America's WORST Airlines? (Allegiant vs Frontier vs Spirit)

Watch this video to see America's worst airlines. We'll show you seats that squeeze, no space for your knees, and endless fees!
Low cost airlines can be a great way to fly! But lots of people choose to hate these airlines. What it’s like flying the three most despised airlines in the United States.
In this video, we’ll show you what it’s like to fly on Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit. We tried all three over the course of a few days in order to see what it’s like.
You’ll see the booking process for Allegiant Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. We’ll show what it’s like on the ground for each airline, too.
Then, we’ll take-off and check out the airlines’ seats, buy-on-board program, inflight entertainment (or lack thereof…), and even the service experience for each one.
At the end of the video, we’ll rate Allegiant Airlines vs Frontier Airlines vs Spirit Airlines in order to find out which is the best…and which are the worst budget airlines in the United States.
Standard KZbin Description Language
0:00 Introduction
0:50 Allegiant Airlines
7:30 Frontier Airlines
12:40 Spirit Airlines
18:34 #LowCostCarrierComparison
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Music:
Red Hour - Jharee
Hang Gliding - Tomas Skyldeberg
Blossom Heights - Helmut Schenker
Delray - Stillness Speak
Waiting For U (Instrumental Version) - Tomas Skyldeberg
Postcard View - Tape Machines
The Beginning of Time - Daxten
Broken Trust - Hallman
Always Late - Hallman
Bet You Never Thought - Ava Low
Fortune of Hearts - Hallman
Endless Dawn - Hallman

[@PremierAutoMan86]

I truly love how Jeb will go from 5 figure tickets to extremely basic economy without skipping a beat!

[@briangasser973]

It is definitely not a Queens Grille experience

[@Tonymanero1960]

......and his wife rolls right along with him,....with a great attitude.

[@Tonymanero1960]

@rotimioyemade8179 ...yes,...there are just a few women like her in the world.Jeb got 1 of them,...now there are only 4 left.

[@vangieschulz7708]

What size is your carry on luggage? And what brand?

[@dennisg.3364]

Agreed. He's the man

[@janetmcintyre7718]

My husband experienced a medical emergency on Spirit. The crew was fantastic. Flight attendant assisted immediately Along with a paramedic and two nurses that were on board.. They stabilized my husband .The pilot called ahead to have An ambulance waiting when the flight landed. Thankfully, after a few days in the hospital, he was released 17:52 an OK to fly home. Spirit might be bare-bones, but in an emergency that they were fantastic.

[@brandonlanderos2805]

Chicago to Las Vegas?

[@chiarac3833]

That's when it really counts...

[@BrodyDelisle]

@@terracedgardenyea and why are people complaining about a little bag that doesn’t even cost that much I don’t understand why people complaine about leg room 2

[@Landon-ly6sd]

He said Kentucky when they were in Ohio 😂😂😂😂

[@mooseofspruce]

@@Landon-ly6sd That's because the airport itself is still on the Kentucky side of the border (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is the airport's official name), since the Greater Cincinnati tri-state metropolitan area includes parts of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. It's like how both Washington Reagan/Dulles airports are in Virginia even though they're referred to as serving the DC area. All that said it's still perfectly acceptable to say you're in "Cincinnati" or "Washington DC" when going to these airports since the city names can also refer to a wider area depending on context.

[@jonathanchester5916]

I think this is the first time I ever heard an aviation youtuber shout out to ramp workers. As a former rampie, I can tell you it's a tough job - rewarding in lots of ways - but you sure can't hide from the weather! Anyway, you earned my sub just for that.

[@arianamauery9281]

I’m glad you guys had a good experience with Spirit. We got totally screwed over twice with Spirit. Heck, we bought four tickets with them and still have yet to set foot on a Spirit plane. Allegiant has always done good by us though!

[@MrDICKHEAD28]

I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH SPIRIT I ALWAYS BEEN DELAYED ON FRONTIER

[@bediliarodriguez9632]

Same here. Frontier has always been good to me. Also good customer service however spirit is usually so rude.

[@blaumausfrau]

I got royally screwed with spirit they didn’t give a crap. Here’s what happened. They said the flight was going to leave at 4 PM so I came back at 3:45 and they told me that the flight had left at 3:30 and they never even announced it in the terminal I said what on earth is going on this is really a disappointment I’m thinking I’ll never use spirit again, and the woman looked at me with dead eyes and said I don’t care, needless to say, I will never fly spirit again a horrible Airlines 0:32

[@MrDICKHEAD28]

@@blaumausfrau AND WHY WHERE YOU AWAY FROM THE GATE IN THE FIRST PLACE?

[@user-ki7yb8vw4e]

​@@blaumausfrauThat was exactly the same experience we had with Spirit. We have avoided them ever since.

[@TheRudymentryGuide]

Please make the JetBlue, Breeze and SouthWest flight!!! I love the ULCA comparison, great job Jeb and Suzanne! Though, I'm not sure about the "greener grass" part of Ultra Low Cost Airlines.

[@paulshields2220]

If you know what to expect ULCC isn’t too bad for shorter flights. I’d take a Southwest 737 or Spirit A320 over an American Airlines or United CRJ 700/200 or ERJ 145 especially in Economy as there’s not a big difference.

[@TheRudymentryGuide]

@@paulshields2220 I will rent a car and drive X miles before I ever step foot in a CRJ EVER again (looking at you Big D!). WORST experience ever, but the Embraer jets - not too shabby. JetBlue FLL-JAX was a little dated, but it was so funny watching a guy who paid for an upgrade 2 rows ahead complaining that he paid for an 'upgrade'. After a day of flying and pure exhaustion, I *may* have blurted out - "The only upgrades on this type of plane come from lap dances in the cockpit. Other than that - it's the same damn seat, same damn plane." BTW: That was the hardest I ever felt my wife hit me. Again, it was a loooong day.

[@sd906238]

We were looking for a flight from Las Vegas to Rapid City in SD. Delta a a couple of flights and SW had 1 flight. I don't want to use the airline that only has 1 flight because if something goes wrong then were stuck because there are no more flights on the airline to catch. So it was a no brainer to take Delta. Comes the day of our return flight and SWA has a nation wide meltdown. I've never been so happy in my life to take Delta. The return Delta flight was packed full probably because all of the people from the cancelled SW flights.

