[Jacquelyn]

Budget minded people of the internet….
Spirit Airlines: So I know about the no frills, we’re looking at direct flights, we’ll pay to check one bag….

But there’s 6 of us… if we get the cheapest option it’s $500

but if we select seats to ride together it’s $1200

(still like $600 cheaper than southwest, but Spirit is nonstop).

We’re looking at flying at least twice in the next couple of months so really looking for some cost savings!

Question: What’s the likelihood of sitting together if we don’t pay to select seats?

There’s 4 children age 10 and under with 1-2 adults. It’s KC to Boston….

How do I find out how full these flights typically are?

Or anyone know how the computer assigns seats – like does it take into account parties or does it just assign first available?

(Their website says when we check in we can ask to be assigned together but no guarantee so just looking for a consensus on experience )

since the tickets are super cheap maybe the flights won’t be filled?

(It’s a newly offered direct flight)

I’m also considering paying for two aisle seats then taking a chance for the other 4

(thinking we could ask someone to switch a middle seat since they likely didn’t pay extra for it…

and my 8 & 10 year old could sit by themselves, but 4 & 6 year old couldn’t.

[Tamika]

Definitely recommend paying for seats together having small children. I work at an airline and see it all the time.

You all will not sit together.

[Michelle]

I wouldn’t risk it. My friend was flying with her 2 and 4 year old last year..

didn’t pay to select seats, weren’t seated together and the airline wouldn’t help.

She found someone to switch so she could sit by her 2 year old, but her 4 year old sat alone.

Would not recommend..

[Dillon]

Every time I’ve flown Spirit they were either full or only a couple seats empty.

Was flying solo so not sure about getting seated together but based on experience they will not help unless you pay.

They got caught forcing people to pay the checked bag price even if it was personal item size because they were giving bonuses to the employees per upcharge.

Biggest risk and reason I stopped flying Spirit is that they often will have routes that don’t have backups if it’s overbooked or cancelled.

Like they might only have that flight path 1 time on a Tuesday and the next time is on Thursday.

So if your flight is cancelled or you’re bumped, the whole trip was lost.

So at the very least double check if they have multiple flights doing that route.

[Ashley]

We used American airlines last month. They have policies that they automatically put an adult with children.

I opened a card with them.

I got a 400 dollar credit on my bill and you get 1 free checked back per person both ways.

[Marcus]

I’m a flight attendant and often have families come onboard and demand to sit together because they didn’t want to pay for assigned seating during booking.

Please don’t be that person.

[Jane]

Family of 6 here. We flew atl to det on spirit round trip and had no probs last week.

Kids are all 10 and under and each had a personal sized backpack.

I did not pay for seats…

govt law req airlines to seat minors with adults.

Hubby and I were in a full row…

1 adult w 2 kids.

(We’ve flown several times and I’ve not paid for seats once…

sometimes they’ll split us up in different rows but it’s always 1 adult w 2 kids).

[Lauryn]

Everyone else on the plane resents when parents are not seated with their children.

Even people who love kids.

They are your job and you need to be with them when they’re that small.

It’s also a safety issue to allow your children to be with adults you don’t know if you can’t oversee them etc

[Su]

If you have a checked bag with Spirit, make sure to go there 4 hour before, went once 3 hours before and couldn’t make the flight.

Why do you care about sitting together, the children will sit with an adult.

[Kimberly]

My experience with spirit and children is we always sit together. Also, I’m in NJ and you can go to the airport and save on spirit fees.

Works in acy and phl from what I understand so maybe it’s everywhere.

I’ve personally done acy and it definitely works there and I hear it works in PHL.

Ask around and do some digging.

[Tola]

I would never take the chance of my minor child sitting with unknown individual in confined spaces where alcohol is served and I don’t know the people.

Not a risk I’d ever take.

[Casandra]

If you are on a budget and you have a bit on leanway on the dates (to allow for stops in travel), seriously consider renting a newer minivan and driving if your not doing a full cross country drive (or consider driving one way and flying back 1 way).

Car rentals have become a bit cheaper than they used to be.

My husband and I have found its been consistently cheaper for us and far, far less stress.

Of. course, that all depends on your children’s tolerances for car rides.

[Scott]

Why not pay for 3 seats – you and the 4 an 6 year old. You say the older kids can go alone.

Paying for 3 is better than 6 I guess.

[Jennifer]

It sucks airlines make you pay now to choose your seat assignments. But, when we’ve paid extra to choose our’s carefully, I don’t think it’s fair that those with kids who didn’t pay the extra fees think we’re supposed to move to accommodate them.

And, yes, I have kids.

If we want to be in certain seats and sit together, we pay.

[Catherine]

Don’t count on you sitting next to your children if you don’t pick seats people that pay xtra to sit together want to be together for a reason

(it sucks that they charge xtra to sit together) and no one wants to be a baby sitter . ( not being mean ,just saying)

[Karolina]

I flown Spirit once… last year … will not happen again. There is saving… and there is saving…

[Joy]

If it is important for one to have seats together then pay for them. Fares that do not provide guaranteed seat assignments are for those who do not care where they are seated.

[Valerie]

Spirit guarantees adjacent seating for minors 13 and under. I have flown with them and never paid for seating.

They always seat my kids with an adult in our party (myself or my husband or our older teen daughters).

Our teens are usually not seated with us (since I didn’t pay extra for seat selection) but at 16 and 18 they could care less.

We usually just rearrange ourselves within the seats we’ve been assigned.

[Caroline]

I do believe spirit places children with at least 1 adult in the party. Last year we traveled with 2 other families and both families had 1 adult with 2 kids, the other adult alone.

That’s what Spirit did.

[Bonnie]

Go through check in together at the desk and they will likely put you close together.

Also if you tell a flight attendant they would probably let you move.

I just booked and since I was paying for one checked bag it let me pick one seat as a bundle.

I told my son he was on his own.

[Andrew]

If you go in with no expectations and will be fine is no one switches you then take that risk.

If you have a little kid that can’t be solo, I wouldn’t save money and expect to be accommodated.

They charge for that.

It sucks to pay more.

[Cara]

When I fly with my young children (10 and 7) I always pay for us to sit together.

It’s annoying that it isn’t the default but I’d rather have the peace of mind to know that we’re all together versus trying to keep track of everyone across a whole plane and/or inconveniencing other passengers by asking to switch seats etc.

[Author]

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