Spirit Airlines is a popular low-cost carrier that operates flights to various destinations across the United States.
We recently flew on a Spirit Airlines flight from New York City to Detroit, Michigan.
This review will cover our experience of flying with Spirit Airlines including details about the flight, the airline’s services, and our overall impression of the journey.
If you are considering flying with Spirit Airlines or planning a trip to Detroit, this review will provide you with valuable insights into what you can expect from this airline and this route.
So, let’s get started and explore our trip review for Spirit Airlines from New York to Detroit!
Planning and Booking our Flight to Detroit
Airlines Flying from the New York Area to Detroit
The first step in planning our trip to Detroit from New York City was identifying airlines flying from the New York City Area to Detroit.
Since both of these locations are served by fairly large airports, we didn’t have a problem finding flights.
Flying out of New York City, you have three options of airports with nonstop service to Detroit.
John F Kennedy International Airport
New York LaGuardia Airport
- Delta Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- Republic Airways
Newark Liberty International Airport
- Delta Airlines
- Skywest Airlines
- Republic Airways
Most of the routes from New York are served by Delta Airlines which makes lots of sense since Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is a hub for the company.
We eliminated going to Newark Liberty International Airport because the commute to the airport during the week would have been a nightmare.
Since our trip we fairly last minute, we also were very limited in our choices since we didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg to book last-minute seats.
We ended up choosing to fly out of New York LaGuardia Airport on Spirit Airlines.
Comparison of flight prices from NYC to Detroit
The prices to fly to Detroit from the New York City area vary depending on when you purchase your tickets and whether you’re willing to extend your trip by making several stops.
This flight will cost you several hundred dollars no matter what airline you fly.
Delta and Endeavor Air provide the most flight options from the New York City Area Airports.
Spirit Airlines might be cheaper but they will hit you with fees for just about everything.
If you’re looking for a true comparison of the prices to get to Detroit, try looking at Kayak, Expedia or Skyscanner to estimate how much you might pay on your given day of travel.
In-flight Experience from NYC to Detroit on Spirit Airlines
Our inflight experience on Spirit matched all the rumors you hear about Spirit Airlines. However, we got to Detroit in one piece and that’s all that matters.
Flying on a budget airline you can’t expect the same levels of comfort and amenities you would receive on a normal airline.
Flight comfort
The seats on the Spirit Airlines Airbus A321 were not comfortable at all.
The actual seat was a single layer of padded leather. There was virtually no way to recline the seat either.
Basically, you were sitting upright in an uncomfortable position for the entire flight. It was surprising that people were able to go to sleep.
The flight was very crowded as well. Spirit’s A321 has a 3×3 seating configuration with close to 39 rows of passengers. Nearly every single seat was taken up which makes sense since Spirit tickets are fairly cheap compared to most other airlines.
As for the flight itself, the departure was quite bumpy. We had a very steep departure out of LaGuardia and felt the airplane drop several times. The weather was quite blustery which makes sense but were experienced bumps the entire way until we descended into Detroit.
A thing to also note was that the co-pilot was flying the leg to Detroit. He didn’t have the best of landings. The wings of the Airbus A321 were rocking quite a bit and we landed a bit rough.
Overall, our experience of the flight was that it was pretty uncomfortable. However, something like this varies from person to person. I wouldn’t discredit Spirit Airlines for our experience, there are lots of factors that played into the flight.
However, the seating arrangement needs to be improved. If you have a bad back and traveling on a coast-to-coast flight, I would maybe look for other alternatives to Spirit Airlines.
In-flight amenities on Spirit Airlines
There were no complimentary inflight amenities aboard Spirit Airlines. You did not have access to WIFI for the internet. There was no inflight entertainment. No drink or food service.
All you had was a snack card of over-priced snacks, and soft drinks that you can ask the flight attendant if you wanted to purchase.
On arrival into Detroit, the flight attendants became Spirit salespeople for the Spirit Credit Card. It was super strange. They stood in the aisle just before landing with a pamphlet and gave a presentation of all the benefits you get when signing up for their credit card.
After that, they walked the aisles with pens in hand for people that wanted to sign up for the credit card. There were a couple of individuals that signed up.
Spirit Airlines On-time performance
One of the only positives about our flight to Detroit was the on-time performance.
The flight from New York LaGuardia to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport was to take just over an hour from gate to gate.
The great thing about flying with Spirit Airlines out of LaGuardia was the proximity of their gate to the runway.
Spirit Airlines uses the old Marine Air Terminal located right at the end of runway 4 at LaGuardia. The Marine Air Terminal is historically relevant as it once served Pan American’s Seaplanes in the early days of commercial aircraft being used for transportation.
The terminal is served by Spirit exclusively. However, in comparison to all the work being done on the new terminals at LaGuardia, the Marine Air Terminal needs an overhaul as it looks old and beat up.
When we boarded the plane, the pilot started the engines and taxied to the front of the line of airplanes, and took off.
Flight staff service
There weren’t many opportunities to engage with the flight staff since the service provided by Spirit Airlines is very much bare bones.
However, the crew was very nice and helpful.
Arrival in Detroit
Arrival experience at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport was a dream.
We landed and had a 5-minute taxi to the gate. Once we deplaned, we had to head down the stairs to the baggage claim area. We waited several minutes for our bags to come out, which they did with no complaints.
We rented a car for the weekend, so our next objective was to find a shuttle service to the car rental area on the other side of the airport.
After climbing a set of stairs and walking across a bridge, we found the rideshare and shuttle service area. We hopped on the free shuttle and got to the car rental area in less than 20 minutes.
Ground transportation options to the Detroit
One thing to note about Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is that it is not located in the city of Detroit but rather in t town of Romulus which is about 27 miles or a half hour away from the city center of Detroit.
You will need to arrange for a car rental. An Uber will get expensive.
Public transportation options include limited bus service to Detroit and Ann Arbor. The only train line that has a stop at the airport is Amtrak’s Michigan Flyer.
Conclusion
Our overall experience using Spirit Airlines for our trip from New York City to Detroit was mixed. Spirit excelled in some categories but lacked in others.
The most important part was that we got to our destination safely and on time.
But considering that Spirit Airlines is a low-budget airline, it is expected that you will be missing some of the benefits you would get from a normal airline. However, Spirit didn’t cut corners to make that very apparent.
For this trip to Detroit, a flight that lasts about an hour, we believe that Spirit Airlines is a great choice. If you choose to fly Spirit on longer flights, the comfort of the seats and the lack of free inflight accommodations might begin to eat at you. However, that is subjective as the experience will vary from person to person.
At the end of the day, the only way to know for sure if Spirit is right for you is by actually flying with them.
We hope this review was helpful.