[@Prodigious1One]

Google flights normally shows that Spirit flights create fewer emissions than other airlines. That may be a good resource.

[@lovedfriend2020]

"greener grass" its like you are lucky to have grass lol

[@ronanborus4067]

I agree with you Jeb. Southwest, Breeze, and Jet Blue are in a level above spirit, frontier, and allegiant and therefore I think you should make another video comparing those three airlines. As for this video it was fantastic and keep up the great work.

[@doctorpanther360]

Well jet blue just bought spirit for 4.3 billion dollars so spirit is part of JetBlue now

[@parkerkamis9949]

@@doctorpanther360not yet

[@doctorpanther360]

@@parkerkamis9949 sprit just accepted it like a few weeks ago because of that JetBlue is getting spirit new seats the new seats will have an extra 2 inches of leg room the middle seat will have 1 to 2 inches of width and the seats will have extra comfort and better head rest

[@chrisprimavera7607]

Breeze is still a micro airline and is unable to respond to schedule disruptions. Had a flight from HPN to BNA canceled because there were no ramp agents at BNA. Nice airline if you don't really have to get where you are going.

[@squares4u]

@@chrisprimavera7607 Don’t forget Avelo!

[@jmlinden7]

The in flight experience is not what people hate about these airlines. In fact it's actually pretty decent, well-trained crews and newer planes. What they hate is - lack of recline for longer flights. Lack of backup flights if one gets cancelled. Lack of customer service desks to get help for missed connections.

[@Those_Weirdos]

The "new planes" thing is relatively new. Allegiant bought decades-old MD-80s at firesale prices just after 9/11. They became a maintenance nightmare and gradually were retired in favor of Airbus etc. The reputation at least Allegiant earned during the MD-80 era follows after them, and they really earned it with pretty shoddy maintenance outcomes. Search for allegiant nose landing gear on KZbin and you'll find several videos of different incidents of Allegiant MD-80s failing to deploy the front landing gear, and I know of at least one more instance that wasn't very public and I can't find a video of. I'm a former Allegiant employee, but that was long ago, and I can't speak to how they are now, but very thing you cite as what people don't hate? They were actually the worst qualities of Allegiant for the longest time. As a customer service agent there, I never actually had a resource to tell me which airports had ramps, which had jet bridges, and which one (I think it was somewhere in South Dakota) that only had stairs. We had no internal resource with that information. And on and on.

[@kevinbrzostek7552]

The average person that books these flights does not know about the lack of backup flights or the lack of customer service until there is an issue. I only use them for quick trips

[@Jack_Stafford]

Only a psychopath expects a lot of recline on an airplane, do you not realize that someone is sitting behind you and when you throw that seat back you are essentially putting your headrest right in their face? Most people don't recline their car seats on a 4 to 6 hour car ride so why would you do it on an airplane? There should be a very very limited amount of recline on any discount flight where there is a row behind you, unless there is an extremely large amount of space between rows. If you want this kind of luxury without worrying about bothering the person behind you, pay for business or first class, it's not that much of an increase if you plan ahead and know what you're doing.

[@seen48]

Staffing and fuel (can’t get away from fuel)consume so much of the Airlines cost so for sure low cost carriers won’t have the support systems like the larger airlines.

[@rickros3677]

Thanks for this comparison...

[@lunax71]

People that usually fly these basic economy airlines are looking for the lowest price. You should show that so the views can see what it is really like. Take only a personal item (free), don't buy a seat, let the airlines choose it for you (free) Bring your own food. No insurance for the ticket ect. That said I love your videos.

[@mooseofspruce]

I did exactly this with Frontier and Breeze a couple times last year, and you can save even more by purchasing at their airport counter to save on up to $23 per flight segment (this varies a bit more with Breeze, depending on the route; sometimes more, sometimes less as opposed to $23 per segment as Frontier/Spirit/Allegiant do). The personal item was just enough for me to bring my Nintendo Switch and a couple changes of clothes on SFO-ONT-SFO (and then SFO-ONT/SBD-SFO) on two short weekend trips to a gaming tournament while I stayed at a friend's place. The $32-40 for the round-trip tickets is comparable to just a one-way ticket on Greyhound/Flixbus between San Francisco and Los Angeles that I took years ago, although that includes baggage and allowances that I did not necessarily need. I even saw $52 for a return ticket on Spirit on OAK-EWR-OAK on dates that included weekends from October 2023 through January 2024, which is absolutely insane (imagine doing two transcons flying Spirit, one of those a red-eye), but I never found a free weekend to do it and the friend I was planning to visit kept dragging his feet, so the fares went up and I never took it.

[@killer2600]

They can't do that, they have camera gear to take with them so a carry-on may be required for their trip and they buy a seat in the back and priority boarding so they can film the mostly empty cabin from front to back. None of those extras make any difference because they purchase the same extras at every airline so the comparison of how much they paid are equal. As for viewers looking to purchase tickets, youtube videos of how much someone paid for a given flight are of little use. The exact price you pay can vary wildly and spoiler alert, not everyone on the plane in your section paid the same price as you did - some paid more and some paid less.

[@richardpeterson8936]

I go to Walmart and buy a small bag of chip for $1.99 and take it on the plane and order soda and eat my chip haha.

[@mooseofspruce]

@@killer2600 The personal item allowance is still big enough for a range of duffel bags and the "camera" one needs is incorporated in most smartphones or can be as small as a GoPro. Extra charges can be skipped. It can be done and be documented.

[@michman2]

My son is a captain on the 737. When he's on standby at home for 2 hour departure, or at the airport in uniform with 20 minute notice, he's almost always called up for fatigue/over crew hours. A crew calling in for fatigue is to be commended for not pushing their limits.

[@GoHARD99]

I would hope the flight crew would not fly fatigue

[@marywilson5192]

How does a pilot get fatigued if they can only fly for a max of 10 hours before they are grounded for 10 hours? Genuinely curious. Thanks.

[@FlyingAceAV8B]

@@marywilson5192The company can extend your day if they need to. You could also be on your 3rd/4th/5th/6th day of getting screwed around with and exhausted from long days, not sleeping enough, or some other reason. Most times it has to do with a lack of sleep. The hotels they put us up at are usually good but sometimes they can suck and with minimum rest, you might wake up tired. I can also tell you that the morale among pilots at some companies, to include mine, ❤, is low. Since the companies are paying us well below the market rate and we have no hope of a well overdue contract, many of us do not care to go the extra mile and we have no problem calling in fatigued to prioritize our own lives.

