Flying Free (Or Rather Insanely Cheap)

While looking for flights home to South Florida for October, I noticed the Travel Deals section of the Spirit Airlines homepage. There I saw something I couldn't believe. Flights from Myrtle Beach to Fort Lauderdale for only $9 each way. You read that correctly. That means a round trip flight for only $18.

After sitting there completely stupefied for a moment, I remembered my mother once telling me about this. The Spirit Airlines $9 Club. Basically, you sign up as a yearly member with Spirit and every now and then you get these amazing flight deals for super cheap fares. Not just from Myrtle Beach to Fort Lauderdale. No, no, my friends. Pretty much anywhere in the US where Spirit flies, which includes all the major cities: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and apparently Myrtle Beach, SC, because this place is so booming. Anyway, I immediately signed up for the super cheap $39.95 yearly membership fee and quickly booked my ticket home. Since then, I received e-mails about when the sales occur.

Here's the "catch," if you can really call it that. The deals are usually very limited and sometimes last only an hour, but they are absolutely worth it. I even made a surprise trip home recently because it again only cost me $9 each way. But this is all happens through checking that Web site very periodically. Also, the sales are usually never far in advance. That is, as is September, most of the sales apply for days in October and early November. The latest calender dates I saw was a short sale for the first two weeks of December. So, it's hard to plan advance vacations around these sales. But honestly, how much time do you really need to plan? A month seems like more than enough. Finally, and probably most importantly, Spirit isn't exactly the best airline. They're often delayed and charge for food and drinks when flying. Also, if you're checking in bags, you have to pay--$15 in advance online and $25 at the gate.

For me, none of these drawbacks matter. I mean, for a $9 flight, I could care less about a delay. I saved myself hundreds on this ticket. Take your time. As for the food on board thing, I'll eat beforehand and after we land. I don't really need food while flying. Also, the most important pro to signing up for this deal? $9 FLIGHTS! Heck, looking at the site right now, I could book a flight to Chicago for next week! Seriously, hop on this thing and fly, fly like you've never flown before.

Comments

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Kevin...how can you say, "Spirit isn't exactly the best airline."? You get exactly what you pay for with them....name one other airline that does not have delays.

I've flown internationally on Spirit a number of times and while I admit I pay for my drinks, food and occasionally one bag, at least I know my ticket price is truly unbeatable.

Do you think paying $400 to fly on a supposedly better airline so everyone gets "free drinks" and a dookie meat sandwich is of higher class?

The reason those prices last "an hour" is because people buy them! Thankfully we're not all enslaved by an editor and we have lives...to travel and see the world.