Spirit Airlines goes... premium?

Spirit Airlines isn't exactly known for being the most luxurious airline out there.

 

And before you get too excited, it's still not a luxurious airline. BUT it is making some marginal improvements to the onboard experience, including some updates that will make things more comfortable for passengers.

 

The main update here is Spirit's "Big Front Seat," which is exactly what it sounds like - a big ol' seat... in the front of the plane.

Basically, Spirit lets you pay for more comfortable seats, much like any other airline out there. Unlike the other big airlines, however, Spirit's premium seats are actually affordable. They're also pretty darn comfortable and comparable to other airlines' premium economy seats.

 

In Spirit's recent update, they announced that these seats will now include more of a recline, wider seatbacks, extra cushioning, and even better tray tables.

 

Given these seats could cost you as little as $20-$40 on certain flights, this already-good deal is now a GREAT deal.

To make things even better, Spirit is also upgrading its economy seats, though the improvements are not as impressive...

 

Economy seats will now be about 1/2 inch wider, and the middle seat will be slightly wider than the aisle and window seats. Additionally, there will also be some extra padding in the headrests, which is always appreciated on budget airlines like Spirit.

 

In the past, I've always found myself avoiding Spirit Airlines whenever possible. I'm usually happy to pay a little extra to fly on a more comfortable airline. With the recent rollout of wifi on its fleet in addition to these new seat improvements, I can definitely see myself flying on Spirit to save a little money without sacrificing as much comfort.

If you live in Canada like me you're probably familiar with Aeroplan, Air Canada's loyalty program. What the rest of you might not realize is that Aeroplan is one of the best programs out there for ANYONE to use, regardless of where you live in the world.

 

That's because Aeroplan has more airline partners than any other points program in the world. In addition to the normal 26 Star Alliance airlines, Aeroplan has dozens of additional airline partners, and the list continues to grow.

That's why it's SUPER exciting that you can currently transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan with a 30% bonus, which is an incredible deal.

 

There are endless ways you could use Aeroplan points. As a quick example, later tonight I'm flying from New Delhi to Kuwait on Gulf Air's luxurious Falcon Gold Business class seat. The trip includes a full-day layover in Bahrain, access to the luxurious Falcon Gold lounge in Bahrain Airport, and only cost me 20,000 Aeroplan points 👇

With this excellent transfer bonus, you could book this ticket for just over 15,000 Chase points, which makes an already-good deal into an insane deal.

 

Here's another example:

 

I have these friends named Kara and Nate (you've probably never heard of them, they're not famous or anything) who recently used Aeroplan points to book Etihad's first-class cabin from Europe to Asia.

 

Etihad first class is famous for being one of the most (maybe even the single most) luxurious seats in the sky. Even though Etihad doesn't belong to any airline alliance, they do partner with Aeroplan, making this one of very few ways to book this once-in-a-lifetime ticket.

 

If you're really excited about this incredible opportunity but are very sad because you have no Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I totally understand. It's very sad, and I feel for you.

 

But this is the easiest part.

 

You can earn Chase points from any number of Chase credit cards ranging from lower-tier cards all the way to premium cards with tons of perks. Some of these cards could get you a first-class plane ticket across the world just because of the welcome offer and current transfer bonus, so now might be the perfect time to enter the points game with Chase.

It's a new month, which means a new set of KLM/Air France promo rewards offering flights between North America and Europe at an excellent value.

 

I won't go too far in-depth on this since we've covered what Promo Rewards are in past newsletters, but here's a quick summary:

 

KLM/Air France Promo Rewards are deals that are published on a monthly basis by KLM and Air France that offer huge discounts on specific routes with these airlines. One month might include routes like Chicago to Paris while the next month it could be Amsterdam to Düsseldorf. They are always changing and are only good for the month in which they are published.

Here are some of the deals being offered this month:

As you can see, you could book a flight from New York to multiple cities in Europe for only 11,250 miles one-way. 

 

The points program for KLM and Air France is called Flying Blue, and the easiest way to get these miles is by transferring from American Express, Chase, Citi, Capital One, Bilt, or your favorite hotel program.

Thanks for bearing with me this week while I attempted to recover from this illness. If you've ever gotten sick while traveling, you'll know that it's not fun, especially in a place where getting help isn't exactly straightforward.

 

Today might've been a little low-energy, but I'll be back in full swing next week.

 

What do you think about Spirit Airlines? Have you ever booked a flight award using Aeroplan? Let me know by replying to this email or reaching out on social media.

 

Have a great weekend,

Head Writer, The Daily Drop