[@quietus13]

​@@marywilson5192fatigue usually happens from extenuating circumstances, like the layover hotel has a fire alarm go off in the middle of the crew rest and they couldn't get back to sleep, or if maybe they have a young child that was up all night sick before starting a trip. Sometimes they just get bad sleep. They have to be on their game, especially going in and out of the larger airports, so tapping out when not up to it physiologically is the prudent decision.

[@merlesmith6794]

@@marywilson5192 Flying hours vs duty hours Depending on when you start your duty-day (circadian) your max flight time and duty limit change. Also the number of legs impacts duty as well. I’m only speaking to unaugmented domestic operations.

[@curtiswright3440]

Pro tip for Allegiant. If you live near an airport that they fly from, you can save $22 per person per segment by buying at the airport counter instead of online. I happen to live 15 minutes from one and spent $176 less than the advertised online price on our recent trip by doing this. This is more than enough to cover the cost of a checked bag or choosing seats. You do need to check with the airport to see when their counter is open, as they are limited hours, but it was well worth it for our family vacation.

[@mt_xing]

Same trick works for Spirit and Frontier too

[@510ghostboy]

that’s a weird one you usually hear that it’s more expensive to buy directly at the airport counter

[@mt_xing]

@@510ghostboy It's tax avoidance. By charging an online booking fee, the airlines don't need to pay airfare tax on that portion of the ticket. You avoid that fee by booking at the airport. Only works for these ULCCs as their counters are open so rarely that they don't expect anyone to actually do it. The mainline airlines don't play this game.

[@vietnamvet4533]

Here is even better pro tip don't even thing about flying with this ghetto air lines, it is just a fast bus for the Genzers to pack along with the usual community. Fly Delta pay more, but get to you destination on time.

[@OooofDa]

That’s an amazingly helpful tip!

[@AmandaAmanda-sh8lx]

Frontier ripped me off. I paid extra for the exit row for more leg room, for me and 2 others in my party. We were moved to regular seats so that an off-duty employee of theirs who flies for free, got the whole exit row to himself. Not only did that happen but they refused to refund me for all 3 seats upgrade fees. They stole over $200. They are the worst!

[@edpatel6929]

If you paid with a credit card, file a dispute with your credit card company against the charge.

[@nerisvga7725]

Same thing happened to me but I was able to get a refund tho

[@IamCree]

They truly hate their passengers

[@riverraisin1]

I just posted the same thing on here.

[@riverraisin1]

@@nerisvga7725 How?

[@peytonbass5396]

Having worked through from the late 1980's until 2004 with 5 different Carriers (4 of which are no longer in existence), it is amazing to see how Crandall and Lorenzo shaped the industry from a once glamorous mode of tranwsportion, to a low cost, get them on and off model. Thanks for your videos.

[@Adamweber518]

My wife and daughter flew Allegiant once, also out of PGD, and it was the same experience. 2-3 hour delay with no communication and seemingly nobody knowing what was going on. For what it’s worth, another data point to lend credibility to your ground game rating. Enjoyed the video as always!

[@RyanZiegler]

Same

[@146flyer8]

It was worse when they only had MD-80s......

[@RyanZiegler]

@@146flyer8 For Real!

[@amandarogers4737]

I had that on a delta flight, out of Atlanta.

[@vietnamvet4533]

Yep they got my wife and I two times last Thanksgiving in NY going to Florida, and this July going from Gulfport back to Florida. And the worst part and I get planes are late ok, but if their POS app would just tell me that, we could have stayed at our kids home last Nov, or at the casino this July in Biloxi instead nope sit in a airport terminal with 80 other tired and pissed off people. So no more for me.

[@kaijohnson5033]

It’s funny, us pilots even will choose to fly the morning routes so we don’t get delayed for weather. Always nice to get home a little early, even for us! Great video again, Jeb. Something comforting about these videos.

[@crazy4beatles]

The limited options and cascade effect of delays is the reason I avoid low cost airlines. Everyone complaints about the added fees but that's something you can plan for and decide if it makes sense for you. The delays mean missing out on important things or having to pay extra lodging - which all results in surprise additional cost.

[@limbeboy7]

I've flawn on delta, AA, and united and they all have had delays. You can't say delays are a cheap airline thing...

[@ztl2505]

@@limbeboy7The point is less that delays happen and more the potential for delays to mess with travel plans. With the bigger airlines it’s much easier to find alternative flights if delays cause missed connections or other troubles. A lot of the budget carrier routes are once a day

[@LD-tn6ff]

You're dramatically overstating the rate difference of delays. Data on overall delays will skew 100% of the time in favor of the larger airlines due to scattered data. For example, flights to northern states like Colorado, Maryland, Delaware, NJ, NY, etc, are statistically shown to be more likely to have delays than virtually all southern states for weather, etc. Any airline that's regionally focused in these areas will statistically have an average greater rate of delay. If you measured Deltas flights exclusively for these same areas only, the rate of delay in those areas is just as high for Delta, but leveled out with flight data from other states where delays arent naturally as prevalent. As such, consumers should only value on carrier-specific delay data as this determines which carrier best mitigates/handles preventable delays. In this case, the larger airlines arent remotely experiencing lesser delays, and in fact, are likely to perform worse. For example, JetBlue is 3 times more likely than Allegiant to have a delay that's their fault, however Allegiant is ranked worse than JetBlue for overall delays.

[@hannahsneodream]

I’ve done spirit a few times and I’ve never had any problems. I’m one to do a lot of short trips and quick flights, so I don’t always need a super luxe experience. I pack light, so the personal item sized bags are often more than enough for me. Low cost airlines can be great for those kind of trips!

[@kingaloo1490]

Frontier FA refilled her water bottle for cabin service from the potable water in the galley. I was told I could buy bottled water. First and last time flying Frontier.

[@okeesmokee6658]

Very informative. I flew my last Frontier flight in December 2022 - painful seats, rude employees (almost to the point of not wanting to get on the flight), and charges for everything. I typically fly Delta, but needed to go to Las Vegas for a quick trip - you absolutely get what you pay for. Safe travels!

