Spirit Big Front Seats – Guide + Review (2023)

Spirit Airlines is a low-cost airline that offers the basics cheaply and then offers a variety of options to pay more for extra services and amenities. One of the upsells is the big front seats. In this article, we'll explain exactly what these seats are, who they're best for, and whether we think they're worth the money.Read on to learn more about the Spirit Big Front Seats!

What exactly are Spirit Big Front Seats?

The roomy front seats are the best and most expensive seating option the Spirit offers. Located at the front of the plane, these seats are larger, more comfortable and have more legroom than standard airline seats.

Big Front Seats usually occupy the first two rows of the plane and are arranged in a 2-2 configuration - compared to the 3-3 configuration of standard seats. This makes for a total of 8 large front seats on most aircraft. (The exception is the Airbus A319-100, which oddly has 10 large front seats.)

The generous front seats are 18.5 inches wide. That's about an inch wider than most standard Spirit seats. While that doesn't sound very wide, there's quite a bit of room between the seats. The seats are separated by a large center console, and the two-passenger seat is the same width as a standard three-seater.

These seats also offer more legroom. These seats have a pitch (row spacing) of 36 inches, which is 6 inches more than standard seats. They also offer more padding and a larger tray table than standard Spirit seats.

Like all seats on Spirit aircraft, the large front seats cannot recline.

notes:Starting in 2023, Spirit will roll out upgraded seats for all passengers. The wide front seats in particular are more comfortable, something we experienced on our last flight. You can read more details about the new standard seathere.

What else do Spirit Big Front Seats include?

It's important to note that by paying for roomy front seats, you're only paying for better physical seating. Passengers in the large front seats won't get better service, free food or drink, or any other benefits beyond the seats themselves.

Unlike some seat upgrades such asJetBlue's More Space SeatsThere is no additional luggage allowance for Spirit's large front seats. Even if you book a full-size front seat, the only free bag you'll receive is one personal item no larger than 18" x 14" x 8". You'll still have to pay extra for carry-on or checked bags.

Additionally, passengers in Spirit's large front seats will not receive expedited boarding based solely on seat selection. To benefit from early boarding, you must purchase carry-on baggage to board Zone 1 or Shortcut Boarding to board Zone 2.

The only other benefit itself is the general benefit of sitting at the front of the plane. This includes early meal service and expedited disembarkation.

How much do Spirit's large front seats cost?

"Big Front Seats" are a seat selection category that can be purchased for an additional fee on top of the base fare. Seats are sold by route, not itinerary. If you have return and/or connecting flights, you will need to pay for a large front seat for each leg of your journey you wish to enjoy.

formal, base prices for the large front seats range from $12 to $750 when booked in advance. Well, that's a pretty wide range. Typically, prices range from $40 to $250, but let's look at some concrete price examples in the next section.

Pricing Sample for Spirit Big Front Seats

First, let's take a look at flights from New York (LGA) to Orlando (MCO) in about two months. The first leg of the journey costs $88, with an additional $61 for a full-size front seat and about $29 for a standard seat. The second leg of the journey costs $118, with a front-row seat at $46 and a standard seat at about $31.

The total cost is as follows...

• base rate vs.no seat selection: 206 $
• base rate vs.Standard Seat Selection: $266 ($60 more than without seat selection)
• base rate vs.large front seats: $313 ($107 more than no seat selection, $47 more than basic seat selection)

For comparison, I checked the same route a few days earlier. Last minute flights are $308 one way. While the base fare is nearly three times the price of the previous flight, the extras for the big front seats are much less ($35 in the front, $29 in the back). Even the standard seat option costs less at about $19.

In the second example, the cost looks more like this...

• base rate vs.no seat selection: 616 $
• base rate vs.Standard Seat Selection: $653 ($37 more than no seat selection)
• staple food withlarge front seats: $680 ($64 more than no seat selection, $27 more than basic seat selection)

As a final example, I want to go the other way and look at really cheap flights. The cheapest flight I could find was $48 one-way from Atlanta (ATL) to Boston (BOS). This particular flight had a connecting flight, so I was prompted to select a seat for each route. Full front seats on the flight cost $52 and $58, respectively, for a total of $110 for full front seats for the entire one-way trip. Standard seats are even cheaper at $16.

• base rate vs.no seat selection: 48 $
• base rate vs.Standard Seat Selection: $80 ($32 more than no seat selection)
• staple food withlarge front seats: $158 ($110 more than no seat selection, $78 more than basic seat selection)

The takeaway from this exercise is that the base price and additional cost of large front seats are generally inversely correlated. If the base price goes up, the add-on for the big front seats goes down, and vice versa.

