhere between 80-100 flights per year for work pre-covid, I can tell you I will only fly from Logan. As one of Jetblue's largest HUB's - I could fly essentially anywhere in the US direct and have several options per day (also great for vacations down to the Caribbean or Bermuda as many direct flights there as well). There were rumors Jetblue was going to come to MHT a few years back, but that ended up not coming to fruition. Even if Jetblue did come to MHT, I would still fly from Logan due to the fact that meetings run late, traffic in other cities happen, weather delays and cancellations occur, planes need maintenance etc. etc. etc. and often I need to move out my flight or even move it up (at least a third of the time for me). If I was to fly from MHT, I would be very limited on my daily flights and couldn't be as agile with my schedule. AKA I dont' want to be stuck flying from MHT originally and not being able to get a flight back because the one or two that day were canceled, but I could take any one of the next 5 flight out to Boston that day and find my way to MHT or vice versa. I live in the Seacoast area of NH, so MHT for me is closer at 25mins and Logan is roughly 55mins (even on weekday morning pre covid).

What I would LOVE to see, is a fast way to get from Logan to MHT and MHT to Logan. If this were to happen, I think many more frequent flyers would not be as opposed to flying from MHT knowing they had a security blanket there or flying from Logan and back to MHT because of schedule changes. Bus/Uber/Driver will take an hour without traffic considerations. Putting in a train or rail I think is unrealistic and realistically still take a solid hour at best. Suggestion would be a helicopter service much like you would use in NYC with Blade - Uber for Helicopters. For those that are unaware - Link here: https://www.blade.com/

Yes it's a premium cost and not per say realistic for a family of 4 lol, but if for business and if it were only an extra $100/pp give or take, I'd do it all day long as an Uber is roughly $80ish before tip... If Logan (who owns MHT anyways) came out with this, I think it would benefit Logan, MHT, NH and the airlines that use both airports.

All in all - Just wishful thinking

[thinkxingu]

Anyone think that by moving to MHT that Spirit will be forced to up their game a bit?

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[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Anyone think that by moving to MHT that Spirit will be forced to up their game a bit?

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No. Their strategy is to add extra seats, reduce legroom and pack in as many passengers as possible. The last time I flew on Spirit I felt like a sardine packed into a can. I am only 6Ft and my knees were against the seat in front of me. Never again!

They charge for everything, even $2 for a bottle of water. Also 19 to 21% of their revenue is the baggage fees that are added on to the ticket price. That is a higher percentage than all the other major carriers. Spirit passenger average over $26 per passenger in fees.

The up front ticket prices look good, it is the add on fees that will hit you.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

No. Their strategy is to add extra seats, reduce legroom and pack in as many passengers as possible. The last time I flew on Spirit I felt like a sardine packed into a can. I am only 6Ft and my knees were against the seat in front of me. Never again!

They charge for everything, even $2 for a bottle of water. Also 19 to 21% of their revenue is the baggage fees that are added on to the ticket price. That is a higher percentage than all the other major carriers. Spirit passenger average over $26 per passenger in fees.

The up front ticket prices look good, it is the add on fees that will hit you.

I get that, but some peeps—like me—are willing to put up with imperfect seating to save money. What I'm not ok with, and this is where Spirit fails for my family, is that they're rarely on time or reliable.

If they could provide reasonable overall pricing and scheduling reliability direct from MHT to where I want to go, I'd be in.

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[Jdarby]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

I get that, but some peeps—like me—are willing to put up with imperfect seating to save money. What I'm not ok with, and this is where Spirit fails for my family, is that they're rarely on time or reliable.

If they could provide reasonable overall pricing and scheduling reliability direct from MHT to where I want to go, I'd be in.

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Again, my colleague is the former VP of Safety for Spirit. When he tells family and friends not to fly them it has NOTHING to do with imperfect seating. The FAA sets minimum standards for the safe operations of commercial operators. Many air carriers choose to exceed the minimum. Exceeding the minimum creates additional overhead costs that drive up fares. Spirit was designed as a low cost airline, it is their business model. It would require a complete reinvention of their organization to “up their game”….it’s just not who they intend to be. In summary, just because an airline holds an air carrier certificate from the FAA does not mean that they are all on an equal playing field regarding safety of operations. It only means they all meet the minimum requirements. Lack of Federal personnel resourcing also means that not all air carriers receive the same level of regulatory oversight and monitoring. Where do you want to take your family to dinner….at the restaurant that has the “A” scoring from the health department or the one that has the “C” scoring? The health department allows both to remain in operation. Either way, enjoy your meal!


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[XCR-700]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I flew Spirit once, never again.

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Same here,,,

[XCR-700]

Originally Posted by LakeTimes

I can't personally speak to Spirit Airlines, but have heard from others that fly often, they wouldn't fly them again. Believe their strategy is to be more of a 'budget' airline.

