• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Spirit  >  My Experience: Spirit Seat Bidding For Big Front Seats
Spirit

My Experience: Spirit Seat Bidding For Big Front Seats

Kyle Stewart Posted onOctober 30, 2022October 30, 2022 25 Comments

On a very long four-and-a-half-hour flight to Las Vegas, I was invited to bid for an upgrade to a Big Front Seat and I… won?


If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com.


If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today.

Ahead of The Flight

A few days after I booked my roundtrip flight from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas, Spirit sent me an email inviting me to bid for an upgrade to the Big Front Seat from a standard coach seat. This was the first and only time I have seen this, but the usually affordable $50ish upgrade was selling for $248 at the time of booking.

I genuinely wanted the upgrade for the long flight during working hours because especially on Spirit, work space can be at a premium.

Spirit seat bid we have had a lot of bids

Submitting a Bid and Waiting

The bidding website had a slider and it was preset to about what the Big Front Seat was selling for before I purchased my coach roundtrip. I moved the slider all the way to the lowest level and expected to find $50, the usual standard price.

However, the minimum was unexpectedly high at $119, and it gave me pause. Is it really worth the extra $119? I wasn’t so sure. I switched screens and looked back at the seating chart to see how full the flight was. I paused again; I really wasn’t sure. Then, I considered the possibility that I might not win it anyway.

I placed a bid and I waited.

Result of Winning?

I was notified late the night before that my upgrade bid had been successful but that means that I was clearly the only bidder. Had I not placed a bid, it would have presumably been available for my 7:30 AM departure.

Spirit seat bid won

In the past, I have secured the Big Front Seat for as little as $25, buying it once the door closed, and often at the gate for $50. I might have saved myself some money by rolling the dice but I wouldn’t have known until I reached the airport if I would be sitting in the front with plenty of room to work. I’d also risk someone else buying it out from underneath me.

Spirit airlines departure

Spirit seat bid big front seat

Spirit seat bid big front seats section

Spirit seat bid big front seat window bulkhead

At the same time, I don’t love that the lowest bid was so much higher than the standard price, I also don’t love some of the language that was used in terms of how many others were bidding.

Conclusion

In the end, it was worth it to me to know that I had the seat I wanted, that it was still cheaper than booking it outright, and I knew I would be comfortable and have the room to work. That said, I would have submitted a lower bid if offered, may have still won it, and this may only encourage me to pay for the seat from the beginning. This flight was uniquely long during a work day so I am glad to have bid and won it.

What do you think? Have you bid for upgrades before? How was your experience?

Previous Article The Eerily Quiet Algiers Airport
Next Article Review: Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World

About Author

Kyle Stewart

Kyle is a freelance travel writer with contributions to Time, the Washington Post, MSNBC, Yahoo!, Reuters, Huffington Post, MapHappy, Live And Lets Fly and many other media outlets. He is also co-founder of Scottandthomas.com, a travel agency that delivers "Travel Personalized." He focuses on using miles and points to provide a premium experience for his wife and daughter. Email: sherpa@thetripsherpa.com

Follow us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

Related Posts

  • gild hall thompson suite bedroom

    Review: Gild Hotel, A Thompson Hotel (New York City)

    March 19, 2023
  • JetBlue Paris

    Irrefutable Proof The JetBlue-Spirit Merger Hurts Consumers

    March 12, 2023
  • JetBlue spirit merger NEA

    JetBlue-Spirit Airlines Merger: DOJ Drags Feet On Suit

    March 5, 2023

25 Comments

  1. Mitch Cumstein Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 7:35 am

    What is the usual price for a BFS on this route when purchased at booking? That would be a helpful comparison point.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 30, 2022 at 11:48 am

      @Mitch – I haven’t flown this route in years so historically would be a challenge, but pre-pandemic I hadn’t seen a BFS for more than $55. Since, I have seen as high as $258 and that’s close to what this one was at.

