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When in Rome... New Orleans is America’s most ha When in Rome... New Orleans is America’s most haunted city so on our road trip last year, hubby and I went on a NOLA ghost tour. That tour sparked our interest in other haunted locations so we checked out the ‘Ghost Adventures’ Series on @discoveryplus. And since we spend a lot of time in hotels and have visited the haunted Read House Hotel in Chattanooga, we decided why not watch the special ‘Ghost Adventures: #CecilHotel’ too. Have you heard about this LA hotel? Subscribe to #discoveryplus to stream with a loved one and #NeverStreamAlone. #ad #GhostAdventures
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P.S. thank you @lovelydarlingspicnic for the most perfect Princess picnic for my baby girl.
New York, New York, the place of all of our births New York, New York, the place of all of our births, we usually visit multiple times a year. When @bookingcom asked us to write a love letter to a destination we want YOU to travel to one day, I could think of no greater city. Whether we’re stuffing our faces at our favorite soul food restaurants in Harlem, enjoying the millions of activities the city has to offer, or screaming at the top of our lungs on all the rides at Coney Island in Brooklyn we always enjoy our visits. There is truly no place on Earth like NYC and we cannot wait to be reunited. What city in the US holds a special place in your heart? #LoveLetterstoAmerica #LoveLetterstoNewYork
Individual time with each of the girls is so impor Individual time with each of the girls is so important to me. While I usually take each of them on a trip alone with me every year, these days I'm settling for any small win I can get. Today that was making a simple meal with Jordyn, thanks in part to @campbellswellyes. What wins have you had this week? [AD] #LiveBright
Today my friend gave me a compliment and my first Today my friend gave me a compliment and my first instinct was to downplay it. To tell her I really wasn’t that good, that what I am doing isn’t that special. I stopped myself, because I have a horrible habit of pushing peoples compliments away. I don’t know if it’s because I don’t want to come off as not being humble or what, but it’s something I’m working on.

So today I sat in the compliment and appreciated it. What she said actually meant a lot to me and I told her it took me everything to just say thank you, admittance is the first step to recovery right? Am I the only one who struggles with just accepting a compliment? I also struggle with sharing my wins, even though I will celebrate others without a second thought. Two things I’m working on in 2021. Anyone joining me?
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6 Ways to Maximize Your Savings When Flying Spirit Airlines

February 16, 2018      Airline Reviews

two toddler standing at the window of the airport with a spirit airlines plane in the background

Spirit Airlines is the perfect airline for those who love to save money. Why fly other airlines that charge you for bags, food, and other services you aren’t even using? Rather than spending your vacation dollars on getting to your destination spend it on activities at your destination!

On average my family of four saves a minimum of $160 each time we fly Spirit Airlines and it’s been as much as $1,000! With the major improvements they’ve made with their on-time performance I will continue to choose them over other airlines. They are a huge part in how we’re able to take 6-8 vacations a year. I’ll admit my first time flying Spirit I didn’t understand their rules, costing me money. Now that I know better I want to make sure you do too. Here are 6 ways to maximize your savings when flying Spirit Airlines

Buy Your Spirit Airlines Plane Ticket at the Airport

You can save $20.99 on one-way tickets or $41.98 round-trip by purchasing your ticket at Spirit’s counter at the airport. For a family of four it makes your total cost $168 cheaper and well worth the drive to the airport. Go with someone and have them drive around to avoid paying for parking.

It’s important to note is that if you are checking a bag you will not be able to get the cheapest bag price when booking at the airport. Instead of the price offered when booking online you will have to pay the fee offered when checking-in online but before paying at the airport the day of your flight. As the bags are $10 cheaper when bought when booking if you are checking bags this additional fee could eat into your savings of buying your plane ticket at the airport.

Baggage fee list

Pack Light and Buy a Spirit Approved Personal Bag Which Flies Free

The first time I flew Spirit to Aruba I was like many that don’t read the Spirit rules. I got mad because I felt like I was being overcharged and not saving money even though I booked a budget airline. Honestly I just assumed Spirit’s personal sized bag was super tiny. Really there was no way it could fit both my 3 year old daughter and I’s clothing for our 4 day trip, right?

