Of all the ways to try out the Spirit Airlines A321neo Big Front Seat, I chose one of the longest routes possible: Los Angeles to Charlotte. I mean, if I was gonna go Big, I might as well go long.
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: the Spirit Big Front Seat is the best value in the US airline industry. What’s not to love about a huge domestic first class seat that only costs a fraction of what other airlines are charging?
As long as you have the confidence to admit flying on an airline with neon yellow airplanes and fares starting at $15, you’re likely to have a real good time.
NK203 Los Angeles, CA (LAX) – Charlotte, NC (CLT) Wednesday, March 13, 2024 Aircraft: A321-271NX Registration: N703NK Duration: 3 hours 56 minutes Seat: 2A (Big Front Seat)
Spirit Airlines A321neo (N703NK) side view illustration by NorebboStock.comOur route from Los Angeles to Charlotte today as NK203.
My full review of the Spirit Airlines A321neo Big Front Seat from Los Angeles to Charlotte
I flew up from San Diego in United Express Embraer 175 first classspecifically to catch this flight to Charlotte. I know. I may be the first person in the history of mankind to ever go out of his/her way to fly Spirit Airlines, but I did what I had to do in order to make this review happen.
“…1328, 1329, 1330, 1313…nono…1133…God dammit!”Welp, there goes my plan to kick off this Spirit Airlines review with an accurate count of all the squares in the tiles in the tunnel connecting terminals 5 and 6 here at LAX. It was going to be so epic.So yeah. Welcome to Terminal 6. This is the home of Spirit Airlines at LAX (amongst several others who may or may not be all that happy about sharing gate space with America’s least baller airline).Gate 56B? Right on.In true Spirit Airlines fashion, the flight information screen is showing a one hour delay. The best part? This flight is exactly on time. Scheduled departure time was 10:05am the day that I booked the ticket, so I’m not sure where the “9:05” thing even came from.S**t on Spirit Airlines all you want, but I ain’t ever met anyone who didn’t fancy a neon yellow airplane.Boop that snoot!
The boarding process for NK203 to Charlotte
Hold up. Isn’t Spirit supposed to be the airline that can do everything except get it sh*t together? How is it even possible that they were able to get the boarding process started exactly on time? I certainly wasn’t expecting things to go this smoothly.
Big Front Seat passengers get Zone 1 boarding access (like, duh). I’m a little more excited about this that I probably should be.It should be fairly obvious that she’s only flirting with me because of my Big Front Seat status.Or perhaps (just maybe) she’s got a thing for guys who fly a neon yellow airplanes? Hey – everyone has a kink of some kind.This aircraft was delivered to Spirit Airlines in July of 2023. Of course, one look at that squeaky clean door frame makes it obvious that she’s still a wee pup at this point.Uh oh. That poor lady in 2D is already getting swallowed up by her seat. Not only are these mofos big, they seem to be a little aggressive as well. Be careful.
A closer look at the Big Front Seat
There are two rows of Big Front Seats on the A321neo, consisting of 8 seats total. They are arranged in a very spacious 2-2 layout, which looks and feels exactly like domestic first class on any other US airline. This doesn’t suck!
What’s not to love about a big black…oof. Let me try that again: what’s not to love about the Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat?A quick look at seat 1A (in the bulkhead row) before getting settled into 2A. lookin’ good!You’re damn right there’s a lot of leg room in these seats.This is basically domestic first class as far as I’m concerned. BFS FTMFW!Hold on a sec. Measuring things that are big and black takes some coordination…Turns out that I didn’t have to do any measuring at all. It says it right there on the headrest that these seats are BIG AF.And for any of you were still wondering, yes – she survived the attack. Not only that, she looks to be enjoying her seat enough to not hold any grudges.Here’s a more detailed look at the center armrest with an integrated drink tray. Shoutout to the clever chap who decided on the neon yellow carry-on bag today.Speaking of seat details, I’m going on record as saying that these are some of the most stylish premium seats of any US airline at the moment. Spirit Airlines isn’t that bad, you guys.Even the underseat storage place is ‘aight!Partial bulkhead walls to save money? That’s the spirit.
The departure out of LAX
Not only were they able to board this flight on time, they were able to get us pushed off the gate fairly close to on time as well. Considering what airline this is, I’m certainly not going to complain about a measly 3 minute delay.
Would you believe that we were able to push off the gate before any fistfights started?Our taxi out to runway 25R wasn’t without drama though. Somebody *cough*American Airlines*cough* lost a cargo container out here without even realizing it.So yeah. Runway 25R it is was.Still no fistfights yet. How is this even possible?Making the big right hand turn to get all squared up for our run to Charlotte. Let’s just hope that Charlotte doesn’t freak out and run the other way…
In-flight entertainment
Not only did the cabin crew have nice things to say about the Wi-Fi (and streaming entertainment) available on today’s flight, there was a brochure in the seat back pocket in front of me touting the same info.
Guess what? It didn’t work. The cabin crew never once acknowledged it either, so I’m not exactly sure what happened.