[@kevinrichardson3961]

Definitely think you should do a video comparing Southwest, Jet Blue and Breeze (which I'm still researching if Breeze is a mid tier or low cost carrier myself). Love these reviews. I love these type of videos and interested in trying something similar along with a hub hopper. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@SpicyTunaCakes]

Technically, Breeze is a ULCC like any of these, but Ive always found them to a bit pricier than Allegiant (flying out of Provo that’s my only other comparison), but their service is closer to a mainline carrier. They’re really a weird one.

[@ecclestonsangel]

Is Avelo an LCC or a ULCC?

[@cjohnson8126]

@@SpicyTunaCakesactually breeze is an LCC like JetBlue and southwest. It was founded by a former JetBlue executive who wanted to make an airline with service like JetBlue but with a point to point network focusing on leisure travel like the ULCCs

[@cjohnson8126]

@@ecclestonsangelAvelo is an ULCC

[@ecclestonsangel]

@@cjohnson8126 Thank you so much!🙂

[@johnballnik7188]

Great information Jeb, always enjoy your videos. Keep 'em coming!

[@raheemnicholls5055]

Love the JetBlue crew along with the nice pilots who kept us informed especially during delays even offered snacks & drinks while on board during delay. Even explained why & what was being done to assess the situation. Not sure if it's just me but pilots along with crew always welcome us on or off flight. Even when delayed pilots always seemed to make up time. Never had a bad experience with them yet.

[@richardwhipple3522]

I've flown Allegiant and Spirit many times. Never Frontier. My main issue with Allegiant is with the delays. So many but loved flying out of the smaller airports. I must say - I have never had or seen any staff member of either airline being anything other than helpful, patient, and friendly.

[@theupscriber65]

Never fly frontier. I've been a discount den member and now have an annual pass. They suck.

[@zsu-23-4shilka2]

I’d still rather pay a bit extra to fly Delta, especially since my sister’s husband works there

[@dereklenzen2330]

In my opinion, Spirit is definitely the best ultra-low-cost carrier. I've only had one bad experience with them, which was a lack of communication in Orlando due to a weather delay which ultimately led to a cancellation in the middle of the night. Your point about flying in the morning is absolutely on point, since the airlines don't have an "accumulated delay" from an incident earlier in the day, and in the South at least, the bad weather typically rolls in during the afternoon. On a broader note, I truly think that the ultra-low-cost model is the future of air travel, especially in developing countries. Here in the Dominican Republic, there is a new ultra-low-cost carrier flying to various destinations in Latin America called Arajet that I am keen to try in the near future.

[@Cerby1979]

I only had one issue with Spirit and that was in 2015 when my flight from FLL to BOS was to depart by 9AM but delays and gate changes Pushed the departure to 2PM and arriving right in the middle of Boston rush hour traffic. Other Spirit flights I took had no issues. Never flown on Allegiant or Frontier but my mother flew on Frontier and hated it.

[@jonathanjensen3025]

I just flew Arajet from SXM to SDQ in July. Seats were great and friendly staff but had issues with delays and no communication. Definitely a good model for those traveling throughout the Caribbean.

[@sheajane7669]

I enjoyed this great video. Thanks for sharing with us. It's good to know about your comparisons before we travel. Safe flying ✈️✈️✈️❤❤

[@tailo9864]

Wow! Thanks for the content Jeb! Me and the grandkids always use your tips when we travel! Wish you and Suzanne the best!!

[@cja1122]

I would have liked to see a more extensive breakdown of the add-on fees with each carrier since that is the main concern with most people when it comes to flying these super low budget airlines. You stated at the end “Pricing is really a non factor, since all 3 flights were essentially exactly the same.” Well from the price breakdowns you showed, there was about a $40 price difference between the cheapest and most expensive, that’s a big difference if you’re a budget friendly person.

[@atruebond]

I agree with this statement. Also, I think it to be a little unfair for Allegiant for your departure city. PGD only has two carriers, whereas CVG, DEN, and LAS are serviced by multiple carriers and are utilized internationally. Had you done the trip in reverse, it could have been a different story.

[@BluntSmokeTrauma]

If 40 bucks is make it or break it for you, I guess you better start walking

[@deltacat27]

Well you can't really compare the prices since they were all different routes anyway

[@svenjorgensen5]

@@BluntSmokeTrauma $40 isn't make or break if there are other options. If you're flying budget you're trying to save as much as you can.

[@scsc4159]

The CEO for Frontier, is the former CEO of Spirit. Reason why Frontier now charges for everything, has the same letter font, etc.

[@debsterlee3801]

I just flew Spirit and Frontier last month for the first time to Vegas and back (the Spirit flight was only $19.99...I made that personal item only work!). I was pleasantly surprised with Spirit but don't think I could do it for more than an hour long flight...the seats were so hard! And I am having to disagree with Southwest being a low cost carrier any more...these days I can fly Delta to just about anywhere in the country for less than a SoWest flight.

[@brianreyesvaldez8786]

What was your experience with Frontier?

[@danaebarrett3870]

Love this content. I live in Las Vegas and regularly fly Spirit. I love the comparison. Would like to hear more about Avelo in the future.

[@AVantinfluencer]

As always Jeb, awesome leadership over your staff and your channel. You make this channel work.

[@funadventures8113]

Thanks so much for making these videos! You are the reason I became an aviation enthusiast! Keep up the good work Jeb!

[@monicajohnston8364]

One of the best things about Allegiant is their choice to fly out of secondary airports. There may be fewer amenities but they're less crowded and frequently in areas with less crazy traffic. Allegiant's "Chicago" base, for instance, is in Rockford, which offers free airport parking and is much easier to deal with than O'Hare.

[@Spuck1983]

So they get you almost where you want to be ? Another $100 to get the taxi ?

[@JoePCool14]

I guess if you live in or near Rockford that works. But I don't think I'd ever pay for a flight to "Chicago" that only brought me to Rockford. For me, that would mean over an hour's drive on a good day back home. No thanks.

[@monicajohnston8364]

It's most convenient for people who don't live in Chicago but are close enough that we fly out of that area. If you had to choose between driving 90 minutes to O'Hare, being stuck in traffic in Schaumburg, worried about missing your flight, and paying $100+ to park, then driving a similar distance to Rockford with no traffic and free parking is a nice option.

