Across the skies of the United States, several growing low-cost carriers have carved themselves a niche market for the budget-savvy traveler.
Three of the larger ULCCs or LCCs (ultra-low-cost carrier and low-cost carrier) that come to mind quickly are Denver’s Frontier Airlines, Dallas’ Southwest Airlines, and Florida’s Spirit Airlines. But what are the major differences between the three?
Low-cost fares for America
Let’s start with the basics, these are all budget carriers, meaning you get what you pay for. All three aforementioned airlines offer a no-frills service, which means you pay for your food and extras onboard. Of the three, only Southwest Airlines offers two free checked bags with every reservation, but more about that later.
No-frills carriers can offer low fares due to fewer overheads. Minimizing catering, entertainment, charging for seat selection, or having quick turnaround times at the airport enables the carrier to offer a substantially lower ticket cost than your legacy carriers.
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For those of average stature, traveling on a low-cost carrier isn’t as painful as you think; however, if you are tall or require a bit more space, sometimes you might find the seating on a low-cost carrier a little tighter than usual, as the aircraft is usually designed to maximize occupancy and fit as many paying travelers as possible.
See below the table identifying seat width and pitch according to SeatGuru and compared with the ‘Big Three’ US legacy airlines (please note these can vary depending on aircraft type):
Airlines Seat Width Seat pitch Frontier Airlines 18
Frontier, Spirit & Southwest Airlines: Comparing And Contrasting The US Low-Cost Giants