In theory, there’s Wi-Fi and streaming in-flight entertainment available. In reality, there wasn’t.I tried my best to connect to the Wi-Fi. I really did. “Just wait until they read about this in my review!”Oh wait. Nobody reads my stupid blog anyway.*sigh* Looks like the only in-flight entertainment on today’s flight is going to be this brochure. I have never in my life seen people this beautiful fly Spirit, so it’s obviously a fiction piece.
Food and drinks
This is where they get ya. Sure, you may have only paid $15 for your ticket, but you’re going to pay dearly if you choose to purchase anything off the menu. My suggestion? Either eat a big meal before the flight, or bring the credit card with the highest spending limit you have.
The food for purchase menu (or as Spirit probably likes to call it, “the cash money machine”). $5.49 for a little bag of popcorn? Who would be stupid enough to pay for that?Those of you who have been reading SANspotter.com for a while probably knew that this was the pic that was coming next. I like popcorn, ok?Flight attendant MIA. I think she fainted from the excitement of someone actually buying one of those little 5 1/2 dollar bags of popcorn.Hey now. I’m not that irresponsible with my money! I brought the really expensive bottle of water (the one I purchased back at LAX) onboard with me.
Seat (and cabin) comfort
You’re simply not going to find a more comfortable domestic first class seat on any other airline in the US. That’s not to say that the Big Front Seats are the most comfortable or anything. All I’m saying is that they are easily on par with the mediocrity that is domestic first class these days.
Compared to the old style Big Front Seats, these aren’t any more comfortable IMHO. They’re as good as they ever were (which is important considering that they’ve always been pretty decent).The amount of legroom hasn’t changed either. I gotta say that this just might be my most comfortable flight to Charlotte ever.Sure, the 5 1/2 dollar bag of popcorn was pure extortion, but this ain’t a half bad IMHO.Oh, and the lavatory? It’s awfully dull for an airline that had the courage to paint their airplanes neon yellow. Just sayin’.
The descent and arrival into Charlotte
As if this flight couldn’t get any more perfect, the weather was clear, bright, and calm all the way into CLT. Touching down 5 minutes early pretty much sealed the deal for me – I had no choice but to make this a positive review.
For those of you who care to hum along with me: “Whoa, set me up with the spirit in the sky (spirit in the sky), That’s where I’m gonna go when I die (when I die)…”OK, that’s a little more water than I was expecting. And where are all the Dale Earnhardt flags?Out over yonder is where them cityfolk live.I also wasn’t expecting everything to be so brown (and hilly). Either my memory is absolute trash, or climate change (and plate tectonics) have done a number on this city since my last visit in 2017.Welcome to Charlotte, y’all!There wasn’t all that much to see on our taxi into gate A28 unfortunately. I mean, I wasn’t expecting Charlotte to flash her boobies at us or anything, but come on. It’s a major airport.I can’t believe I just flew all the way across the country (voluntarily) on Spirit freaking Airlines.The worst thing about that is the admission that I enjoyed this so much that I’d probably definitely do it again.My only regret is that I don’t have anything NASCAR related planned for my layover. Talk about a missed opportunity…
Pros and cons of the Spirit A321neo Big Front Seat experience
With all the talk about Spirit Airlines bleeding cash, my only hope is that they don’t kill off the Big Front Seat as they struggle to cut costs. It’s the most unique (and intriguing) thing they have going for them at the moment IMHO.
Pros
These seats are every bit as spacious and comfortable as any domestic first class seat on any other US airline.
It’s surprisingly clean (unlike what you saw in my Sun Country 737-800 Best seat review). Spirit does a very good job maintaining their entire fleet of aircraft.
There aren’t many other premium seats on other US airlines that look better than these.
Cons
There are no power outlets. How is that even possible in this day and age?
Not only are there no video screens, the Wi-Fi may be somewhat sketchy (as I experienced on this flight).
You’ll still have to pay for drinks and snacks. Big Front Seat passengers don’t get any freebies.
I enjoyed the hell out of this report. I guess I’m one of the few people who has never had a problem with a Spirt flight. On the other hand, I’ve never checked a bag with them or paid for anything else. Almost all flights I’ve upgraded to the Big Front seat (usually under $30) and have had an excellent flight. I hope they make it!
Glad you enjoyed it Christopher! I too have never once checked a bag (or paid extra to bring a legitimate carry-on). Perhaps next time I need to do all of that to test out the “full” experience. Maybe I’ll get in a fistfight too! Haha…
Seriously though, it would be a travesty if Spirit goes under IMHO. We need more airlines in the US like this – not less.
I earned spirit gold last year, flew a lot of big front seats to reach the spend threshold on those $50 flights lol, and honestly it’s as good as any domestic airline imo. it’s literally no different in terms of comfort, it’s arguably more comfortable than the new delta first class seats. The lack of real food on long flights is annoying but everything spirit lacks is manageable. And when you compare a big front seat for $50 + $200 big front seat to a $700 round trip flight on a legacy carrier it just makes sense imo.
Gold on Spirit! That’s quite an achievement. I agree with everything you said about how comparable they are to the “mainstream” airlines, but I don’t think I could make them my primary carrier due to their comparatively limited route network.