      • Mitch Cumstein Reply
        October 30, 2022 at 1:25 pm

        Kyle, you’re like Spirit’s Tom Stuker.

    • Stephen Reply
      October 31, 2022 at 11:53 am

      I flew spirit this past July. I also was offered a bid for a seat by the emergency exit. I was going from Las Vegas to Newark NJ. I put my bid in a day later they said so many people put a bid in it went up if I wanted to stay in. I placed my higher bid and won. The samething happened on my return trip. This time it only was 23.00 more on top of the 18.00 I paid at booking.

  2. Shawn Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 9:35 am

    How were you so sure you were the only bidder? Maybe others bid lower amounts and they accepted all of you? Spirit would rather have 120 than 50 or 25 bucks.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 30, 2022 at 10:34 am

      Because I bid the lowest possible amount on the slider. The slider wouldn’t go any lower than $119.

      • Greg c. Reply
        October 30, 2022 at 11:23 am

        Just curious, how many BFS were occupied? Any go unclaimed on the flight?

        • Kyle Stewart Reply
          October 30, 2022 at 2:04 pm

          Prior to the flight, just one was available. Onboard all others were occupied, and all seats went out filled.

  3. Mr. Marcus Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 10:43 am

    I haven’t flown on Spirit. My understanding is that the BFS is similar to other domestic carriers “domestic first class” seats.

    I can’t imagine a situation in which I wouldn’t pay $120 for an upgrade from domestic coach to domestic first on a 4 hour flight. The comfort factor, and the ability to reasonably use my laptop for work are the big factors in that.

    Maybe in the right situation you could have gotten it for less, but also maybe you’d end up spending 4 hours in Spirit coach.

    If I flew spirit with any regularity, might be a good thing to use an Amex Platinume airline fee credit for.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 30, 2022 at 2:08 pm

      @Mr. Marcus – Great minds think alike: https://liveandletsfly.com/why-i-made-spirit-airlines-my-american-express-platinum-preferred-airline/

  4. Mark Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 10:53 am

    Hi Kyle. It’s not related to this story, but with last week’s “upside to losing status” post, you said you’d have another article later that day about your experience with Delta points.

    I may have missed it, but did it go live?

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 30, 2022 at 11:49 am

      @Mark – Yes, it was in this one: https://liveandletsfly.com/best-business-class-to-europe/

  5. Louis Clerico Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 11:33 am

    As a frequent flyer I need the front seats. I can’t take a chance and not get a seat that I truly need! Perhaps you can consider offering a special price for those of us who have a physical problem! Thank you.

    • Pattycakes Reply
      March 1, 2023 at 3:25 pm

      I understand completely. I need to be able to recline. It is the difference between traveling and not traveling. I was really happy to see that I could upgrade to one of these large seats for $111. I am a retired senior so this was a lot of extra money for us. I will get a large seat and my husband will take no seat assignment. In order to help us justify the cost and travel on the funds that we have, we will travel with only 1 suitcase and each of us will have a personal item. It would have been nice to have been offered this seat for a little less after showing I am handicapped.

  6. Ethan Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    Hi Kyle,

    I played the bid game as well, placing the lowest bid allowable. I too won the bid(s) just the night before leaving me with the same impression.
    The huge disappointment was that Spirit split my wife and I to 2 different sections of the plane even though I bid on both and booked both together.
    I the end, in order to sit together we were offered 2 seats together in the very last row which we unhappily accepted.
    This type of gimmicky nonsense is to me just one more reason I’ve grown to be annoyed with flying which once was an exciting and fun experience is now an annoyance.

  7. NR Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 1:14 pm

    I did a seat bid for a flight ewr-msy couple weeks ago. Seat was going for $83. I bid $32 ($1 more than their “low probability threshold”) . And got it. That was about a 3 hr flt. It was worthwhile.

  8. Marissa Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 1:57 pm

    Before covid I used to regularly bid on long domestic Qantas flights when invited and given the huge difference in booking prices between coach and first got low bids accepted a surprising amout nof times. Bidding on the low side often works.

