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.

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″

28-38″

Southwest Airlines

17-17.8″

31-33″

Spirit Airlines

17.75 – 20″

28 – 38″

American Airlines

16.5 – 19.3″

30 – 35″

Delta Air Lines

16.79 – 19″

30 – 38″

United Airlines

16.3 – 18″

30 – 38″

As you can see, the three budget carriers have, on average, less width and seat pitch than the legacy carriers. It’s also worth noting that some low-cost carriers do not allow you to recline your seat, meaning that getting comfortable at cruising altitude could be challenging if you want to nap or work on your laptop.

Related

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All of the carriers collectively address a significant portion of the country’s air travel demand.

Now we know the basics, let’s dig deeper into Frontier, Southwest, and Spirit and see what makes them some of the most popular low-cost carriers in the United States:

Frontier Airlines

Founded and commencing operations in 1994, Frontier has now grown to operate to over 120 destinations across the United States and international services to the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico.

The airline is a subsidiary of

Indigo Partners
. Operating from its main hub at Denver International Airport
, it also has several US and Puerto Rico operating bases ( San Juan
).

Frontier has a fleet of over 150 aircraft, with just as many more on order. It operates four Airbus A320
family variants, including:

  • Airbus A320-200 (expected to be retired this year)
  • Airbus A320neo (deliveries until 2026)
  • Airbus A321-200
  • Airbus A321neo

Onboard a Frontier flight, you can expect to pay for checked baggage, advanced seat selection, and additional fees for amenities and services.

The airline operates a buy-on-board program for food and drink, and it would be best to download any of your favorite shows onto your device as there is no inflight entertainment onboard. There are several seating options onboard, which include:

  • UpFront Plus – Front of the plane seating, an empty middle seat, and extra legroom
  • Premium Seating – seating with extra legroom when compared to standard
  • Preferred Seating – located near the front of the aircraft
  • Standard Seating – the remaining seats are situated in the middle and rear of the aircraft

The carrier offers its frequent travelers the opportunity to join Frontier Miles
, which accumulates points based on revenue (the amount you spend on your ticket). Frontier Miles can be redeemed for future travel.

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Frontier’s base ticket price covers only the flight itself, without extras.

Southwest Airlines

According to ch-Aviation, Southwest Airlines is the largest operator of the Boeing 737
family, surpassing 800. Holding the airline code WN, the airline recruits over 66,000 employees to facilitate its nearly 4,000 daily departures during peak season.

Southwest has a unique business model, allowing free checked baggage for its flyers. Anyone holding a ticket is allowed two free checked bags, including golf bags, skis, or just a standard suitcase.

These can be up to 50 pounds (23kgs) each and up to 62 inches in size (length, width, and height). If you require more than two bags, you will incur a fee.

This is a creative selling point for the Dallas-based airline. It encourages customers to check their bags, avoid too much hand luggage entering the cabin, and delay the boarding and disembarking process.

For customers to check their bags into the hold gives the airline more control at its departure and arrival airport, enabling the aircraft quick turnaround for the next flight.

The airline offers free entertainment by connecting to the inflight WiFi and visiting southwestwifi.com; once connected, you can enjoy a number of the latest TV shows and blockbuster movies.

iMessage and WhatsApp texting are also free. If you want to purchase the internet for any other reason, it costs $8 per flight. If you get peckish onboard, an inflight drink and snack menu with items to purchase is available.

Related

What Will Happen To Southwest Airlines’ Fleet When There Are No New Boeing 737 Variants?

The carrier has long maintained fleet commonality.

Spirit Airlines

Floridian ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines
operates a fleet of over 200 Airbus A320 family aircraft, with 80 more on order.

A big selling point is that the airline has no change or cancelation fees. If you travel Spirit, you have four fare types, which all have their features and benefits:

Go Big

Go Comfy

Go Savvy

Go

One onboard person item

Included

Included

Included

Included

One carry-on bag

Not included

One carry-on or one checked bag is included

Included

Included

One checked bag (50lbs)

At a cost

As above

Included

Included

Seat Selection

At a cost

Standard seat included

Comfy seat (middle seat blocked)

Big Front Seat (2 x 2 seating configuration

Snacks & Drinks

At a cost

At a cost

Small snacks and drinks are included

Premium snacks and drinks included

Priority Boarding

Not included

Not Included

Included

Included

Streaming Wi’Fi

At a cost

At a cost

At a cost

Included

Priority check-in

Not included

Not included

Not included

Included

Spirit Airlines’ current operating bases are Atlanta, Chicago–O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, and Orlando. Spirit aircraft are usually among the easiest to spot at the airport, with their bright yellow and black livery.

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All five routes are to hubs for other airlines.

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