[@JoePCool14]

@@monicajohnston8364 The thing is, I live 15 minutes from O'Hare, 30 if there's a bit of traffic. So while not everyone has that luxury, I suppose for _me_ it makes no sense.

[@Mr___f]

No... I imagine they are flying out of Rockford. The drive can be similar for about 1+ million in the Chicagoland area so it makes sense why it would be a popular secondary hub.

[@queen_vee222]

I love the intro ! lol This will be my first time of using a low budget airline and I am nervous. Thanks for the video!

[@karenmyrie6215]

My 2nd day catching your videos...thx for bringing us along & sharing your comparisons. I had never heard of Allegiant or Breeze before your vid.

[@christieo2739]

Suzanne is a trooper for doing this challenge with you. Lol. I think I’ll keep paying the premium for the most part. However, it’s definitely nice to have these options for those occasions where something comes up last minute and you have to fly somewhere that wasn’t in the budget. Thanks for sharing.

[@susieq1957]

Thanks for all the tips. I've flown all three, and Frontier is definitely my last resort airline. You commented on why Southwest wasn't included, I think of them as close to a major airline. With the perks of two free bags included, it's great for us, as we usually take golf clubs.

[@mrvwbug4423]

As a Denverite, I'd have to be desperate to fly Frontier. Denver is United's largest hub so I can literally fly anywhere on United out of Denver, and once you factor in Frontier's Ryanair level fees, a regular economy ticket on United often ends up being cheaper.

[@user-jh5fm7ci6o]

I like southwest because they are so flexible and you can change flights with no charge. I got back sooner a few times as my meeting ended sooner. Great airline for shorter flights. The crew also seems happy and I had good luck. You know what you are getting into right in regards to just finding a seat. PS they do seem to be efficient. It's a really good shuttle bus airline. 3 hours or less.

[@CarlosMunoz-hw1zj]

I have started flying Allegiant once they started operating out of Provo, Ut. My experience has been pleasant. Only problem I've had with them was my return flight back home was cancelled due to a an accident that occured on that day in Provo. They only had two flights a week in and out of Provo. It was a good thing I was able to work remote. Haha.

[@Invalidspin]

Frontier is absolutely awful. 50% of my flights have been delayed and the staff in Atlanta couldn’t possibly be more rude. Never again!

[@MsPbass]

For me, a trip to Las Vegas is about 2 hours, and I always fly Spirit and let me tell you I've ALWAYS had a phenomenal experience. Flight attendances are very professional and even gave away free prices on one trips that I've been on. Every flight that I've taken the entire plan boards within 15 - 20 minutes tops! I do bring a carry on each time but I measure my bag before so I know it'll fit. For longer flights Spirit is an absolute no due to comfort but any 2 hour or less trip they are my go to airline!

[@pyrok007]

Spirit straight up nickel and dimes you, they claim cheap tickets but then charge you for a seat, and any luggage, and they are way too small, Spirit is a joke and shouldn’t be in business, neither should Frontier , they are owned by the same Parent company, I hate spirit

[@KarnageKamikaze]

@@pyrok007 as we saw here (and from experience with a couple different airlines not mentioned), that’s what all the Budget ones do. I’ve flown Sun Country, where you do get free drink and more route options for my regional area but it’s all the same. Skip the Seat Selection, bring snacks beforehand, and you’re good to go

[@pyrok007]

@@KarnageKamikaze no Spirit doesn’t charge you for seat selection, they charge you for the seat. After you buy the ticket

[@KarnageKamikaze]

@@pyrok007 the “skip seat selection” piece was in general. If you do those tips, you can save a bit. With flight tracker apps, you can find round trips for under $300. It’s crappy on the lack of space in general, but that’s budget airlines

[@pyrok007]

@@KarnageKamikaze I find Southwest is cheaper after you account for the 1 free carry in and 1 free personal item and 2 free checked backs. You end up way better off

[@peterkrey7273]

Thanks for the compliments about CVG. As someone who has seen it grow from a single terminal into what is today makes me very proud.

[@mdotto8707]

We were left stranded by Allegiant in Nashville in July of 2021 when they canceled our flight home to Michigan. Since the next flight was several days later, we rented a car and drove home. In February of 2022 a delayed Allegiant flight from Jacksonville ended up with pilots who timed out on hours. Since it was after midnight by then, there were no hotels available so we spent the night in the airport finally flying home at noon the next day. We couldn't even use one Allegiant voucher before they owed us another one. Needless to say, we use other airlines now. For us, Allegiant wasn't a value at any price.

[@carmanjun4859]

Agreed! Trip interruptions like this caused so much trouble + $$ loss. That's why I would go with a big airline as they can easily rebook you. Back in the days, I flew with Continental and the flight got cancelled til the next day so we were supposed to stay overnight in Houston (its hub). That has no value for me as I needed to get back that DAY for work the next day. I immediately requested the airline to rebook me on another flight which they did and I arrived home that same night just with a different airline. That experience really taught me not to book with the cheapest airline out there. But to book the cheapest fare on a reliable airline!!

[@stopthecap4317]

Your credit card would reimburse you for that

[@endoplasreh]

Thank you so much for what you two do. Great info for everyone.

[@loxsochic22]

Thanks for this video...super helpful!

[@Landmantx]

I am a spirit user. I have 300,000 points and often get flights for 10,000 points round trip. The combination of good fares and low point flights make it a great option for weekender type flights to just go within the US. For a short flight it isn’t too bad.

[@vibranthang13]

Bravo❤❤❤❤❤❤✅✅✅

[@vibranthang13]

I heard nothing but amazing things about Breeze airways❤❤❤

[@hunterman361]

Pro tip when you fly out of Denver, always go through bridge security! It takes 1/3 of the time, for some reason people don't know about it

[@bitrunner2000]

surprised - i've had nothing but positive experiences with Allegiant, and a lot of our friends use them to come to Orlando. you're spot on about the lack of comfort on Frontier though - i thought i was going to die of torture pain going to Las Vegas!