Book a Spirit Big Front Row Seat

You can purchase the large front seats during the seat selection step of the booking process. You can also add Big Front Seats to your itinerary anytime after you book, subject to availability. However, the price of large front seats tends to increase as your travel date gets closer.

See seat selection page for prices of different seats. Large front seats are the most expensive, followed by exit row seats, then seats closer to the front of the plane, with middle and back seats being the cheapest. If you choose to select your seat without paying at all, Spirit will automatically assign you a seat at check-in.

3 Tips for Reserving Large Front Seats with Spirit.

I just had some quick tips for booking Spirit Big Front Seats.

1. Book directly with Spirit.This is the easiest way to definitively find and reserve a large front row seat. As you can see here, the spacious front seats are displayed in a vibrant teal in the seat selector window.

You can also book Big Front Seats through third-party sites like Expedia, but Big Front Seats are not always clearly marked. However, the price and availability should be the same on both sides.

2. Check the seating chart.If you know you want a large front row seat, click on the seat map of your preferred flight to start your search. That way you can be sure to have the big front seats available before you go too far.

3. Don't Bundle.When booking on Spirit.com, after selecting a flight and entering passenger details, you will be prompted to book a package. This allows you to buy seats and luggage together for a lower price. Large front seats are not included in the package, so don't choose this option.

Large front seats for babies and families

While all types of travelers appreciate the roomy front seats, we found this one especially family-friendly. It appears we are not alone. On our most recent flight, three of the four large pairs of front seats were occupied by a parent and child.

There are various reasons for this.

First and foremost is the space, which is helpful for kids of all ages. The large front seats fit better in a car seat, there's plenty of room for a baby to sit on her lap (especially if the mother is breastfeeding), and they have enough room for a wriggling toddler to play around without will hit other passengers.

Next is the price. Large front seats tend to be less expensive than any other premium seat on the market. This makes it a great way to add the extra space little ones need without shelling out for a fuller product. (Let me remind you that the kids don't drink the free booze that other premium lodges offer anyway.)

Big front seats are definitely more expensive than standard seats, but if you have kids under two, it's still okay. This is not the case for children under the age of twoneedThey have their own seats, but because of the small size of the standard Spirit seats, we always get one, so we fill the row. Sometimes it can be about the same price and more convenient to book two adults in the large front seat and let your child under 2 sit on your lap.

Finally, there's the location at the front of the plane. Don't underestimate the importance of getting food and water first - especially when you have a happy toddler like we did. Thanks to the front of the plane, you're right next to the toilet, where you can quickly change diapers. Of course, being in the front means you can get off the plane as quickly as possible.

notes:You cannot travel with an infant on your lap or in a 1st row car seat. read more aboutFlying around with a baby or toddlerin this article.

Our experience with Spirit Big Front Seats

We recently flew Spirit Big Front Seats round-trip between New York (LGA) and Orlando (MCO). We had flown these seats many times before this trip, so we were very familiar with the airline and this seat type in particular.

Ticketing

We booked this flight directly with Spirit. It's $356 for two full-size front seats and one standard seat. we pay with ourRitz Visa CenterAnd was able to use the card's travel credits to pay for our seat selection. Unfortunately, we forgot to purchase carry-on luggage when booking and we ended up adding it at the last minute for an extra $62 each way. (They got us!)

This configuration is one of our favorite ways to fly the Spirit, as our child is over two years old and needs his own seat. One of us will take care of the little one in the larger seat while the other relaxes in the smaller space. We then switch or alternate each leg of the journey mid-flight.

Come in

Spirit Airlines will board in 4 zones, with priority boarding for passengers requiring extra assistance, and family boarding between zones 2 and 3 (for families with children under 3 years old).

We didn't select seats for express boarding, but purchased a carry-on which gave us zone 1.

Our boarding experience at LGA was a breeze. Spirit departs from Terminal A, which is very small and only serves a handful of gates. We could clearly hear the announcement on the other side of the terminal, lined up in section 1, and were quickly seated in our second row of seats.

The MCO is not that organized. The sign on our gate did not reflect the status of our actual flight at all. Our scheduled departure time came and went without updating. Eventually the sign was updated to be 10 minutes late...and then another 10 minutes late.

When they finally announced we were starting to board, there seemed to be no order. They didn't announce the area and didn't seem to care who came in. This was one of the most chaotic boarding experiences I have ever had. But in the end we pushed our way and finally found our place.

large front seats

Spirit Airlines is upgrading the seats on all of its aircraft. For this trip, we used the new seats on the outbound flight and the old seats on the return flight. Before we talk about the differences, let's talk about the similarities.

First, storage is important. The roomy front seats offer no storage space, and all luggage has to be tossed in the overhead bin. Space is usually not an issue as fewer and fewer people carry hand luggage when they have to pay.

