In what seemed like a total Hail Mary style approach to survival, Spirit Airlines recently announced a proper first class product. So I did what any proper airline reviewer would do, and tried it out on a 4 hour flight from Detroit to San Diego on the A320.
Long story short: they’re free to call it what they want, but it ain’t “proper” first class IMHO.
The meal service consists of a bag of chips (with a drink to go along with it). In-flight entertainment doesn’t exist (unless you count the free Wi-Fi). The seats are nice, but they’re not any different than the old “Big Front Seats”.
Time will tell if coming up with fancy names for existing products will keep them out of bankruptcy or not.
NK3102
Detroit, MI (DTW) – San Diego, CA (SAN)
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Aircraft: A320-232
Registration: N643NK
Duration: 4 hours 0 minutes
Seat: 1F (First Class)
My full review of Spirit Airlines A320 first class from Detroit to San Diego
I had three very good reasons for taking Spirit from DTW to SAN instead of the “other” airline on this particular day:
- I wanted to test out their all new first class product.
- Spirit is on the verge of going out of business, and this may have been my last chance to fly with them.
- This would give me the chance to see the inside of the all new Terminal 1 at SAN (which opened to the public one day prior).
Arrival of the DTW Evans Terminal
The shuttle bus from the DTW Sheraton dropped me off at the Evans Terminal at 6:19 AM, which was exactly 3 hours before the scheduled departure time. Getting to the airport early is of the highest priority when you’ve got footage to gather for the trip report. Why did I choose this line of business again?
The originally scheduled boarding time came and went (without even a peep from the gate agents). I did hear them talking amongst themselves however, and it seemed as if there was maintenance being done on the aircraft back at the hanger. Why they chose not to keep us informed is beyond me.
The boarding process
Boarding at gate D12 was just over an hour late. It was obvious that most everyone was feeling agitated at this point, as I didn’t notice many (or any) happy looking people standing around waiting to board this aircraft.
I was still feeling pretty good though. And why wouldn’t I? Knowing that you’re about to fly Spirit Airlines first class is a baller feeling indeed.
Spirit Airlines A320 first class seats cabin overview
Remember the seats you saw in my Spirit Airlines A321neo Big Front Seat review? Those are the best (and most luxurious) seats that Spirit Airlines has at the moment. This particular aircraft featured the old style Big Front Seat unfortunately, which are just as big (but not as nice).
And if it was an obvious by now, Spirit has simply renamed their top tier product without really changing anything. The existing Big Front Seats remain (and they still call them that). So even though the overall experience is called first class now, it’s still the same Big Front Seat we’ve all grown to know and love.
There are only two rows of first class / Big Front seats on the Spirit A320. They are arranged in a spacious 2-2 layout (typical of US domestic first class).
The departure from DTW
Our gate departure was at 10:23 AM, which was just a tad behind schedule. The original goal was 9:15 AM, so they only missed it by about one hour and eight minutes. Whatever. I’m in first class baby!
The total taxi time out to runway 04R was 15 minutes and we were in the air at 10:38 AM.
First class food and drinks
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Spirit Airlines does not serve proper meals in first class. You will get a light snack and a drink for free however (something that Spirit has never offered before), but don’t expect a hot meal. Or even a cold sandwich.
Alcoholic beverages are free as well. From what I saw, most of my fellow first class passengers took them up on that offer. Might as well, right?
It’s also worth noting that the cabin crew only came by offering snacks once for the entire four hour flight. Let’s just say I was one hungry mofo by the time we arrived in San Diego.
In-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi
Spirit Airlines does not offer in-flight entertainment of any kind. Not only are there no video screens in these seats, there are no streaming movies and TV shows either.
To access the free Wi-Fi, simply enter the code you received immediately after booking your ticket (it’ll be on your receipt), and you’re good to go.
Seat and cabin comfort
I can’t recommend the bulkhead row highly enough. Although there is no seat in front of you to stow a carryon bag under (there are no cut outs in the bulkhead wall either), legroom is fantastic.
The seats are just OK. As a matter fact, they’re not any worse (or better) than the seats in, say, United A320 first class. The headrest felt a bit bulky though.
The lavatory
I’m just going to say it: the lavatories on these old Spirit A320s are pretty gross. The ones on this particular aircraft were clean, but very well used. I don’t recommend touching anything you don’t have to.
The arrival into San Diego
It was a beautifully bright and clear flight all the way across the country. And wouldn’t you know it, it was more of the same as we started the descent into San Diego. Eventually I will arrive home to a hurricane (with deadly lightning and killer tornadoes), but this was not that day.
We touched down on runway 27 one hour and eight minutes late at 11:38 AM. Yeah, that was tardy AF, but this was of no concern to me.
The only thing on my mind was the excitement of being just moments away from seeing the inside of the all new Terminal 1 with my own eyes for the very first time. An exciting moment for this dorky San Diegan!
Spirit Airlines A320 first class pros and cons
If you’ve always been a big fan of the Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat, you’re likely to be a big fan of their first class product as well. It’s basically the same thing but with free snacks and drinks. And Wi-Fi.
That said, I don’t think Delta / United / American first class flyers will be as impressed. It’s good, but not exactly first class good.
Pros
- It’s a legitimate first class seat (the same size as you would get on any of the big three US airlines)
- Free snacks and drinks. Including alcohol.
- Free Wi-Fi too. And it’s legitimately fast.
Cons
- They’re awfully stingy with the snacks. I recommend bringing your own food for longer flights.
- No in-flight entertainment of any kind.
- Some of the older aircraft (like the one that I was on) still have the old seats. It doesn’t look all that premium IMHO.
Honestly, it’s a shame that these are likely the twilight days of Spirit Airlines, because they’re the best they’ve been. They’ve added fare bundles (making everything more streamlined), and I like how they’ve made the Big Front Seat into a proper, separate class now instead of just a bigger seat with no extra benefits. That being said, they were never bad. I’ve flown on them a couple times, and yes, the seats were uncomfortable, but the crews were always friendly, Spirit’s branding is fun & unique, and the flights were as smooth & punctual as on any other airline.
Also, “Spirit First” just doesn’t right lol. To me it’ll always be the Big Front Seat, even if it now also includes flight changes, snacks, wifi, and carry-on/checked bags.
I feel the same way. It’ll always be the “Big Front Seat” to me, and I think it was a mistake for them to move away from that branding. Especially since it’s really not all that different even after the name change.
Edit (a few days later): I just realized that they haven’t got rid of the “Big Front Seat” branding. First class is just the name of the product as a whole. The Big Front Seats live on…