With Spirit Airlines once again in dire financial straits, the prospect of flying certain routes on the Florida-based carrier has become increasingly in jeopardy due to the airline slashing routes and downsizing its fleet. Thus, this installation of Ultra-Low-Cost Friday is on what is arguably America’s most famous, or infamous, ultra-low-cost airline based on the idea of “do it while you still can”.
Server: Solo
Airline: Spirit Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A321-200
Origin: Tampa International Airport, Tampa, Florida (TPA)
Destination: Harry Reid International Airport, Paradise, Nevada (LAS)
Flight Number: NK1890
Route: KTPA-KLAS
Seat: 7F (Main Cabin)
Time En Route: 4 Hours 31 Minutes
Getting ready to board a Banana Bus at Gate A17 in Tampa. Spirit Airlines currently operates 22x A321-200s, alongside 22x newer A321neos, both of which are frequent sights here in South Florida.
Taxiing over the entrance roads into TPA as we head to Runway 01L for takeoff
Takeoff and climbout along the Gulf Coast of Florida at dusk. Sin City, here we come!
Twilight engulfs us at our inital cruising altitude of 34,000 feet as we head north over the Florida Panhandle
Up to 36,000 feet now as we fly through a spot of turbulence over Tulsa, Oklahoma
Looking down at the western edge of the Grand Canyon as we begin our intial descent over Northern Arizona
“SPIRIT 1890, welcome to Vegas!”
Landing in Las Vegas after just a minute over 4 and a half hours of flying aboard this Banana Bus
Taxiing to another set of A Gates on the west side of LAS
Deplaned at Gate A11. Overall, it was a pretty quiet and relaxing flight, even though it was on Spirit. Hopefully they can get out of bankruptcy soon, so these distinctive yellow A320s and A321s stay flying.
