I just flew business class on Spirit – here’s what it was like

In late July, Spirit Airlines (SAVE) surprised longtime travelers by announcing it was abandoning the standard low-cost airline model of offering a basic fare and then requiring customers to pay for extras such as baggage or priority seating in favor of four classes of separate rates.

The base “Go Big” fare is the single seat with only a small personal item such as a backpack or purse, while the top “Go Big” fare is as close to business class as a low-cost carrier. Travelers who purchase this ticket type receive one carry-on and one checked bag, a large armchair-style seat with extra legroom at the front of the plane, priority check-in and boarding, free Wi-Fi and companion board coming around. with a selection of snacks and drinks.

Related: I Just Flew Spirit for the First Time – Here’s What It Was Like

While the airline has recently been in the news about what kind of future it has after the stalled merger with JetBlue Airways (JBLU) nor do they go bankrupt in the immediate future. I had the chance to test the new fare classes on flights between New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. I flew the Go Big and returned to the Go Comfy to compare the two and review both.

This photo captures the front of a Spirit plane before most passengers board.

Veronika Bondarenko

Get Big Vs. Are you getting comfortable? I had the opportunity to compare

As someone who almost never flies anything but economy for my personal travels, the differences in the Go Big become apparent right up front, but certainly as soon as you get to the airport.

A check-in bag on a domestic economy flight is always an “extra” that must be either purchased or earned as a status benefit, while boarding first and sitting at the front of the plane allows you to avoid jamming people who I put bags in the overhead compartments.

More trips:

• A new travel term is taking over the internet (and reaching airlines and hotels)
• The 10 Best Airline Stocks to Buy Now
• Airlines are seeing a new type of traveler at the front of the plane

As an “all the perks” fare class, Go Big has all of these things, along with armchair-style leather seats and flight attendants who come with a basket of complimentary snacks to choose from and complimentary soft drinks and alcoholic beverages such as wine , beer or cocktails that can be made with common spirits. There’s also free Wi-Fi which, in all other fare classes, you’d have to buy for what on my flight was $12.99 for a slower speed and $15.99 for a higher great.

None of these things may “matter enough” to make someone trying to save money opt for the most expensive ticket option, but they certainly make flying more enjoyable and can take the edge off what is for many people an experience of increasingly stressful. Flight attendant Alex from the Orlando crew was especially warm and attentive with all the passengers seated in my area.

The Go Big fare class offers one free alcoholic drink, while the Go Comfy fare class does not.

Veronika Bondarenko

Flying in the Go Comfy fare class will give you a free Coca Cola or other soft drink and a smaller meal.

Veronika Bondarenko

Benefits include larger seats, alcohol vs. refreshments and boarding before the jam

After spending two days exploring Chicago (I once wrote about how much I love the city for everything from the architecture to the museums and food scene), it was time to head back to NYC.

Go Comfy, or Spirit’s second fare class, has most of the same “non-negotiables” and fewer extras: you’ll still get an included carry-on bag and a checked bag, have an assigned seat closer to but not right at the front of the plane and board in zone two before most other passengers.

You sit in a regular Spirit airplane seat, but you’re guaranteed an open middle seat next to you whether you choose an aisle or window seat. You get a snack chosen by the airline (in my case, a chocolate cake) and your choice of coffee, tea or soft drink, but without alcohol.

Another perceived difference from the Go Big was, for me, the small Spirit table that low-cost airlines use to reduce airline weight, but which passengers traveling in the Go Big avoid. It’s also important to note that no matter what class you choose, you won’t be able to charge your devices on the plane, as Spirit aircraft don’t have chargers for the same weight-saving reasons. This is especially important to remember when taking a longer flight to some of the carrier’s Mexican and Caribbean destinations.

Veronika Bondarenko flew back to New York in Go Comfy.

Veronika Bondarenko

This sunset was captured on the flight back to New York.

Veronika Bondarenko

Which fare class to choose? Some thoughts from this travel writer

So what fare class should you choose for future Spirit flights? The Go Comfy lived up to its name in being comfortable, but if the benefits are important, you should definitely go with the Big.

It is also worth noting that when booking in advance, the price differences are not so great. The same trip from LGA to ORD booked for a weekend in late October currently appears on Spirit’s website at $87 for Go (the easiest fare class), $122 for Go Economy, $137 for Go Comfy and $157 for Go Big in one direction.

The low-cost airline model is based on attracting travelers with that low base fare, but if you buy the $122 fare and then give in to the temptation in the moment to get in-flight Wi-Fi and a small bottle of Prosecco, you’d already paid more than it would have cost you to get that higher fare class.

And in that higher fare class, you shouldn’t have to worry about things like fitting everything into a bag and whether one of the people moving through the line during boarding will sit next to you or you’ll get lucky with the extra space. (all economy travelers have felt this anxiety at some point).

But for those who just want to get to their destination for the lowest possible price and can travel light without succumbing to the temptation to make in-flight purchases, there’s still the basic, no-nonsense option.

Although the plane’s route does not depend on fare class, this aerial view of Midtown Manhattan was a highlight of the flight.

Veronika Bondarenko

Spirit Airlines provided Veronika Bondarenko with transportation from LGA to ORD, while she covered her lodging and time in Chicago.

Related: Veteran fund manager sees world of pain coming for stocks