Allegiant, Spirit, and Frontier airlines in the USA all operate under the same business model of offering a VERY low priced ticket if you buy it under specific circumstances. If you deviate AT ALL from those very specific ways, you pay many fees for a level of service you would expect to come by default with the price of the base ticket. As long as you go in knowing this, you can get a really cheap ticket. If you’re willing to play the game its possible to fly very inexpensively.

If, when you fly, you like the basic amenities (such as a regular sized carry on and being able to pick your seat) then you’re better off flying a traditional air carrier.

I’ll be the first to say that the rules of the game are crazy. For a Frontier ticket I bought recently the price for a single checked bag when you buy your airfare is $40 each way. If you wait even 5 seconds after you buy your ticket to buy the checked bag as a separate transaction that same bag now costs you $50 each way. Also, a checked bag with most airlines is 50 lbs limit (22.6kg), but a Frontier checked bag is limited to only 40 lbs (18.1kg). Buckle up now, it gets worse. If your checked back is 41 lbs instead of the allowed 40 lbs, the extra fee for 41 lbs to 50 lbs weight is an extra $65. So your checked bag could cost you $104 for the leg of the flight its the 40 lbs weight limit.

“I’ll just skip a checked bag and use a carry on” you think. A carry on cost more than a checked bag! If you pay for your carry on while purchasing your ticket its $50, 5 seconds after you buy your airfare $75, if you wait until the day you fly an buy it at the check in counter $80, if you wait until the gate $99!

In short. Keep it simple and buy as little as possible and its a cheap flight, just be ready to play the game or pay more than you planned with these discount carriers.