Why Spirit’s Big Front Seat is My New Favorite Domestic First Class

Spirit often gets a bad rap for bare-bones service, delays, and poor customer service, but it has been trying to shed that reputation in recent years. The Big Front Seat product, Spirit’s version of domestic first class, is an excellent way to start.

I recently flew in a Big Front Seat from Atlanta (ATL) to Newark (EWR). I didn’t expect much from the flight — the last time I flew Spirit, known for its bright yellow fleet and budget product, I didn’t have the best experience.

This time, I was pleasantly surprised, and, even more than that, I was downright pleased. I’ve flown several domestic business class (non-lie-flat) products, and Spirit’s Big Front Seat offers the best value for your money.

While I haven’t considered myself a Spirit loyalist, that has changed. Here’s why I’ll always choose a Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat — even over other mainline airlines.

What Is Spirit Airlines’ Big Front Seat?

Spirit’s Big Front Seats are in the forward part of the aircraft and are larger than regular economy seats. They are arranged in a 2-2 configuration in the first 2 rows of the aircraft. 

The seat pitch ranges by aircraft, but all offer a 20-inch width, plush leather seating, and are pre-reclined. The Big Front Seat is bundled into Spirit’s most premium fare class, Go Big, so when you book it, you’ll enjoy even more amenities included.

What To Know About Flying Spirit’s Big Front Seat

Although there are many domestic first class products, Spirit’s Big Front Seat stands out for its affordability and amenities. Here are some reasons why the Spirit Big Front Seat is, in my opinion, the best domestic first class product.

1. Perks and Amenities Rival Mainline Airlines

Spirit launched several new fare classes last year. (We recently compared the Go Comfy vs Go Big offerings.)

• Go: The most bare-bones ticket, akin to basic economy. You can purchase add-on options like checked bags, standard seat selection, Wi-Fi, snacks, and beverages.
• Go Savvy: You can bring either 1 carry-on or 1 checked bag. During booking, you’ll also get standard seat selection. 
• Go Comfy: You’ll enjoy a blocked middle seat, 1 carry-on and 1 checked bag, priority boarding, a snack, and a non-alcoholic beverage.
• Go Big: This fare includes the Big Front Seat, snacks and drinks (including alcohol), a carry-on and a checked bag, priority check-in and boarding, and Wi-Fi.

As you see, you’ll get more perks the higher your fare class. When I flew in the Big Front Seat in February, I could board first, bring a carry-on and checked bag (even though I brought a personal bag), and connect to the Wi-Fi with a code sent to my email. 

The key perk that sets Spirit apart from the budget airline it once was (and moves it closer to the full-service carrier it aims to become) is its free water and snack service.

I was surprised to be asked if I wanted a beverage on my flight. I went to pull out my credit card to pay when the flight attendant assured me that drinks were covered because of my Big Front Seat ticket. In contrast, when I flew Frontier Airlines down to Atlanta and opted to upgrade to the UpFront Plus seat, no other amenities were included, and I still paid for drinks. 

Of course, if you’re flying long distances (like transcontinental routes or to South America), a snack might not cut it. But for a short-haul flight, I was pretty pleased.

2. Prices Are Often Cheaper Than Full-Service Airlines

For a last-minute trip in late February, I booked a one-way ticket on Spirit in the Big Front Seat for $250. In contrast, similar tickets in Delta first class were more than $700 for the same dates!

Spirit’s pricing tends to be considerably lower than that of its full-service competitors in the U.S. But the Big Front Seat isn’t only available on domestic routes. It’s also available on Spirit’s international routes. The prices are, in many cases, much cheaper than those of other airlines. 

Yes, Spirit is limited by flying only Airbus A320 and A321 jets, which are single-aisle and offer non-lie-flat seats. But even compared to mainline airlines offering similar products, there’s often a vast price difference. 

For the following examples, I won’t compare lie-flat options (offered by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and United Airlines) but will instead compare costs on aircraft that offer domestic first class recliners.

For example, the flight below is between Newark (EWR) and Los Angeles (LAX). The New York region to Los Angeles route is highly popular, and most domestic airlines offer nonstop flights between the 2 coasts. On Spirit, a round-trip Go Big seat in October costs just $658.

In contrast, you’ll pay $1,000+ more for a round-trip on Alaska Airlines first class on the same dates.

This is even true for international flights, and Spirit shines in terms of value, given its extensive international network in the Caribbean and Latin America. A flight between Dallas (DFW) and Cancun (CUN) costs just $641 in Spirit’s Big Front Seat.

Flights on American’s first class cost as much as $1,100 on the same date!

3. Spirit Isn’t Really a Budget Airline Anymore

Spirit has been making a huge comeback since it exited bankruptcy in March after filing for Chapter 11 protection in 2024. The airline restructured its finances and turned nearly $1 billion in debt into equity. In recent years, it has sought to shed its low-cost reputation for bare-bones service to fall more in line with full-service carriers.

At the time, Spirit CEO Ted Christie hinted that the airline’s future would look much different from the low-cost reputation of its past.

“Throughout this process, we’ve continued to make meaningful progress enhancing our product offerings, while also focusing on returning to profitability and positioning our airline for long-term success,” Christie said after the restructuring. “Today, we’re moving forward with our strategy to redefine low-fare travel with our new, high-value travel options.”

Like mainline carriers, Spirit now differentiates between passenger experiences and sells 4 different fare types. It now offers priority boarding, a separate check-in for premium passengers, upgrade access for Spirit cardholders, and even free Wi-Fi.

Booking Spirit Airlines Flights

The easiest way to book flights on Spirit Airlines and the Big Front Seat is directly with the airline.

We always recommend using a travel credit card for flights to earn rewards on your purchases. While Spirit isn’t a partner of any major transferable points program, it offers 2 co-branded credit cards to make it easy to earn and redeem points.

They are the Free Spirit^® Travel More World Elite Mastercard^® and Free Spirit^® Travel Mastercard^®. Both offer solid welcome bonus offers, which you’ll earn after meeting a minimum spending requirement and paying an annual fee (if applicable). You’ll get some Spirit-specific perks, like bonus points on Spirit purchases, rebates on all inflight food and beverage purchases, and points pooling.

Final Thoughts

Spirit Airlines is loved by some and hated by others.

The airline wants to emerge from bankruptcy proceedings stronger than ever, and one way it is doing so is by refreshing its product offerings and shedding its ultra-low-cost model. The Big Front Seat is an excellent way to do so.

Spirit’s business model won’t work for everyone, especially if you don’t care about boarding first or getting snacks on the flight. But no domestic first class is as valuable as Spirit’s Big Front Seat for me.