You booked a flight on Spirit Airlines and found out that you will be flying on its Airbus A319. Are you wondering what experience you may get flying on board this aircraft? We have you covered.
The Spirit Airbus A319 is an older aircraft however it is still more than capable of getting you safely to your next destination.
In this guide, we will provide you with insights into the Airbus A319 and its role in Spirit’s aircraft fleet. We’ll discuss the differences between the A319 and its A320 & A321 siblings. We will also let you know what to expect with the seating configurations, the routes the A319 flies on, and what Spirit customers have to say about flying on this aircraft.
The Background on Spirit Airbus A319
The Airbus A319 was developed to be Airbus’s competitor to Boeing’s 737-300 and 737-700. During the early to mid-1990s, Boeing rolled these aircraft out to be competitive in the shorter point-to-point destination market. The Airbus A319 was designed to fly on similar-style routes.
The A319 was first flown in passenger service during the mid-1990s. Soon after many popular airlines worldwide such as Air Canada, United Airlines, Swissair, and British Airways put in their orders for this aircraft.
A special thing to note about A319 is that it’s virtually identical to the Airbus A320 and A321. The cockpit layout and aircraft systems are the same, meaning that airlines operating these aircraft types don’t have to waste money training pilots for each aircraft. Pilots become type-rated for all aircraft in the A320 family.
Spirit Airlines Acquisition of the Airbus A319
Spirit Airlines first acquired their Airbus A319s in 2006. Since 2006, Spirit has accumulated a total of 35 A319s. As of January 2024, only 17 are still in service as the other 18 have been set aside for retirement.
The average age of the A319 fleet for Spirit is over 16 years old. That is well more than double the age of some of the A320s and A321s currently flying for the airline.
Most of these aircraft were purchased as brand-new airframes. The only exception was five airframes that were sourced from third parties. These five A319s were added to the fleet after serving for Windjet and Volaris.
What’s The Difference Between The A319, A320, and A321?
Spirit Airlines has the distinction of being an airline that operates all three variants of aircraft found in the Airbus A320 family. However, there are noticeable differences between the A319 and the other Airbus aircraft and their use cases.
Shorter Fuselage Length & Passenger Capacity
The fuselage length is the first notable difference between the A319, A320, and A321. The A319 is a much shorter plane than the A320 and A321. That means the A319 holds fewer passengers per flight than the other two variants. Besides the shorter fuselage length, the aircraft frame is virtually identical to its class members.
This has a positive performance impact on the Airbus A319. When you take a look at each of these aircraft, one would assume since the largest aircraft is the A321 it would have the longest range. Interestingly enough, the A319 has the longest flight range in this class.
Because the A319 carries fewer people, baggage, seats, etc; it is a light aircraft. With the same engines, the aircraft can get to cruise altitude much quicker, saving on gas thus increasing the range of the aircraft. Spirit’s A319s have no problem flying across the country and have been used on some of Spirit’s longest routes into South America.
Cabin Noise Levels
Another difference a passenger might notice when flying on a Spirit A319 versus an A320 or A321 is the engine design and noise levels.
Spirit Airlines specifically flies the Airbus A319-100 version. The -100 version can be considered as a CEO aircraft or “Classic Engine Option”. Airbus in the last few years has released a version of the A319 class called Airbus A319NEO or “New Engine Option”.
With the NEO version, the engines are more fuel and noise-efficient. They are not as loud from within the cabin during take-off as the CEO versions. Unfortunately, Spirit decided not to pick up any new A319NEOS but instead purchased A320NEOs and A321NEOs.
So, if you’re flying onboard a shortened Spirit Aircraft and sitting near the front of the aircraft and hear a loud “buzz” sound, you might be flying on an Airbus A319.
What Routes Does Spirit Airlines Use The Airbus A319 on?
Spirit Airlines is currently running their A319s on a very limited basis. It is honestly a luck of the draw to catch a flight on one of their aircraft since there are only 16 operating in a fleet of 200+ aircraft.
Also, the A320 and A321 are both capable of flying the same routes as the A319 with more passengers increasing the revenue earned per flight mile for the company.
Coast to Coast Flights and Flights to Central & South America
In a week, we’ve identified some of the routes that the Airbus A319 is still being used on. Surprisingly, it is still being used on some of Spirit’s longer flight routes such as their flight between Los Angeles and Atlanta and the routes to Central and South America. You can expect the 319 to be phased out of their longer haul flights as more orders for the Airbus A321neo are delivered for the airline.
Sporadic Domestic Use
Otherwise, you see the A319 being mixed in for several of Spirit’s normal routes. It is probably being decided on aircraft availability and passenger demand. More highly demanded routes most likely constantly see an A320 or A321. Routes with lesser demand might see an A319 being flown now and then since the aircraft fits fewer passengers.
Route’s We Observed The Spirit Airbus A319 Being Flown On
See below for several of the routes we’ve identified the Airbus A319 being used for by Spirit Airlines.