[@Sammymiff]

Hi, Jeb! I’ve recently stumbled across your channel and truly enjoy your content. Both you and your wife are a pleasure to watch, and I love your positivity. You mentioned you didn’t see tipping this time around on Frontier, and as a previous flight attendant for them I wanted to share some possible insight. I know I often skipped the tipping screen on most flights, and that is sometimes common across flight crew. When I had started with the company, tipping wasn’t a thing, so I just felt uncomfortable asking for one. That may have been the case here. I’m now with a different company, but hope to see you someday in passing! Again, great content and I’m a big fan already. ❤

[@TekTrekgamer]

You put out great content Jeb. I have had very poor experience with Frontier - who were also rude on my flight. I vowed never to fly with them again. Another great video with good information in the bag. Looking forward to the next one.

[@babysquash711]

I love how you revisit your past series, it's nice to see if anything has changed between the years of your last video and current video of the same topic

[@patrickrobertson7290]

Great reviews! Thanks. I think that the bag of chips sold by Spirit made them the winners in that area. We fly Spirit often. Used to fly Frontier but the Spirit planes have ample space that we can’t live without.

[@stacistein702]

This is the most informative and concise travel video I've ever seen. Much needed and appreciated. Maybe it is a budget thing, but those 3 airlines have been the rockiest, most turbulent flights I've ever taken. No matter the time of day, destination, weather, or origin. Bumpy as hell. Every time.

[@kubi0461]

Since I don’t fly all that often, I’ve grown to stick with Delta if at all possible even with the higher cost. I find the overall experience is easier, less risky, more comfortable, more adaptable to unexpected things, and more stress free than the cheaper carriers.. and even a bit of an edge over United and American in my experiences. Although don’t count out Delta entirely on price. For instance there’s a $79 flight from Orlando to CVG plus probably some other options.

[@kevinb6745]

Delta is clearly in a class of its own. America’s best airline by far.

[@monkeyb1820]

the best 'plus' of taking delta, is that they get top or near top priority at all airports, eg the best gate locations. We have consistently found that frontier gets the worst--the most far away gates, long delays getting to a gate, and we took Frontier to cancun and we got out in some far-flung airport location where we were treated like cattle (trapped on a tarmac bus for an hour, herded into customs with really long lines). But Delta goes into some other part of the airport where the experience is much better.

[@gamerpinklady_6266]

It’s interesting because my sister often flies with Delta and has pretty good luck but my in laws have had the opposite experiences with them, especially recently their last trip was a fiasco to say the least where they never ended up getting to their destination they were shuffled around between wrong hotels, from canceled flight to canceled flight, having to pay out of pocket for hotels and cabs. Even when having issues with other airlines I have never been treated as poorly as they were with Delta. It put a sour taste in my mouth to say the least but it’s interesting how people have such vastly different experiences with the same airlines!

[@TNSassociates]

follow Dr Karlene Pettit on any of the socials. If 1/10th of what she says is true, you'd never get on a DELTA aircraft. I sure won't

[@williamboyle8918]

Had far worse service on Delta vs. Allegiant. Surprised the he'll outta me. It's not your father's Delta anymore.

[@blodyholy_]

Allegiant flies out CID, which I've taken several times to PGD and LAS. Each of which have been full of vacationing mid-westerners letting a little too 'loose' on the flights. Cabin crews always maintained professionalism, and I'm glad you had the same experience! Thanks, Jeb 😀

[@richardvickrey4786]

Are you ready for some irony? This video was my introduction (yesterday) to your channel. However, due to technical difficulties, it's the one I finished watching last. To quote the Grateful Dead, "What a long, strange trip it's been." I've consumed 2 of your hub hoping episodes, the marvelous Lufthansa 747 ep, the 1st class comparison ep & the regional jet/cross country ep. I gotta' say, U-2 got game! And you got range also. I tip my hat to you both. Can't wait to experience more of what you are offering. 💙

[@GreenerGrass]

Thanks for coming along, definitely a strange trip🤣

[@lisawilliams1927]

Hi Jen, l watched the other video comparing United, American and Delta in one day. Great information loved the video.

[@lisawilliams1927]

Sorry l meant Jeb

[@braedynnovak6771]

I swear Jeb always does these domestic airline videos around the same time I’m traveling and at the same airports I’m traveling from😳

[@scottanno8861]

Allegiant straight up cancelled my return flight once. Didn't even rebook me to a later flight. Just said "lol here's your money back, purchase last minute tickets on a different airline instead"

[@AspasiaB]

Whoa. How last minute was the cancellation?

[@scottanno8861]

@@AspasiaB Less than 12 hours before boarding I'd say

[@allenpaul75]

New to your channel I really enjoy it thanks.

[@chadenglish4169]

My partner and I flew Allegiant a few yrs back from Akron/Canton to Fort Lauderdale. Loved it. We sat in the very last row in the back. The flight attendants were so friendly. We had a really nice conversion with them while they sat in their seats back there.

[@TheydyGodiva]

As an FA for the 🐝, im extremely happy to hear that you had an amazing experience! And im glad to see you got a plane with the more recent seats. Some of our planes with the older cabins are the same as F9 and Allegiant. Next time you should definitely try the BFS! There's no real difference in the service aspect of the trip, but the seats are really nice.

[@amyblaker845]

BFS?

[@TheydyGodiva]

@amyblaker845 Big Front Seat. It's a product for upgrade that spirit offers. Its a larger seat, with more legroom at the front of the plane. The seat size and pitch is comparable to a domestic or regional first class seat on other carriers. It's a worthwhile upgrade, with prices ranging between 25-75 bucks, depending on the flight duration. You won't see a change in the level of service, since there are no separate classes on spirit, but if you want more room and wanna be one of the first people off the plane, it's definitely worth the upgrade.

[@raebakesncooksofficial]

As someone who has flown in and out of Punta gorda A LOT, i can say that i really enjoy it and i am glad you could check it out! I love boarding from the ground and seeing huge A320 in front of me. Just imagine if it was an a380

[@faithfullyirie]

That intro had me rolling 😂😂😂I was not expecting that😂 Love it!

[@thomasbrewster694]

very cool Stephan! I love your work!

