Spirit unveils upgraded onboard experience, including new Big Front Seats
Flying on Spirit's newest iteration of its yellow Airbuses may soon be a little less uncomfortable, thanks to the introduction of new seats.
The Miramar, Florida-based carrier on Thursday unveiled the next generation onboard product for its newest batch of Airbus A320neo jets. These newly delivered planes will be outfitted with Haeco's Vector Light and Vector Premium seats, which should bring some welcome upgrades to the passenger experience.
Here's the rundown.
New 'Big Front Seat'
Spirit's Big Front Seat has long been one of the best deals in travel. It's essentially the same as a domestic first-class recliner, but it's usually priced closer to a standard extra-legroom economy seat on legacy carriers.
These seats are arranged in a 2-2 configuration, and they occupy the first few rows of the plane.
The next-generation Big Front Seat offers a wider seatback, extra cushioning and nearly an inch more pre-recline.
While the tray table still pops out of the armrest, Spirit says it'll be easier to reach the tray table. It wasn't immediately clear what that exactly meant.
It's worth noting that while the Big Front Seats are significantly more comfortable than those in economy, they do not include any additional perks such as free food and drinks or power outlets.
New economy product
Headlining the upgrades to the standard economy seats is the addition of more width. Aisle and window seats will be 17.5 inches wide, while middle seats will be 18.5 inches wide.
This represents a half-inch increase over the existing product, and it should hopefully be enough for some frequent Spirit flyers to notice a difference.
While no one typically enjoys flying in the middle seat, at least Spirit makes it a little more comfortable by adding that extra inch of width.
Additionally, the economy product gets a new headrest design. Unfortunately, passengers still can't raise or lower the headrest, nor does it have wings for added neck support while dozing off.
Spirit says that these new seats will have additional cushioning, so it'll be interesting to see if flyers find the product more comfortable.
The new economy seats maintain a curved seatback design, which helps the airline unlock additional space at knee level. Spirit says this design offers about two more inches of space around the knees relative to flat-back seats.
While you may enjoy a little bit more room and comfort, many aspects of Spirit's onboard experience aren't changing. You won't find any power outlets or USB ports on board, nor will the seats be able to recline. In Spirit's terms, they're all pre-reclined.
(It's worth mentioning, however, that Spirit recently completed a fleet-wide Wi-Fi rollout, so staying connected while flying with Spirit is getting easier.)
Plus, all Spirit seats are slimline, which many flyers find to be uncomfortable for long journeys.
In fact, the new seats are 11 ounces lighter than the previous model. While the reduced weight boosts fuel efficiency, it usually corresponds to a less comfortable onboard experience, especially on longer flights.
Bottom line
Spirit will install these products on new aircraft deliveries beginning in late January 2023. In total, the airline plans to inaugurate 33 new A320neos, or "new engine option," in 2023, all of which will feature this new configuration.
Like Spirit's existing A320s, there will be a total of 182 seats in the new configuration — eight Big Front Seats and 174 regular seats. (As a comparison, JetBlue's A320s feature 162 seats.)
At this time, Spirit won't do any retrofits of existing planes.
It's also worth mentioning that the JetBlue takeover isn’t expected to complete regulatory review until 2024, so — assuming it is approved — it’s business as usual for Spirit until then.
That said, the new seats appear to be an overall upgrade over the airline's existing product. With a little more room, redesigned headrests and additional seat cushioning, the new product should hopefully make flying with Spirit a bit more comfortable.
I'm most curious about the upgrades to the Big Front Seat, and I look forward to putting them to the test once they start flying.
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.