As someone that flys anywhere between 80-100 flights per year for work pre-covid, I can tell you I will only fly from Logan. As one of Jetblue's largest HUB's - I could fly essentially anywhere in the US direct and have several options per day (also great for vacations down to the Caribbean or Bermuda as many direct flights there as well). There were rumors Jetblue was going to come to MHT a few years back, but that ended up not coming to fruition. Even if Jetblue did come to MHT, I would still fly from Logan due to the fact that meetings run late, traffic in other cities happen, weather delays and cancellations occur, planes need maintenance etc. etc. etc. and often I need to move out my flight or even move it up (at least a third of the time for me). If I was to fly from MHT, I would be very limited on my daily flights and couldn't be as agile with my schedule. AKA I dont' want to be stuck flying from MHT originally and not being able to get a flight back because the one or two that day were canceled, but I could take any one of the next 5 flight out to Boston that day and find my way to MHT or vice versa. I live in the Seacoast area of NH, so MHT for me is closer at 25mins and Logan is roughly 55mins (even on weekday morning pre covid).

What I would LOVE to see, is a fast way to get from Logan to MHT and MHT to Logan. If this were to happen, I think many more frequent flyers would not be as opposed to flying from MHT knowing they had a security blanket there or flying from Logan and back to MHT because of schedule changes. Bus/Uber/Driver will take an hour without traffic considerations. Putting in a train or rail I think is unrealistic and realistically still take a solid hour at best. Suggestion would be a helicopter service much like you would use in NYC with Blade - Uber for Helicopters. For those that are unaware - Link here: https://www.blade.com/

Yes it's a premium cost and not per say realistic for a family of 4 lol, but if for business and if it were only an extra $100/pp give or take, I'd do it all day long as an Uber is roughly $80ish before tip... If Logan (who owns MHT anyways) came out with this, I think it would benefit Logan, MHT, NH and the airlines that use both airports.

All in all - Just wishful thinking

Funny I have the 100% opposite opinion, I will NEVER fly from Boston when I can get a reasonable flight from Manchester, and Boston is half the distance for me. I NEVER have a good experience at Logan and only every had outstanding experiences at Manchester.

Go figure,,,

[XCR-700]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

I get that, but some peeps—like me—are willing to put up with imperfect seating to save money. What I'm not ok with, and this is where Spirit fails for my family, is that they're rarely on time or reliable.

If they could provide reasonable overall pricing and scheduling reliability direct from MHT to where I want to go, I'd be in.

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Again, interesting how different perspectives are.

I would gladly pay a few dollars more per ticket for a modestly better experience.

The problem is that the jump to better airlines and better classes of ticket are usually huge in cost.

Its a no win situation for the consumer, so I have almost stopped all my air travel. At this point I think I would just take the time off and drive to wherever I needed to go. Assuming its accessible by land,,,

[XCR-700]

Originally Posted by Jdarby

Again, my colleague is the former VP of Safety for Spirit. When he tells family and friends not to fly them it has NOTHING to do with imperfect seating. The FAA sets minimum standards for the safe operations of commercial operators. Many air carriers choose to exceed the minimum. Exceeding the minimum creates additional overhead costs that drive up fares. Spirit was designed as a low cost airline, it is their business model. It would require a complete reinvention of their organization to “up their game”….it’s just not who they intend to be. In summary, just because an airline holds an air carrier certificate from the FAA does not mean that they are all on an equal playing field regarding safety of operations. It only means they all meet the minimum requirements. Lack of Federal personnel resourcing also means that not all air carriers receive the same level of regulatory oversight and monitoring. Where do you want to take your family to dinner….at the restaurant that has the “A” scoring from the health department or the one that has the “C” scoring? The health department allows both to remain in operation. Either way, enjoy your meal!


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Just to be clear, the airlines receive almost no oversight from the FAA, they are mostly allowed to self monitor and only when there are problems do they get significant oversight and inspection by Federal inspectors.

The FAA no longer even calls what they do oversight, they refer to the airline industry as their customers.

Its been a shocking experience to see FAA abandon their former business model in favor of the self inspection/self certify/largely self regulate practices we see today. Its actually frightening and disheartening to see whats happening.

Think about staycations and day trips to Winnipesaukee!

[Jdarby]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

Just to be clear, the airlines receive almost no oversight from the FAA, they are mostly allowed to self monitor and only when there are problems do they get significant oversight and inspection by Federal inspectors.

The FAA no longer even calls what they do oversight, they refer to the airline industry as their customers.

Its been a shocking experience to see FAA abandon their former business model in favor of the self inspection/self certify/largely self regulate practices we see today. Its actually frightening and disheartening to see whats happening.

Think about staycations and day trips to Winnipesaukee!