[@ishyk10]

I’ve always maintained I’ve never had a bad experience on a Spirit flight. The seats are a bit cramped but if you spring for the extra large front seat, usually around $50 depending, it’s an excellent flight

[@braddfordy]

same here i have no issues flying spirit! i once scored some tickets from dfw to vegas with the big seats for 50 bucks each total for around trip

[@ahaririguy]

Seriously Spirit gets so much hate for no reason. Their snacks are bomb and if you book a Big Seat up front and are 6’4/193cm like me, you’ll be comfy af

[@TuckHawk]

@@ahaririguy as someone who's flown spirit a few times and had no issues, but i can explain this; its cus people hate on it for being cheap usually as a social gag or because of rare experiences. BUT I will say this entire thread misses the point of flying cheap as spirit or why they would hate on it, if your willing to shell out 50 more for a big front seat than your basically paying a non budget price at that point and getting a better experience but also just basic math says theirs usually spirit has 150-200 seats on board (for example we'll use 168, no spirit craft ik of has that exact number but an example). Lets say the big front seat is great and all the other seats are usually your bang average seat that they got assigned at random cheap seat. Usually spirit flights only have 8 big front seats on a flight, a couple have 10 but almost all have 8. so that means 1 in 21 passengers would have a big front seat, or for every one person having the extra 50$ costing seat which costs more than the base fare for some one way spirit flights by itself theirs 20 people in low cost budget seats possibly complaining about their trip sucking. so basically the reason why is because for most flights if people want the big front seat not only is it quite a bit expensive to get and can often cost more than the trip your on but they wouldnt even be available to the majority of passengers after the only 8 of them sold out, hope that helps explain why it gets so much hate! :D

[@TuckHawk]

reply took a second cus i wanted to find the email with the price in it, when I last flew spirit with someone else in august of last year to Myrtle Beach (from Pittsburgh), the flight tickets for the two of us cost me 114.28 for the 2 persons round trip or roughly 55$ per person. the 2 big front seats for just the flight from pitt to myrtle (we took random seats on the way back) cost me 128.00 or 64$ per person just for the big front seats on one flight, costing 10$ more than the regular round trip flight ticket.

[@dmcr9525]

You guys are the lucky ones! I had no problems on board, the flight crew was absolutely great, but the delays on all three of my flights were super annoying. I flew Big Front Seat, definitely liked them, but I really wish they reclined.

[@tobyglickman7164]

Out of the big three Ultra Low Cost Carriers in the United States, Allegiant is my favorite. I love their livery and the warm destinations they fly to. Great video Jeb and Susan.

[@XxLayernXx]

Jeb, I love your videos! I also like Suzanne in them! They are so fun to watch! Keep up the good work! Can you please do JetBlue, Southwest, and Breeze?

[@SHOCKPROOFX]

I love flying Spirit when I'm going to Vegas! Spirit crew are always friendly (based on my personal experience). Anyway great video!

[@nicholasthompson5470]

How was your back after those three flights

[@nikiciablagrove1603]

LOL

[@GreenerGrass]

All I’ll say about that is Suzanne had a massage in Las Vegas…🤣

[@sukottotsukeshi.]

@@GreenerGrasshopefully a legit one

[@anthonylamesa7619]

I think it's totally outrageous that one-way checked or carry-on luggage *for short domestic flights* now costs at least $60 on both Spirit and Frontier. They must have some of the highest baggage fees in the world.

[@ThatsPety]

yep, and sometimes paying for that both ways makes their tickets more expensive then, say, an alternative Delta flight. To be worth it you have to know how to wring that personal item bag for all it's worth

[@nn123654]

Usually by the time you add in all the baggage fees the other traditional airlines (Delta, United, American) basic economy is the same price or slightly cheaper. Unfortunately they have it figured out because you basically have to buy bags if you're going for any length of time, and shipping your bag via USPS or UPS costs around $100 and is less reliable.

[@jricedrums]

@@nn123654I’ve done up to 6 day trips with just a personal item. I’m one of the people that actually only pays the base $30-$100 round trips for my Spirit & Frontier flights. Now with that said in any case I’m doing a trip that requires more luggage, wont bother with Spirit & Frontier

[@flightTime123]

Well that’s why their base fares are so low, so there’s no reason to be surprised. If it’s more expensive than a traditional airline once bags are added for you, then don’t buy the ULCC ticket. For many who can travel with just a small bag it’s a great option.

[@rgruenhaus]

​@@ThatsPetySilver Airlines charges $30 for the first checked bag under 50lbs.

[@lelandfranklin3487]

Flew Frontier once...and that was enough. The return flight on AA felt like first class!

[@JaimeCruz-hx3zt]

Waiting for the JetBlue review! Awesome videos.

[@wingflex5367]

Favorite part of my Saturdays, a Jeb upload :) Also at 14:52, you did a shout out to the ground crew "here in Las Vegas" while you were still in Denver. Can't get a slip up like that by me, Jeb ;). With as much as you travel I'm surprised you know where you are half the time :)

[@benjaminjaffer1461]

Feels like southwest and JetBlue are in their own categories but Breeze and Avelo could definitely be part of this challenge. Would be interesting to see how the newer low cost carriers compare to the old ones. Great video as always!

[@stephaniemamatree5973]

I never heard of breeze or avelo...interesting

[@gicherucarol]

Thank you for this detailed review!

[@katiehayden7632]

Thanks for posting!

[@phillyblaze777]

On Frontier, many flight attendants don't feel comfortable asking if you would like to leave a tip and skip that part of your purchase experience. But they are accepted and welcomed by most! 😉😉

[@thebigcnel]

As a pilot for a non ULCC it’s interesting to see passenger experience and what normal folk think about it. Never really fly in the back anymore and when I do I don’t even think about experience. Cool vid.

[@GreenerGrass]

Thanks for all you do up front to keep us moving!!

[@mexicanhuman7]

thanks for these great videos!

[@jsmith22301]

Love your videos and they are very informative and given me some ideas. One question - which bag were you using on these flights? Interested since they meet the criteria for these budget airlines. Might be a good video for you to provide some luggage recommendations. Cheers!

[@robertlalor8090]

Jeb and Suzanne, your vlogs enhance my faith in humanity. You are so gracious, constantly looking for the very best. Your infrequent criticisms are designed to help airlines improve. Bless you both.

[@tylera5010]

I think it is an awesome idea to compare Southwest/JetBlue/Breeze ...looking forward to it. Thanks again for a great review.