    • T- Reply
      October 30, 2022 at 3:09 pm

      Thanks for sharing. Didn’t know that one could do that.

  9. T- Reply
    October 30, 2022 at 3:17 pm

    Good article, but will there be a Spirit Airlines after the merger with JetBlue? How long out should one try & book this elusive “big front seat” fare? Thanks for the post Kyle!

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 30, 2022 at 5:15 pm

      @T- If the merger goes through, it won’t be until 2024 at the earliest, plenty of opportunity to give this a try. If they never merge or the government blocks, this may be here for good.

  10. Amanda B Reply
    October 31, 2022 at 5:48 am

    We booked the BFS in the second row for our honeymoon. When we got on the plane, we were notified that they changed planes. Our row had three regular seats with a stranger sitting in the middle. (Of course he was nice enough to switch with my husband.) I had to fight to get my $198 back.
    Another time, I paid $99 for a BFS only to find someone else sitting in it. I politely told her she made a mistake. She said, “I have to sit here. I have a bad knee.” I said, “So do I. That’s why I paid $99 for it a month in advance.” She gave me nasty looks from a few rows back every time I got up.
    1. I always pay for the BFS when booking.
    2. I always choose the front row.
    3. I always check Delta first to see if their first class price is comparable when factoring in the added fees. I’ve gotten first class DTW to MSY for $100 more than Spirit BFS with luggage. (The shorter line at the counter, too.)

  11. Roy Mcdonald Reply
    November 6, 2022 at 4:29 am

    I flew Spirit one time and will never fly with rhem EVER.. They had Mechanical issues at airport with plane which made me miss my connecting flight I was stuck in another state with my 12 yr. Old grandson next flight home was1 15 hrs. AWAY THE SUPERVISOR at the ticket counter kept telling me it was weather related so she couldn’t help!! ( thats their way of passing the buck)I finally get home filed a complaint they got back to me a week later to offer me a 50$ voucher MISSED A DAY OF WORK CAB FARE TO HOTEL 1 NIGHT AT HOTEL PLUS TICKETS PUT ME OUT ALMOST$ 1500 DOLLARS.THEM OFFERING 50$ FLIGHT VOCHERIS LIKED A SLAP IN THE FACE

  12. Sexy_kitten7 Reply
    November 26, 2022 at 9:31 am

    I do wonder if it’s dynamic like most carriers. If there was only one seat left, that might explain why the bids were so high. Maybe the slide started at 50 bucks when the flight was first scheduled! I recently ran into this for concert tickets. I paid a lot for regular seats far out but the week before that price would’ve gotten me a meet and greet!!!

  13. Crys Reply
    March 26, 2023 at 7:52 pm

    If you don’t win the bid do they still take your money?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 26, 2023 at 8:23 pm

      No.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Faroe Islands Trip Report
    Introduction: A Journey To The Magical Faroe Islands On Star Alliance March 30, 2023
  • United Airlines Wants Flight Attendants To Create “Wow Factor” Onboard March 30, 2023
  • Homeless Man Steals Luggage
    Homeless Man Helps Himself To Luggage In Atlanta Airport March 30, 2023
  • Delta SkyMiles Schedule Change
    UPDATE: Delta Air Lines Strands Senior Citizens In Middle East After Absurd Schedule Change March 29, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Kayleigh Scott United Airlines
    The Tragic Death Of A United Airlines Flight Attendant March 21, 2023
  • Delta SkyMiles Schedule Change
    UPDATE: Delta Air Lines Strands Senior Citizens In Middle East After Absurd Schedule Change March 29, 2023
  • Southwest Airlines Wife Slap
    Enraged Husband Attacks Man On Southwest Airlines Flight After He Bumps Wife March 8, 2023
  • United Polaris Lounge LAX Review
    Review: United Airlines Polaris Lounge Los Angeles (LAX) March 24, 2023

Archives

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.