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A lot of people (myself included) have been drawn in by the allure of the cheap tickets offered by ultra-low-budget airlines like Spirit or Frontier, only to be hit with a ton of extra fees after booking. Like sure, you'd expect minimal creature comforts and some junk fees with ticket prices that low, but seriously- you don't even get free water!
The ultra-low-budget flying experience is already... less than pleasant, and the whiplash you get from all the extra surprise fees only makes it worse. The Points Guy is on a mission to remedy that by helping thrifty travelers stay informed with their new budget airline "survival guide!"
When @thepointsguy reporters aren't dishing on luxury travel experiences or hacks for getting the most out of your travel miles, they've got the low-down on practical travel advice: for example, surviving a low-budget airline trip without losing your mind or unexpectedly blowing your budget. For Tarah Chieffi, who created this survival guide for The Points Guy , it's all about avoiding those junk fees!
Related: Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant Throws Special Surprise for a Very Young Graduate
Tarah Chieffi flew with Spirit Airlines , so she based her guide largely off of that experience, but her advice translates pretty well to most other budget airlines. For instance, her tips for packing light. Spirit and Frontier Airlines only allot passengers one free personal item (and as we've seen from Frontier Airlines gate agents in the past, sometimes employees will really reach to claim that personal items are "too big").
You want something that can't be nitpicked over, which is why Tarah recommends picking up a bag that's designed to fit these exact size specifications and only packing the bare essentials. Since a purse would count as a personal item, Tarah put her "quick access" items in a stuffable neck pillow - but as she warns, make sure you leave room in your bag in case a gate agent tries to claim that the neck pillow is a second item.
Again, basic amenities like snacks, water, and internet all cost a pretty penny extra on budget airlines. Save your dough: Tarah recommends bringing a refillable water bottle, travel snacks , and preloaded music, videos, and podcasts or a book to veg out to until you're off the plane. Phew!
In her full guide on The Points Guy , Tarah also warns passengers to fully charge their devices before boarding and bring a portable charger, as you won't find any charging points on board. If you regularly fly low-budget, she also recommends signing up for their loyalty programs and cobranded credit cards to score vouchers and bring your costs down even further.
A Changing Era for Extra Airline Fees
I think Tarah's advice is going to stay golden for a while, as I don't see low-budget airlines completely doing away with their a la carte service any time soon. However, with the DOT cracking down on airline junk fees, things are getting a little more transparent for travelers. Recently, Spirit eliminated their change and cancellation fees , and while Frontier still has those fees on their basic fare, their other three fare tiers don't.
It's a promising step in the right direction, and maybe one day Frontier and Spirit Airlines will start offering more perks gratis without completely inflating their ticket prices in the process. Still, until such a day comes, you should probably follow Tarah's lead, and always have your perfect-fit personal item and extra granola bars on standby!
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