[@fitofito1001]

I took low cost flights a few times. I found they are ok as long as they are not delayed. The price can really make difference. At the end of March, we flew from Denver to Hartford. Two tickets including all luggage fees (two sets of skis, boots bags and two suitcases) and one exit row seat costed less than $500 from Frontier airline. The same flight from delta that we usually fly would cost $1200

[@babarbaig223]

Awesome guys, love your videos. Can't wait to see JetBlue, Breeze, SouthWest & Alaska, if you can, thanks.

[@chiefbozx]

Sun Country is another ULCC, though their route network is pretty heavily centered on MSP. Would love to see them in a comparison sometime!

[@parkerkamis9949]

I’ve been saying this since the OG ULCC. I can’t stand SunCountry. I’m the only Minnesotan I know that will choose Spirit or Allegiant over SunCountry any day of the week lol.

[@Micg51]

Sunny is like halfway between a spirit and a southwest. Not quite a ULCC but basically is one.

[@parkerkamis9949]

@@Micg51 people always say that (at least where I’m from) because it’s the “hometown airline” but to be frank the only thing they offer that the others don’t is a free drink. Some of their older planes still recline and some seats have a plug but I’d say that the free cup of orange juice doesn’t put them above the others.

[@ArtimSequoia]

Our hometown airline went down hill after hiring Allegiant's former CEO.

[@Micg51]

@@ArtimSequoia they actually are profitable now though

[@jowillard2373]

Thanks for doing this comparison Jeb and Suzanne. I traditionally avoid all 3 of these but feel good about trying Spirit in the future! Yep do the next 3 comps!

[@ShonenJump121]

I recently flown with frontier and had a very mixed experience. Definitely will think twice about them the next time I go flying.

[@paulg2132]

Yes! SWA, JetBlue and Breeze are a perfect mid-economy trio. A good friend of mine is the Breeze Manager at SNA. And BTW, Breeze ranks very high (#3 I think) for domestic airlines with Consumer Reports according to their latest issue.

[@davidsteensma3221]

After all the amazing deluxe experiences recently that most of us can only dream of - the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner, Trans Canada first class rail, Belmond Andean Explorer, Antarctica excursion, etc - it's great to have a video for the workaday travelers, too :)

[@jameshaswell2345]

I flew Spirit in August 2015 from DWF to Las Vegas and back. I really didn’t have a bad experience! I’ve been curious about the other two, but have flown Southwest since. Thanks for the review.

[@shaynak745]

Love this! Would definitely like to see a comparison of Jet Blue, Southwest and Breeze.

[@XxGyromancerXx]

Wow, Frontier sure has fallen! I remember flying on that airlines in the 00s and having a good time every time. Seats were pretty decent and spacious, Frontier staff were courteous, there weren't all kinds of extra charges for carry-ons or other stuff, and even the lavatories were built for people taller than 5'5".

[@ScottWallace5]

This was a great video, appreciated it and both of your sacrifice of the low cost carriers for us :D But a video comparison between Jet Blue, Breeze and Southwest would be amazing! As despite those great $30 cheap Southwest flight sales, I also don't put them in the same category as Spirit and others.

[@WBDE]

Jeb, you are absolutely correct that communication and updates cost the staff nothing and do an enormous amount to keep passengers settled. A flight on Delta that I experienced which was delayed was a recipe for disaster when we were sitting on a full, hot airplane, having to wear a face mask, and everyone wondering if they would make their connections in Atlanta. It would have helped a lot if the crew would have communicated what their status was, even if there was no new information.

[@sillygoose4176]

I flew with spirit a year ago. Smooth take offs and landings. On time. No issues with the plane or pilots. U get nickel and dimed on luggage. I paid extra for a big seat but was totally worth it coz I'm kinda fat. I'd use em again, flight was smooth and I felt safe. That big seat was awesome

[@longbeach7623]

Great video! I’d like to see a Breeze, Sun Country, JetBlue comparison. 👍🏼

[@burtonrodman]

i primarily fly Allegiant (when i’m paying 😉). the only complaint i have is delays and the attitude of TSA at PGD. i’ve flown Frontier only once, and similar to you, wasn’t poorly treated directly, but saw other flyers having issues and the crews were visibly in poor attitude. i found it IMPOSSIBLE to book the base fare on frontier’s website and ended up booking through Expedia. I will NEVER AGAIN fly Frontier unless it’s the only option. i’ve flown Spirit once with no complaints and “on brand”. however they’re not available in most the places i fly, but would definitely choose Spirit over Frontier if I have the option.

[@dewanh40]

Frontier ground crews are not professional, that is my experience.

[@raterbeast]

Man you guys are getting so good at this there arent even bloopers anymore! For real though it seems like every video is a step up in production quality, information, and good old fashioned laughs! Keep up the great content!

[@GreenerGrass]

Glad you like them! Thank you!!

[@davidrp6361]

Hey Jeb, great video as usual. Looking forward to that JetBlue vs Southwest vs Breeze. Consider flying to BQN or SJU for that one, but Breeze does not fly to Puerto Rico. But we now got Avelo.

[@hauntedsoundlab]

As someone who lives in Denver and flys a fair amount I agree with this as well. Can't speak to Alegent, but when I fly the budget airlines Spirit definitely has a leg up on Frontier. Flown both many times and the rudeness of Frontier staff is pretty universal in my experience. I've heard gate agents almost badgering passengers for not lining up properly amongst other unprofessional behavior. I also heard (unverified) that gate agents get a commission for catching carry ons and personal items that are over the size limit forcing the upcharge.

[@the48thhawk74]

Wait till you find out that's all budget airlines. And it's not just those. We get them for other things too. The ticket counter agents get commission for stuff too

[@lindapark8467]

I fly Southwest domestically: love that I can check 2 bags for free. Their flight crews are great also. Would like to see a comparison that includes southwest.

[@Encourageable]

I love Allegiant flying out of PIE to FWA. Straight shot, 2 hours. They are always on time and will often leave a few minutes early if everyone is boarded. I’ve flown that route dozens of times to see my elderly mother and literally it’s been perfect every time. Staff is always helpful and kind. And no, I don’t have any relationship to them. I love Allegiant - I am allegiant to Allegiant 😀

[@RampAgentLife]

I'm a ramp worker for Allegiant in Florida. My heart melted when you gave props to the ramp workers❤

[@TheBuldog2000]

Excellent work nicely done 😊