Besides Southwest Airlines which I don’t really consider a budget airline I never thought I’d ever step foot on one. Just the thought of Spirit Airlines makes me cringe. However, when I decided a few days before my trip to add another city to my Australia itinerary and Tigerair was half the cost of Virgin Australia I had to take a chance. I was going from Sydney to Melbourne and the flight was only an hour so I figured it couldn’t be that bad. I was only going for a day so packing light also wasn’t an issue.
At first I was a bit skeptical when they were charging me $30 each way for my lap infant…..ummmm on Domestic flights they are supposed to be completely free. Even with this added $60 the flight was $110 cheaper than VA so I continued booking.
Pros
- They are upfront about their carry-on baggage size and weight limit. If you can keep your two allotted bags under 22lbs total you’re good to go.
- You are allowed to check one baby item for free (stroller or car seat).
- The legroom didn’t seem much less than a typical airline seat on Delta or American Airlines. My friend who is 6’1″ didn’t complain so I figured it wasn’t that bad.
- They don’t allow you to pick your seat ahead of time but they sat our group that booked together together.
- You can get your boarding pass at the airport without paying a fee.
- If you don’t go on the 1st leg of your round-trip flight your 2nd leg is still valid (great for those who book flights with stopovers because they are cheaper but get off on the 1st leg).
- The flight attendants are very nice.
- 89% on time performance
Cons
- Your two carry-on bags can not be heavier than 22lbs combined or else you will have to pay.
- Unless you pay for your checked baggage when booking or up to 4hrs prior to boarding your flight you will have to pay a larger amount at the airport and may be restricted to only checking a bag no more than 33lbs.