海角大神

Many folks ask me about flying supposed "low cost" airlines. 聽The fact of the matter is, their fares are ultra-cheap, and can get you to your vacation or business meeting in a more economical way than many other competitors. 聽But, what do you have to watch out for? 聽For one, these airlines are counting on various fees to make a profit (and it's working). 聽Here's a airline-by-airline guide to flying budget airlines in the United States.

Probably the airline that gets the most press, Spirit Airlines flies to 57 destinations with 75 jets, with routes criss-crossing the country and journeying all the way down to the Caribbean, Central America, and Peru. 聽They're known for scandalous advertising, fees on everything (even water on board) and their unrelenting search for profit.

I've flown Spirit over 20,000 miles this year, and I'll be the first to say that I'll fly them again. 聽Their fares are super cheap (sometimes less than $30 each way), and I know how to play their game. 聽You can too! 聽Here are a few tips

Tip #1: Don't bring a bag.聽
They'll charge you $35 to carry-on a bag, and $30 to check one. A personal item that fits under the seat in front of you, though, is allowed for free. 聽So, I try to fly Spirit on weekend trips where I don't need more than a change or two of clothes. 聽Don't fly them when you're going skiing or for that month-long backpacking trip! 聽If you are checking a bag, it'll be $5 cheaper than at the airport if you pay at booking.

Tip #2: 聽Buy your tickets at the airport.
Spirit charges $17 each way for tickets bought online. 聽That's waived at the airport. 聽Luckily for me, I'm located 30 minutes by public transit from the O'Hare terminal, so it's worth it to me to save the extra $34 (or more, if you have multiple trips to buy).

Tip #3: Don't eat on the plane.
They'll charge you for everything, and the options aren't that special. 聽They literally sell ramen.

Tip #4: 聽Don't be tall.
And if you are, know what you're getting yourself into. 聽I'm six feet tall, and my knees bang the back of the seats in front of me (seat pitch is only 28 inches). 聽You'll be tempted by the $25-$50 upgrade for an exit row or the "Big Seat" in row #1.

Tip #5: 聽Don't mind where you sit.
If you're a family that has to sit together, you better hope your fellow passengers are nice about moving around. 聽It'll cost you $10 (at least) to choose your exact seat on the plane.

If I didn't scare you away with the stuff about Spirit above, welcome to Frontier! 聽This airline is a bit unique in that it used to compete with Southwest and JetBlue, with similar amenities, but switched to the ultra-low cost model a few years ago. 聽So, you'll actually find some planes聽with satellite television, better legroom, and comfier seats. 聽On my 5 flights on Frontier this year, I found it to be hit or miss what you're getting. 聽Other planes mimicked Spirit's 737s, with very thin, uncomfortable seats designed to jam as many people on the plane as possible.

Tips for Frontier mimic Spirit's. 聽They'll charge you for everything (except water, that's free). 聽 And, bags are a bit less expensive, at only $25 for the first bag checked. 聽I also found it funny that I could change my reward flight for free up to two weeks before my flight. 聽They have a "Discount Den" that has been offering $20 flights lately, so join up if you live near their focus cities like Denver.

This is admittedly my least-favorite airline, and one that I've avoided for several reasons. 聽They'll charge you for everything as their competitors do above, but they take their cost savings one step further: they fly mostly from "alternative" airports. 聽So, you'll be buying a flight from Phoenix to Chicago, but think it's from one of the major airports. 聽In fact, they'll fly from Phoenix's Mesa Airport (a distance if you live in Downtown), and fly into Rockford, which is an 84-mile, $140 cab from the Loop and not served by public transportation, unlike both of Chicago's other airports.

For that reason, you're not truly saving the money you want by flying Allegiant. 聽While some "normal" city pairs exist, you'll run into problems if the above happens to you. 聽In addition, if your flight is canceled, they often don't have another flight until the next day (or next week), so you're stranded without a way of getting to your destination. 聽Be wary of Allegiant.