‘I pay more for my Chipotle’: Dallas woman traveling to Miami tests hack by buying tickets at the Spirit Airlines counter. She can’t believe her total
Flying isn’t cheap. While you may be able to score a deal on a hotel, getting a reasonably-priced flight is a long, tiresome game. Even though rises in airfare have generally been in line with inflation, ticket prices can still get pretty high, with little rhyme or reason when it comes to pricing.
Plus, once you’re on the plane, there’s no guarantee that your seat will come with basic amenities like drinks—or even legroom.
But is there a way to save money on air travel? One woman says there is—and it involves a quick trip to the airport.
How Cheap Was This Woman’s Flight?
In a video with over 1.5 million views, TikToker Lise Denea (@lisedenea) explains how she managed to spend a total of around $15 on a one-way ticket.
“Y’all, this is a sign to go inside the airport and get your flight,” she says. As evidence, she shows a ticket for Spirit Airlines.
“I spent a total of $15.41 to go to Miami,” she says. The ticket confirms this to be the case. “Mind you, that’s really taxes and fees. The fare is only one cent, literally.”
“But yeah, go to the airport, get y’all ticket,” she concludes.
In the caption, the TikToker summarizes, “The rumors are true. The flights are cheaper when [you] purchase inside the airport.”
Can You Really Get A Flight For Less Than $20?
Seeing this, some may be in disbelief that such cheap flights are possible.
In short, it’s totally possible to get a massively discounted flight with Spirit by going to the airport. That said, there are some caveats.
To start, it should be noted that many of the flights that are cheaper at the airport are already fairly cheap. For example, a thread on Reddit asked people to share their cheapest Spirit Airlines flight purchases. Many of the stated flights were less than $20, even without going to the airport.
Still, there are deals to be had by going to the airport. The reason, explains Travel + Leisure, is that buying at the airport allows one to avoid certain fees that come about from buying online or over the phone.
As noted by Travel + Leisure, airlines must pay a 7.5% federal excise tax on airfare, but not on optional fees. To avoid these taxes, Spirit categorizes some of its charges as a “passenger usage” fee, which is technically optional. The only way to use the option of not paying the fee, however, is to go to the airport and buy the ticket in person.
People using this method do report savings. A different Reddit thread had several users claiming they saved tens to hundreds of dollars on bookings, especially when booking multiple tickets at once.
However, flyers making short trips on routes that are already inexpensive might find their savings to be relatively minor.
Is There Any Other Way You Can Save Money On Airfare?
If you don’t want to travel all the way to the airport, there are a few other methods you might want to consider in order to save some cash on flights.
According to CNBC, one can save money on airfare by booking at the right time. For domestic flights, it’s best to book three to seven months in advance. International flights require a little more time, usually between four and ten months in advance.
One may also consider looking at several one-way flights instead of round-trip tickets. Occasionally, it can be cheaper to use multiple bookings across different airlines instead of just one.
Finally, a traveler may want to consider using credit card points in order to score cheap or discounted flights. They may also want to use an airline-specific card for bookings in order to get benefits like free checked bags.
@lisedenea The rumors are true. The flights are cheaper when your purchase inside the airport. #fyp #airport ♬ original sound – Lise Denea
Commenters Say It Works
In the comments section, users affirmed that this tip really does allow people to buy cheaper flights.
“Been doing this for years & have yet to spend over $100 for a flight!” exclaimed a user.
“I used to fly to La round trip for 30$,” added another. “Nobody believed me.”
“Yes they wanted 400 dollars online,” stated a third. “I paid 190 for a two day trip.”
Others simply expressed surprise at such low prices.
“I pay more for my chipotle,” noted a commenter. “That’s crazy.”
The Mary Sue reached out to Spirit Airlines via email and Denea via TikTok direct message and comment.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