Shocking indeed. Yet the Part 135 operator I work for has the pleasure of having some 30+ FAA inspectors dedicated solely to monitoring our certificate and they are far from hands off. How they decide to allocate their personnel resources is quite baffling at times!


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[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

Funny I have the 100% opposite opinion, I will NEVER fly from Boston when I can get a reasonable flight from Manchester, and Boston is half the distance for me. I NEVER have a good experience at Logan and only every had outstanding experiences at Manchester.

Go figure,,,

The problem with Manchester is the majority of the flights to places I go are connecting flights, not non-stops.

I regularly fly from Boston to Ft Myers on Jet Blue. Comfortable, great airline, and they have several non-stop flights per day on that route. If something goes wrong there are more flights you may be able to get on.

The last time I flew from Manchester my connecting flight was late getting in to Philadelphia and I had to spend the night on my own dime and catch a flight the next day. I learned my lesson!

I understand, I have friends that are hooked on Manchester and would rather take a two segment flight than go to Boston for a non-stop. When you do that, it just seems like you have spent your whole day on an airplane.

[thinkxingu]

Southwest used to do a bunch of direct flights to Florida out of MHT but, for some reason, they're almost all gone. We'll be flying out of Logan (*vomit*) in December because it was the only way to get direct flights.

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[Sue Doe-Nym]

Southwest has been a huge disappointment. They seem to be having computer glitches frequently, resulting in delayed and cancelled flights. That, coupled with no direct flights makes it very difficult. That’s what makes people resort to Elite, Allegiant, and Spirit, and those also leave a lot to be desired. Hopefully, Southwest will revert back to better schedules from MHT.

[camp guy]

I am a very infrequent flyer, but I do make trips to Manchester Airport to pick people up, and this is much better than having to go to Logan Airport. I fully understand the flexibility at Logan with regard to the ability to change flights, and the expanded flight options, but to me, the aggravation of having to get to Logan, deal with the parking, deal with the congestion, and deal with added costs is more than I want to put up with. Manchester is easy access, easy to park, seems plenty large enough inside, and offers a fairly wide-range of flight options. The economics of the airline industry preclude every airline from providing flights to every airport, so connecting-flights are a necessity. Sometimes this causes a little confusion, and even a little difficulty in making travel plans, but all in all, personally, I think Manchester does a great job.

[TheTimeTraveler]

Isn't there a frequent shuttle bus that runs back and forth between Manchester Airport and Logan Airport? I thought there was, and I thought it was cheap and convenient.

If that is the case then flying out of either airport should not be an issue. If you fly out of Boston, park in Manchester and take the shuttle bus....

I agree that the selection of airlines, flight times and choices are far better in Boston because it is a major International Airport. Not sure where things sit when it comes to actual price comparisons for flights and destinations.

[I.C.Isles]

Issue I had with MHT to consider have been
- lack of direct flights to many places. Faster to drive to Boston than connect.
- less choice in flight times
- usually costs more
- last one that impacted me is that if there is any delay, there are few other choices given lack of flights. Twice ended up having to come back to Logan instead. Once a morning flight out of MHT was cancelled and around noon finally told us we had to wait for the next day.

Good points
- shorter lines
- cheaper parking
- less, more predictable traffic
- good direct flights to florida.


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[Jdarby]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

Funny I have the 100% opposite opinion, I will NEVER fly from Boston when I can get a reasonable flight from Manchester, and Boston is half the distance for me. I NEVER have a good experience at Logan and only every had outstanding experiences at Manchester.

Go figure,,,

Agreed! I have been making the drive to Portland rather than deal with Logan. On Monday I flew out of Portland on a direct to Denver. I was at my gate in less than 15 minutes after parking my car in the lot! MHT was my primary until Delta stopped their service during COVID.


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[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

Isn't there a frequent shuttle bus that runs back and forth between Manchester Airport and Logan Airport? I thought there was, and I thought it was cheap and convenient.

If that is the case then flying out of either airport should not be an issue. If you fly out of Boston, park in Manchester and take the shuttle bus....

I agree that the selection of airlines, flight times and choices are far better in Boston because it is a major International Airport. Not sure where things sit when it comes to actual price comparisons for flights and destinations.

I have taken the bus from Concord to Logan many times. Free parking, Wifi on the bus, and they drop you at your terminal. Simple and easy. To me, way better and more predictable than a connecting flight. I fly to/from Logan to Fort Myers many times each year and I haven't flown out of Manchester in 20 years. In May. when I went from Logan I was the only one in the Precheck line. From the bus to the gate in less than 15 minutes.

There is another option on the coast. The C&J Newburyport bus terminal has moved to Seabrook and runs about hourly to Logan.

Either Concord or Seabrook is a good option to take the bus.

The only difference is the Concord bus makes one stop at South Station for about 10 minutes and the Seabrook bus goes direct to Logan, no stops.