A positive Spirit Airlines A320neo standard seat review? No freaking way!

As you’re about to read, this is a glowingly positive Spirit Airlines A320 Standard seat review. Most people have a natural reaction to tense up upon even mentioning this airline, but I’m not afraid to admit that they are one of my favorites.

Spirit Airlines offers pretty good service at really great fares. They have an extensive network of flights covering a majority of the US, and in my experience, they’re fairly reliable.

That’s not to say that I was secretly hoping for a newsworthy event on this flight (just to make things more interesting). There were no fist fights. Very little cussing. Most importantly, nobody took a dump in front of the cockpit door. Basically, it was one of the most normal flights I’ve ever had. *gasp*

NK1261
Las Vegas, NV (LAS) – San Diego, CA (SAN)
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Aircraft: A320-271N
Registration: N929NK
Duration: 1 hour 8 minutes
Seat: 8A

My Spirit Airlines A320neo Standard seat review (Las Vegas to San Diego)

I know. Many of you likely clicked on this review because you’re curious to see just how bad Spirit Airlines really is. If you were hoping for a scathing review full of insults and threats, you’re going to be massively disappointed. Sorry.

My arrival at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas

I flew into Las Vegas earlier in the day on JetSuiteX (be sure to read that JSX review – it’s a good one). After an afternoon of cruising around in a rental car on the outskirts of Vegas, I arrived back at the airport approximately 3:30 PM to catch this 5:35 PM flight to San Diego.

The boarding process for Spirit Airlines flight number 1261 to San Diego

Even though I said really good things about the Las Vegas Airport in my Avelo Airlines review, I will admit that it’s not a nice place to be when it’s really crowded and busy.

It was basically standing room only in the hour or so leading up to the flight, and I believed I sighed in relief when they started the boarding process. I just couldn’t help it.

My first impressions of the Spirit Airlines A320neo Standard (main cabin) seats

Since all I needed was a quick and cheap flight to get me home to San Diego, I opted for a main cabin (Standard) seat instead of one of the more expensive Big Front Seats. For a short 45 minute flight like this, a standard seat was perfectly fine.

The departure out of Las Vegas

It had been a beautiful sunny day in Vegas, and I was really hoping for the possibility of a nice sunset departure. However, it was pitch black out by the time we pushed off the gate. That didn’t mean that I wasn’t treated to some spectacular scenery though. Vegas at night (whether you like it or not) is a sight to behold.

Food and drinks

The cabin crew did come down the aisle offering snacks and drinks for anybody who wanted them. However, this being an ultra low-cost carrier and all, nothing was free. Even if you wanted a small bottle of water, you had to pay for it.

How comfortable are the seats on the Spirit Airlines A320neo?

The Standard seats on the A320neo are quite comfortable actually! They are slightly improved from the Standard seats I experienced on a Spirit A320 from San Diego to Las Vegas a few years ago, but that’s no reason to get excited.

Remember – this is a low-cost carrier who’s goal is to save money any way possible. One of the ways that they save money is by installing really cheap seats in their aircraft. For example, they are really thin compared to the seats you saw in my Delta 737-800 economy review.

The arrival into San Diego

Being such a short flight, I didn’t really get the opportunity to suffer from pinched nerves in my back (the kind that would’ve made this Spirit Airlines review as spicy as you were hoping for).

It ended up being a great flight overall, and as you’re about to see, it was capped off nicely by spectacular views of San Diego on the way in.

Pros and cons of Spirit Airlines 

I’ve been flying Spirit Airlines for many years now, and it’s nice to see them getting progressively better with each passing year. The Spirit Airlines of today is nothing like the Spirit Airlines I first experienced many years ago. For those of you who feel like taking a stroll down memory lane, this is what it was like to fly in a Spirt Airlines Standard Seat in 2015.

They aren’t perfect though, so here’s a list of pros and cons to help you decide whether or not they’re right for you.

Pros

• Spirit Airlines continues to offer the best bang for the buck here in the United States (that’s my opinion anyway). They offer great fares, convenient flight schedules, and they’re mostly reliable.
• I’ve never once been on a Spirit Airlines aircraft that was dirty and looked unmaintained. This particular A320neo was spotless.
• Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I find Spirit Airlines cabin crews to be the most enthusiastic and energetic of any US airline. This flight was no exception.
• The leg room (seat pitch) is better than a lot of other low cost airlines. Check out my review of Swoop Airlines to see what I mean…

Cons

• The way that Spirit Airlines is able to offer such cheap fares is by “nickel and diming” their customers to death. That means that you’ll have to pay extra for everything (checking in a bag, checking in at the airport, pre-selecting a seat, etc.).
• A majority of the people who fly Spirit Airlines are infrequent fliers to are looking for the cheapest possible way to fly. In other words, more patience is required when boarding and deplaning since many of your fellow passengers may not have all that much experience with air travel.
• You’ll have to put up with the inevitable jokes aimed towards you when your friends, family, and colleagues find out that you flew Spirit Airlines. Little do they know that this is actually a fantastic way to travel…