12 Aug Budget Airlines: Yay or Nay?

Last week while watching “Nightline” (one of the ways I wind down after a long day), I was intrigued by a segment on Spirit Airlines,  the “ultra low cost carrier of the Americas.” They manage to beat their competitors by up to $100 round trip. Sounds good, right? Well, that low price comes at a cost.

Besides the no frills conveniences of in flight movies and decent leg room (their planes have 145 seats on board, the max allowed by the FAA), the airline also charges passengers to speak with a customer service rep and for carry-on luggage ($30-$45 for bags placed in the overhead bins). And the “Nightline” segment also noted in 2008, the Bureau of Transportation received 7 times as many complaints from Spirit customers than any other airline. Yikes! Their super savings prices aren’t looking so great after all.

I’m definitely for saving as much as I possibly can, especially when traveling, but I would never tolerate subpar service or amenities.

So, have you ever flown Spirit Airlines or another budget carrier? If so, what was your experience? Would you be willing to do without leg room, other frills or crappy customer service if you snagged a great deal?

Peep the “Nightline” video below.