I inadvertently came across a little hack with spirit airlines. I know I know, if you don't fly a chartered jet while doing blow of a strippers ass you're an lol poor.
tl;dr version: if you want to use spirit one time for a really cheap flight, but the cheap price is a 'member' fare, you can buy the regular flight, add a $20 trial membership during purchase, cancel that flight immediately for full refund of flight (less $20 fee), then have the ability to repurchase that same flight at the low member price, since you are still a member. Cancel membership within 60 days to not be charged $69 for full year. You get member flight price + $20 for the trial membership.
Checking a bag as a member is only $21 as well.
Anyway, I already had whole family booked on southwest, but I was second guessing the 11pm arrival going there, and wanted to find an earlier flight. Then I see spirit, a flight 3 hours earlier, $29.. yes, TWENTY NINE BUCKS! I see that often for dallas/denver, but never houston/denver.
Of course that's the $9 fare club price, regular was more. I consider just buying the $69 membership, and still coming out ahead, but I then find out they have a 60 day 'trial' membership to their club for $20.. perfect, I'll buy that, and save another $40 over full membership, since I don't intend to use them again in a year.
A small catch though, you can't just sign up for trial membership, and then go buy your flight like you can a normal membership. You have to buy a regular priced flight, sign up for trial club membership during the purchase of that flight, then you are an active trial member for future flight purchases. So now I'm buying a full price flight, $20 club, then two $29 flights. No biggie, still saving and getting a more desirable flight. So that's what I do, I buy mine, then add trial membership.
Now I'm a member, so I go to buy wife and kids.. but, under my account, I HAVE to buy a ticket for me if I'm also buying others. I can't just buy tickets for only others using my membership. Well ****, didn't know that. I already bought my ticket. So I think I'm screwed. How do I buy more tickets for my family?
Here comes the hack; not knowing what would happen, but figuring I had to just to be able to buy all tickets together, I canceled my purchase (most airlines let you cancel/change within 24 hours for full refund). I get back my flight amount, but not membership fee. That's when the light bulb went off; I go check my account, and sure enough, I am still an active trial member. Now, since I'm already a member, I'll just buy all flights at $29, including mine again. Worked!
Turns out my kid's suitcases are within their size restrictions for a free personal item, and we'll have backpacks, so no other fees. Car seats ship for free, and they have family boarding as well, so no need to buy seats.
Family of 3 (plus lap infant) flying denver to houston $69 + $20 membership, $89.
I cancel my southwest leg, get back 12,000 points, which is worth about $240, plus the refund of the 911 fee, about $17, so I come out ahead almost $175, and fly at a much more desirable time.
I know there are spirit haters on this board, but they have their time and place. No regular airline could get remotely close to 3 tickets for $89.
I've used Spirit all of 2 times, and each time, I flew very cheaply ($45 den to dallas, $55 Houston to denver). Dallas was delayed an hour, the Houston was on time.
https://customersupport.spirit.com/hc/en-us/articles/202098356-Do-you-offer-a-trial-membership-for-the-9-Fare-Club-
tl;dr version: if you want to use spirit one time for a really cheap flight, but the cheap price is a 'member' fare, you can buy the regular flight, add a $20 trial membership during purchase, cancel that flight immediately for full refund of flight (less $20 fee), then have the ability to repurchase that same flight at the low member price, since you are still a member. Cancel membership within 60 days to not be charged $69 for full year. You get member flight price + $20 for the trial membership.
Checking a bag as a member is only $21 as well.
Anyway, I already had whole family booked on southwest, but I was second guessing the 11pm arrival going there, and wanted to find an earlier flight. Then I see spirit, a flight 3 hours earlier, $29.. yes, TWENTY NINE BUCKS! I see that often for dallas/denver, but never houston/denver.
Of course that's the $9 fare club price, regular was more. I consider just buying the $69 membership, and still coming out ahead, but I then find out they have a 60 day 'trial' membership to their club for $20.. perfect, I'll buy that, and save another $40 over full membership, since I don't intend to use them again in a year.
A small catch though, you can't just sign up for trial membership, and then go buy your flight like you can a normal membership. You have to buy a regular priced flight, sign up for trial club membership during the purchase of that flight, then you are an active trial member for future flight purchases. So now I'm buying a full price flight, $20 club, then two $29 flights. No biggie, still saving and getting a more desirable flight. So that's what I do, I buy mine, then add trial membership.
Now I'm a member, so I go to buy wife and kids.. but, under my account, I HAVE to buy a ticket for me if I'm also buying others. I can't just buy tickets for only others using my membership. Well ****, didn't know that. I already bought my ticket. So I think I'm screwed. How do I buy more tickets for my family?
Here comes the hack; not knowing what would happen, but figuring I had to just to be able to buy all tickets together, I canceled my purchase (most airlines let you cancel/change within 24 hours for full refund). I get back my flight amount, but not membership fee. That's when the light bulb went off; I go check my account, and sure enough, I am still an active trial member. Now, since I'm already a member, I'll just buy all flights at $29, including mine again. Worked!
Turns out my kid's suitcases are within their size restrictions for a free personal item, and we'll have backpacks, so no other fees. Car seats ship for free, and they have family boarding as well, so no need to buy seats.
Family of 3 (plus lap infant) flying denver to houston $69 + $20 membership, $89.
I cancel my southwest leg, get back 12,000 points, which is worth about $240, plus the refund of the 911 fee, about $17, so I come out ahead almost $175, and fly at a much more desirable time.
I know there are spirit haters on this board, but they have their time and place. No regular airline could get remotely close to 3 tickets for $89.
I've used Spirit all of 2 times, and each time, I flew very cheaply ($45 den to dallas, $55 Houston to denver). Dallas was delayed an hour, the Houston was on time.
https://customersupport.spirit.com/hc/en-us/articles/202098356-Do-you-offer-a-trial-membership-for-the-9-Fare-Club-
Quote:
You can try out the $9 Fare Club for two months for just $19.95. The trial option is available only when you make a booking at Spirit.com, and the membership benefits will go into effect on your next online purchase with us.
