I generally don’t like DFW but it is often a necessary evil like LAX LOL. Half my family lives in Dallas but luckily I can fly SWA into Love Field to see them
However, those international flights make you go thru DFW on AA so I’ve done it. I don’t know what it is but the employees there have just always seem like they are having the worst day of their life. Very snippy and rude. Wording, body language, etc make a big difference even if you’re saying the same thing. One example I can think of is the under the seat bag rule…we all know you get one overhead bin bag and one under the seat bag. So my poor mom had a backpack and a purse. her backpack wasn’t very full and her purse could definitely fit into it (and both will fit under the seat whether combined or not…neither were huge) and the woman taking boarding passes literally yelled at my mom and rushed her to get her purse into her backpack before she could proceed and let her know she was holding up the line all while acting put out with her body language. My mom wasn’t rude or anything and this woman treated her like a pain in her side. I get the rules but how you treat people matters. I’ve just never experienced that kind of rudeness anywhere like I have had multiple times at DFW. I’ve flown Delta through Atlanta a lot too and United through IAH and their hub employees have never been like that. I just think maybe something is up with how AA treats their employees and they get it most at the hub? Just my hypothesis.
I will say that Spirit has put in 737 equivalent seats (slightly narrower fuselage on the 737) to increase the width of the aisle by 1 or 2 inches to allow for easier roller board access and to move around easier. This was done about 5 years ago.
With that said, they are switching out those seats with seats that have the middle seat slightly wider (an inch or so), and the aisles are returning to standard width. A guess a perk for those stuck in the middle.
I’m not sure what Frontier has done but maybe it was a long the similar lines of what Spirit did.
I remember when Frontier was a lot like JetBlue when my kids were little. Now they have the really thin framed seats and no TVs in the back of the headboards but I was okay on our last flight to MCO (however, I did purchase extra legroom so maybe again being able to cross my legs helps with my shoulder width issues).
After the Great Recession, Frontier was on the verge of going out of business and had to reinvent itself. A majority share was eventually bought out by an investment company that used to have a share in Spirit. They have basically copied our business model and a few of our executives now work there. Spirit’s former CFO is now Frontier’s CEO.
I also miss the old Frontier.
I’ve always said that of I were to run an airline, it would be all first class seats and in-seat entertainment. We would maybe be in business a week……
Side note, Spirit has been adding WiFi on board. And if you happen to catch an airplane equipped with it, it is only $1. Sort of a promo price.
I would always choose direct flights over anything else airline included because to me alone not having to catch another flight lessens your risk a lot of something preventing you from making your destination and it doesn’t take an entire day to get there if you don’t have to connect (at least most domestic flights) so if that was Spirit I would not be afraid. However, the regular every day joe seats on SWA are more comfortable to me than Spirits were. But if I’m only flying direct who cares.
I’ve always said that of I were to run an airline, it would be all first class seats and in-seat entertainment. We would maybe be in business a week……
LOL
And yes I loved and miss the original Frontier. Like I used to love JetBlue and darn it why did they stop going to LGB because I love tiny airports even more than airlines. I really love my local cheap airline airport which Spirit doesn’t use here and Frontier does. You can park right next to it for cheap without having to take a shuttle to get to the main terminal and it’s got an outdoor dining area with a taco truck. It’s tiny and I just love it. So I will honestly choose Frontier alone to use that airport over Barbara Jordan Terminal…it’s actually the same airport but just a different terminal but you have to drive to it as there is no inner airport access except by plane runway so it takes 15 min to get to by car from the main terminal.
There was one of these. Legend Airlines, it is driven out of business by AA using frivolous lawsuits. May AA burn in Hell. It was based out of Love Field in Dallas and it used small jets with all first class seats that were generous and spaced apart. I chose to fly Legend to LA then a puddle-jumper to San Jose rather than AA direct. Once they finally got past the lawsuits and started flying they had a shoe-string budget and gas price increases drove them out of business. I was midtrip when that happened and I still have my return ticket with my important papers. It is my way of mourning.
Currently, the only proposed stop is near College Station. Once this gets to be more of a done deal, I suspect that could be a transfer station for an Austin spur. I’ve heard talk…
I’m somehow not excited for this at all, probably because it’s running right near my house and whatever construction involved is surely going to jack with all of my comfortable routes (having already lived through the mass of construction at 290/610 in the last 10 years).
But also on topic, I agree that if there are a substantial number of direct spirit flights daily to and from your destination I’d probably do it. I have done several round trip Houston/Denver trips for super cheap on Spirit and I’d do it again. I can’t remember the length of that flight, but I think 3 hours in a basic seat would be pushing my limit on playing sardines in a tin can in the air. I’ve paid extra for the exit row and found it worth it.
Also, I’m a packing ninja and can pack a weekend into a “personal item” bag.