- Houston – Chicago
- Houston – San Salvador
- Pensacola – Orlando
- Atlantic City – Tampa
- Baltimore – Miami
- Indianapolis – Fort Myers
- Orlando – Atlanta
- Orlando – Santo Domingo
- Orlando – Bogota
- Orlando – Houston
- Las Vegas – Boise
- Atlanta – Los Angeles
- Orlando – San Pedro Sula
- Cartegena – Orlando
- Chicago – Fort Myers
- Orlando – Guatemala City
- Houston – Miami
- Atlantic City – Orlando
- Charlotte – Orlando
- Orlando – Philadelphia
- Orlando – Newark
- Orlando – Dallas Fort Worth
- Detroit – Houston
Spirit Airlines Airbus A319 Seating Configuration
Since Spirit Airlines is an ultra-low-cost airline, the seating configuration on board its Airbus A319s isn’t anything special. Their 319s are set in an all-economy seating class. That means there is no business or first class on board each flight. However, Spirit does provide an elevated level of seating arrangement called “Big Front” seating.
Spirit’s A319s fit a total of 145 passengers. Their standard economy class features 135 seats set up in a 3-seat by 3-seat row separated by a center aisle. These seats are made of “Deluxe Leather” supported by a thin piece of foam padding. Spirit isn’t known for offering the most comfortable seats in the market. These seats have a 28-34 inch pitch and are 17.5 inches wide.
Towards the front of the plane, there are “Big Front” seats. This particular section is set up in a 2-seat by 2-seat row separate by the center aisle. That extra space saved by removing a seat allows Spirit to put in larger seats with more leg space. Passengers need to pay extra to get access to these seats. The Big Front seats offer 36 inches of pitch and 20 inches of width.
What Spirit Customers Have to Say About The Airbus A319?
We scoured the internet looking for Spirit customer reviews of the Airbus A319 to give you a better idea of what to expect when flying on this aircraft.
Keep in mind that Spirit Airlines is an ultra-low-cost airline. You aren’t going to receive all the comforts, frills, and benefits one might receive flying on a first-class airline.
Here are some of the reviews we identified as helpful to give you a better idea of Spirit’s Airbus A319 service.
“Both ways I flew in spirit’s older planes, A319. I’m more of a fan of the older planes than spirit’s newer ones. The main reason is the seats, it felt like it was slightly wider.”
Trip Advisor
After landing from LaGuardia we boarded our A319 flight bound for Orlando. The airplane featured Spirits signature yellow livery. We sat in the seats just behind first class. Great flight and we took off on time at around 10:30!….The bad: Seats were dirty, but now a days most airplane seats are dirty. NO IFE! Wifi is available for purchase!….The tray table on the A319 flight from MYR to MCO was extremely small, can not hold your computer/ipad.
SkyTrax
But the Airbus A319s are outliers. They are both the oldest and smallest planes Spirit flies and will possibly soon be retired. They carry 145 passengers in a single economy cabin. What Spirit calls its “Deluxe Leather” seats are 17 inches wide with 28 inches of pitch and are arranged in a 3×3 configuration. They are seats, yes, but “deluxe” is not a word that most would use to describe them.
Cheapoair
If you’re looking for our review of flying with Spirit Airlines, you can check it out here. Although we weren’t flying on an A319, it can be a good barometer to understand what you can expect on Spirit’s A319 service.
Why is Spirit Retiring The Airbus A319?
Spirit Airlines announced in early 2023 that the airline will begin phasing out the Airbus A319 with its planned retirement set by 2025. This move was pretty much expected since the 319s are the oldest in the fleet.
Plans for Upgrade to the A319 Fleet Have Fallen Short
However, there were plans by Spirit Airlines to continue operating the Airbus A319. In 2019, the company announced its intention to purchase Airbus A320neo Family aircraft which included the Airbus A319neo. This all changed in August 2023 when Spirit announced they had decided against the A319neo, devoting those aircraft orders to add more Airbus A321neos.
The reason for the change of heart was that Airbus experienced significant delays in delivering their Airbus A320neo family of aircraft. Orders for the A319neo potentially could have been delayed until the 2030s. With that in mind, Spirit opted for more A321neos which were already being produced and delivered.
Spirit’s plan for retirement is well underway. In 2023, the airline planned to remove 13 319s from their fleet and retire another 14 in 2024.
The Looming JetBlue Airways & Spirit Airlines Merger and The Airbus A319
Another lens to look at aircraft retirement is exploring the fact that Spirit Airlines potentially is about to be purchased by JetBlue Airways pending federal involvement.
JetBlue Airways already has an established fleet of Airbus A320s and Airbus A321s. In addition, they operate smaller aircraft with a similar carrying capacity to the A319 with its Airbus A220 and Embraer 190. With its Embraer 190s being retired in 2025, more of the focus will be on the airline’s Airbus A220. The Airbus A220 is newer, more efficient, and technologically advanced than Spirit’s aging A319s.
It doesn’t make sense for Spirit to invest more into the A319 aircraft with the airline on the verge of being purchased by JetBlue. JetBlue also probably doesn’t see the worth of operating these A319s either.
Sources
https://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/airbus-a319/22
https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Spirit_Airlines/Spirit_Airlines_Airbus_A319_B.php
https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Spirit-Airlines
https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/130536-uss-spirit-airlines-swaps-a319neo-for-a321neo