I have nightmares thinking about how they would handle a canceled flight on a busy holiday weekend or something. Delta and United could probably sort everything out relatively quick, but I don’t have as much confidence in Spirit.
This review reminded of the Norse one, as both are premium products that seem as good as any of their legacy competitors and I’d absolutely fly. There’s no universe in which a large, comfortable seat for a dirt-cheap price isn’t excellent value, and I can do with the lack of free food (I personally value seats over food on a flight). The only thing that would make me think twice about booking would be the lack of power outlets. While it is a mostly basic experience, they do offer what I value most, and that’s what matters I guess.
Also, the reason everything around Charlotte was so brown is because you flew in late winter/early spring when all the plants are kind of dead. You should go in the summer to see how lush & beautiful it can get! Source: I flew through CLT a lot when I lived in the US.
Also, I loved the “fiction piece” comment lol.
Yeah, the lack of power outlets was probably the most surprising thing for me. It almost seems like it me needs to a federal regulation/ requirement at this point lol.
And you’re definitely right about the seasonality thing. I’ve been through that area quite a bit when I was younger, but it was always in the summertime. Seeing it in “winter mode” was quite a shock!
Not saying I go out of my way to fly Spirit, but the few times I’ve flown them they weren’t horrible, went in with the lowest of expectations and it exceeded them. Let’s hope they survive without the B6 merger.
Welcome Chris! Glad you enjoyed the review. In regards to trying Spirit, my best recommendation is to go into it with an open mind. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. 🙂
Christopher Norris
I enjoyed the hell out of this report. I guess I’m one of the few people who has never had a problem with a Spirt flight. On the other hand, I’ve never checked a bag with them or paid for anything else. Almost all flights I’ve upgraded to the Big Front seat (usually under $30) and have had an excellent flight. I hope they make it!
Scott (SANspotter)
Glad you enjoyed it Christopher! I too have never once checked a bag (or paid extra to bring a legitimate carry-on). Perhaps next time I need to do all of that to test out the “full” experience. Maybe I’ll get in a fistfight too! Haha…
Seriously though, it would be a travesty if Spirit goes under IMHO. We need more airlines in the US like this – not less.
Jeff
I earned spirit gold last year, flew a lot of big front seats to reach the spend threshold on those $50 flights lol, and honestly it’s as good as any domestic airline imo. it’s literally no different in terms of comfort, it’s arguably more comfortable than the new delta first class seats. The lack of real food on long flights is annoying but everything spirit lacks is manageable. And when you compare a big front seat for $50 + $200 big front seat to a $700 round trip flight on a legacy carrier it just makes sense imo.
Scott (SANspotter)
Gold on Spirit! That’s quite an achievement. I agree with everything you said about how comparable they are to the “mainstream” airlines, but I don’t think I could make them my primary carrier due to their comparatively limited route network.
I have nightmares thinking about how they would handle a canceled flight on a busy holiday weekend or something. Delta and United could probably sort everything out relatively quick, but I don’t have as much confidence in Spirit.
Peter
This review reminded of the Norse one, as both are premium products that seem as good as any of their legacy competitors and I’d absolutely fly. There’s no universe in which a large, comfortable seat for a dirt-cheap price isn’t excellent value, and I can do with the lack of free food (I personally value seats over food on a flight). The only thing that would make me think twice about booking would be the lack of power outlets. While it is a mostly basic experience, they do offer what I value most, and that’s what matters I guess.
Also, the reason everything around Charlotte was so brown is because you flew in late winter/early spring when all the plants are kind of dead. You should go in the summer to see how lush & beautiful it can get! Source: I flew through CLT a lot when I lived in the US.
Also, I loved the “fiction piece” comment lol.
Scott (SANspotter)
Yeah, the lack of power outlets was probably the most surprising thing for me. It almost seems like it me needs to a federal regulation/ requirement at this point lol.
And you’re definitely right about the seasonality thing. I’ve been through that area quite a bit when I was younger, but it was always in the summertime. Seeing it in “winter mode” was quite a shock!
Quinn
Spirit is the best airline
Scott (SANspotter)
They’re certainly not the worst!
David C
Fantastic review, and darn funny to boot. Great stuff.
And just to prove that people *do* read your stupid blog, you misspelled it “reeds.” HA!
Thanks for the laughs.
Scott (SANspotter)
Thanks David! Frankly I’m surprised that I know how to spell my own name at this point. I’m getting worse with each passing year lol.
Delta757Fan
Not saying I go out of my way to fly Spirit, but the few times I’ve flown them they weren’t horrible, went in with the lowest of expectations and it exceeded them. Let’s hope they survive without the B6 merger.
Scott (SANspotter)
Absolutely! Losing spirit Airlines would do more harm than good IMHO.
Chris
New to Sanspotter. Enjoyed the review. Have not had the pleasure of a Spirit flight yet but am now inclined to give them a try.
Scott (SANspotter)
Welcome Chris! Glad you enjoyed the review. In regards to trying Spirit, my best recommendation is to go into it with an open mind. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. 🙂