Passengers in the second or sometimes third row up front have ample storage space under the front seats. However, you still cannot bring extra hand luggage for free.

The wide front seats also have tray tables integrated into the armrests, eliminating the need to pull them behind the seat in front of you. Tray tables are also much larger than those found on standard seats.

LGA zu MCO (Refurbished Spirit Seat)

On our LGA to MCO flight we have the newly upgraded Spirit seat. All seats have been upgraded for more comfort, and the middle seat is even bigger in size.

The new large front seats are noticeably more comfortable. The upholstery is heavier and firmer than the old seats, with a wider backrest and about an inch more natural slope. (Sidebar: The tray table on the standard seat can now be locked, which was not the case before. This is very useful for people traveling with or sitting in front of an infant.)

However, I have one complaint. The center console has a small table for some of my regular drinks. On this particular flight, the top plastic part of the center console was rolled up so I couldn't use it for drinks. That's disappointing for an all-new seat design.

MCO to LGA (Old Spirit Seat)

We had older seats on our return flight from MCO to LGA. The seats are more padded than standard and comfortable without being overly plush. With the extra space between the seats and the increased seat pitch, even the old big front seats actually look bigger than they really are.

Our main complaint about the old seats had nothing to do with comfort. During this trip, we encountered several issues, such as the gap between the seat cushion and the center console. Several items slipped through the gaps onto the floor, including a cell phone, sanitizing wipes and what appears to be a water bottle. It's frustrating not being able to put anything on the seat without risking slipping.

border services

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Spirit isn't known for great service, so go there with expectations. However, personally, I can say that I have always been very satisfied with the service I receive on Spirit, regardless of my seat.

Expedited, enhanced or special service is not available for large front seats. Instead, you'll receive the same quality of service and attention as each passenger. Honestly, I kind of like that; it doesn't feel stuffy or forced.

We love it when you sit at the front of the plane and get your first glimpse of food and drink, and Spirit runs out quickly. We usually get coffee and bottled water for $4 per person. This time we also grabbed what appeared to be the last kid's snack box on the return flight, which was much needed as we didn't pack enough snacks to make up for our delayed flight.

On one of our flights, the WiFi went down mid-flight. We didn't buy wifi but the flight attendant apologized and said the passengers who bought it are entitled to a refund.

Overall, I am very happy with the service we received on both flights with Spirit. The flight attendant even gave Zoe a Spirited Flyer sticker, much to their delight.

So are the Spirit Big Front Seats worth it?

Overall, we can say that we enjoy driving the Spirit Big Front Seats and think they are worth the money in many situations. However, it may not always make sense due to varying prices and differences in people's preferences and needs.

Here's a breakdown of when we think they're worth it, and when they're not.

Big front seats are worth it if...

• You're looking for an improved physical seat with no emphasis on enhanced service.
• Spirit Big Front Seats are priced on par with old airline economy seats.
• You want more room than a standard economy seat—whether it's because you're tall, a nursing mom, a wobbly toddler, or just the average person who just wants more air.
• It is important that you sit at the front of the plane for meal service and/or disembarkation.
• You are traveling alone with an infant or child on your lap in a car seat. (In this case, avoid line 1!)

Big front seats aren't worth it if...

• They also plan to buy luggage, snacks and alcoholic beverages. For the extra cost, it might be worth it to opt for a more comprehensive upgrade experienceDelta Comfort Plus.
• There are three people in your tour group and want to sit together. In this case, it may be more convenient to fly economy class on the older airline. Maybe try something likeJet Blue More spaceseat.
• Your connecting flight has multiple sectors, or your ticket is very cheap. This probably means that the big front seats are very expensive and not worth the extra money.

Final Thoughts on Spirit's Large Front Seats

When given the choice between Spirit Big Front Seats and Economy in vintage airlines, I almost always choose the Big Front Seats. The premium cabins of these legacy airlines are certainly better offerings, albeit at a much higher price, which doesn't always make them a viable option.

Spirit Airlines and other low-cost airlines have been heavily criticized for starving passengers at every turn. We prefer to think of it as payment for something you actually need. Because of this, we appreciate being able to pay more for a larger seat without having to pay more for the full flight experience.

Sometimes we need to travel with larger hand luggage, sometimes we don't. Sometimes we want a free cocktail when we're looking for a comfy seat to treat ourselves to, but sometimes we don't mean to. It's actually pretty convenient to get seat upgrades without paying a ton for a product that has a lot of bells and whistles we don't need.

The most important thing about Spirit Big Front Seats is knowing what you're paying for. It is important to understand that other items such as beverages, priority boarding and/or luggage will incur additional charges. Calculate all costs before making your final decision.

And you? Have you ever sat in the big front seat? Let us know your experience in the comments!