I paid for a carry on bag and then got to the airport to see my mom with a bag she fit all her stuff in that she said she didn’t pay for. It was the size of their free personal item and it was a lot bigger than I imagined. I felt cheated out of my money but it was my own fault for not reading. For our next flight with Spirit I was prepared! I found the perfect bag that met their personal item size restrictions of 18x14x8. I was able to fit all my clothes for our 7 day trip to Costa Rica. Here’s a video of what I packed and how I fit it in the bag.

You May Be Interested in Reading: Light Packing Tips


Don’t Pay for Seats on Spirit Airlines

Selecting your seats in advance will cost you a minimum of $5 with some seats costing as much as $24. Instead of choosing your seat let Spirit assign you one at check-in. While this could be a gamble when flying with kids my family has only been assigned seats away from each other once. When we arrived to the airport I let the gate agent know and she relocated us with no hassle, the airlines really don’t want a 3 year old sitting in a different row from their parents.

Spirit Check-In Online

Spirit charges you $10 per person to check-in and get your boarding pass at the ticket counter. There are three ways to avoid this fee:

  1. Download the Spirit App for Android or Apple to check-in. The app allows you to get your boarding pass directly in the app. Just have TSA and the gate agent scan the QR code and you’re set.
  2. Check in online and print your boarding pass.
  3. Check in online and have your boarding pass emailed to you. You’ll scan the QR code at TSA and at the gate to get through.

For the options that allow you to scan the QR code be sure to take a screenshot your code.  This is incase there is no service at the airport and you can’t get into the app or access your email. It’s always better to be safe than sorry especially when a malfunction like that can cost you $10 per person.

Bring Your Own Snacks on the Plane

One complaint I hear often about Spirit Airlines is that they don’t offer free drinks and snacks. Honestly I’d rather save $100+ on my plane ticket than get a small bag of pretzels and drink that is halfway filled with ice. Instead of ordering food/drinks on board bring your own. It’s really easy to throw a homemade sandwich and snacks in your bag and they are allowed through TSA. For drinks, bring an empty water bottle and fill it up once you pass security, many airports have filtered water stations.

Bring Your Own Entertainment

While Spirit doesn’t offer in-flight entertainment yet their planes will soon offer WiFi for a fee. Instead you can bring your laptop or iPad to keep you and your kids busy. Download apps and games that don’t require WiFi to keep you busy. If you have a Netflix account you can also download movies and TV shows ahead of time to watch on the plane. One thing I always travel with is my portable charger to keep my electronics charged in flight.


Spirit Airlines has afforded my family the opportunity to do more things in the destinations we travel too and travel more since we save so much money booking with Spirit vs. other airlines. I hope you’ve learned some other ways to save even when choosing Spirit Airlines.

Disclosure: “Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. The commissions earned helps me offset the costs of running this blog so please support if you choose to purchase, it is much appreciated.”

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jasamine Hill says

    March 6, 2018 at 9:02 am

    Great tips! I will def use them the next time I fly. I have never flown with Spirit but now you have me curious lol

  2. Nakeya says

    March 6, 2018 at 11:13 am

    These really are great trips. I flew Spirit when I went to Cabo. The price was great and I followed most of your tips. I didn’t purchase my ticket at the airport, but I did have my boarding pass printedcand took snacks. Spirit does work great when you are prepared.

  3. Diana So says

    March 22, 2018 at 3:05 am

    Wow, I’ve never flown Spirit cos all I hear are complaints from friends and family but this will make me reconsider it when booking flights and the fact I’m about 15-20 minutes away from the airport makes the ticket purchasing in person a big plus! Thanks for the tips.

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Hey, I’m Monet!

Hey, I’m Monet!

A full time working woman, wife and mama of two. I use every last one of my vacation days traveling with my kids, hubby, friends or solo. Join me as I share my travel experiences and tips to make travel affordable and easier with the little ones. You can read more about me here.

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