Spirit Offers Another DFW-to-Chicago Option

By Robert Wilonsky Tue., Jun. 21 2011 at 5:09 PM

On the same day that Love Field-based Southwest Airlines announced its 40th anniversary sale featuring some one-way ducats for as low at $40, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport sends word that newbie Spirit Airlines is already expanding its service. Initially, the low-fare carrier was only flying to Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas. Not anymore: "We are extremely pleased to see Spirit Airlines adding service from DFW to Chicago O'Hare," says DFW CEO Jeff Fegan in a release that just landed in the in-box.

Spirit will fly from DFW to O'Hare twice a day, then add a third "seasonal flight." The release didn't say when service begins -- but soon as I went to Spirit's site to try to book a flight in July, just for grins, it said: "Service from Dallas/Ft Worth to Chicago/O'Hare begins on August 18, 2011." OK, then ... Ah, here we go: Flights depart Dallas at 11:40 a.m. and 6:35 p.m. The cost, each way: $69. Never flown Spirit. Worth it? Has to be, right?

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Brad Finley

I want to go on with this Spirit airlines. I would love to trip around chicago. Thanks!

meh

All I can say is, better read your agreement. If you want to change or cancel your ticket, be prepared to shell out change fees and not get a refund for a year. Want to carry on a bag? Carry on bag fee. Want to check a bag? Fee plus surcharge if it's over 40 lbs. Want to pick your own seat or sit next to someone you're travelling with? You guessed it, fee. Winds up costing just as much as any other carrier.

RW1961

I looked at Spirit to fly to Las Vegas, but once you add up the fees ($$$ to carry on your bags, $$$ to reserve a seat - so if you are traveling with a companion you have to pay extra to sit next to them) the great price is no longer that great.

Obviously they are using the low initial price strategy so they pop up as the best choice on Orbitz and other search engines, but by the end you pay more money for less (or nonexistent) service.

Juan Valdez

I disagree with you. Recently I few DFW - FLL for $115 base price. With bag fees it went to $160. I could have brought a small bag for free but I love to pack lots of clothes. That is still a great deal with AA at that time. The service was great, quick and planes had leather(ette?) seats. The plane smelled clean. Unlike AA.

Chris Danger

Instead of D/FW going out to actively lobby an airline such as JetBlue to take a few gate spaces and actually bring in serious competition, we go out and recruit the airline that has a history of screwing over their customers. I'm chalking this one up to be a Crazy Betty Culbreth decision

Mike

I'll guarantee you that AA, I mean DFW did not lobby Spirit to come here. DFW only lobbies for routes that don't compete with AA.

Ed D.

If nothing else, they'll force American to offer a few cheaper seats to Chicago so savvy (and/or lucky) travellers can save money and fly in the relative comfort and style offered by AA.Or, you know, Amtrak can get you to Chicago for $109 one way and you won't get probed, scanned, or groped at Union Station.

Juan Valdez

If they did away with those bag charges...they could over take many destinations.

jfpo

Well they charge extra for all kinds of things from carry on bags and they're about to charge extra for a printed boarding pass. $69 bucks to Chicago is awfully cheap, though. I'll have to check them out the next time I go to Vegas.