I don’t know very many frequent travelers who would voluntarily choose a Spirit Airlines A320 Standard seat over Delta or Southwest economy, but that’s the decision I made when trying to figure out how I was going to get to Las Vegas for a family trip.
Call me stupid (or crazy – or even weird), but I like a little variety in my travels. Choosing anything else would have just been more of the same ‘ol same ‘ol.
NK110
San Diego, CA (SAN) – Las Vegas, NV (LAS)
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Aircraft: A320-232
Registration: N601NK
Duration: 50 minutes
Seat: 2A (Standard seat / main cabin)
My full review of the Spirit Airlines A320 Standard seat (main cabin) experience
I should point out that this was not my first experience with Spirit. The A319 Standard Seat (and even the A319 Big Front Seat) was okay(ish). They got me to my destination on time and without a scratch, and that’s I could really ask for. So at least I went into this flight knowing what to expect.
Arrival at SAN
The skies over San Diego were dull and gray as I made my way down to the airport that morning, but at least this wasn’t a crazy-early flight that had me out of bed at 3:30am. Scheduled departure time was 10:22am, so I did get the chance to sleep in a little bit and take my time getting down to the airport.
The first stop of the morning was Camden Food Co., a very nice little grab-and-go cafe situated in the heart of terminal 2 west. Their made-to-order sandwiches are quite good, and I decided to go with something they call a “heathwhich” – which consists of egg whites and vegetable bits pressed between whole wheat bread. The turkey sausage I had added to it pretty much negated any health benefits of that thing, I’m sure. It was good though!
The boarding process
The morning had been going pretty well so far: I didn’t have to get up crazy early, I didn’t feel rushed, and breakfast was pretty darn good. But it wasn’t until after the boarding process started and I found myself sitting in my seat that I realized that I sort of screwed things up.
A closer look at the seats
I thought for sure that I had reserved a Big Front Seat (Spirit’s version of first class featuring bigger front seats in a 2-2 layout), but 2A was nothing but a standard economy seat with abysmal leg room. What the hell? I had a Zone 1 boarding pass, and I was certain that I paid extra for a better seat. What the heck happened?
I pulled up the confirmation email on my phone, and it was then I realized what what the mistake was. I did in fact pay more for a better seat (towards the front of the plane), but it was not a Big Front Seat. Dang it! I must have been in a rush while I was making the reservation because I was totally willing to pay for the upgrade. Oh well. This is just a 45 minute flight anyway so I think I’ll survive. I hope.
Departing San Diego
The skies were still dull and gray as we made our way out to the runway, and blasting off through the low cloud layer and into bright blue sunny skies was nice. Ahhh, it felt like someone had simply hit the “sun” switch, and now the day was headed in the right direction again. I may not have been sitting in a Big Front Seat, but the scenery outside was amazing as always!
Food and drinks
Nothing is free on Spirit Airlines, so I passed on the beverage and snack service entirely. Scheduled flying time was only 45 minutes, so I took a gamble and hoped that I could survive the entirely of it without a refreshment. Spoiler alert: I did in fact survive!
The descent and arrival into Las Vegas
Of all the approaches to any city in the continental US, Las Vegas is one of my favorites. The landscape is downright rugged, and the experience is much like what I imagine it would be like landing on Mars. The rock and mountain formations surrounding the Las Vegas area are like nothing else in the nation and it’s hard to keep my face from being pressed up against the window for the entire descent.
It’s not until the last minute or two that the scenery switches from desert to urban sprawl, which is a rather striking reminder of how isolated the city of Las Vegas really is. Once outside of the city limits, there is absolutely nothing for hundreds of miles in every direction.
Thankfully the weather was just as beautiful upon arrival as it was for the entire flight over, and I’m happy to report that I survived yet another Spirit Airlines flight without injury to my body or soul.
