Thinking Out Loud #10

It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to cozy up inside and revisit a little series we like to call Thinking Out Loud. Here, I share whatever is going through my head without much rhyme or reason beyond bullet points.

TOL posts seem to go over well here, so I continue to write them. It’s nice to see that y’all enjoy reading unstructured thoughts and musings from time to time, because I find an odd delight in sharing them!

Shall we?

 

• Have any of you ever flown Spirit Airlines?

I don’t mean to offend anyone who works for or loves the airline, but geez… I really have a hard time comprehending their business strategy. Spirit lures you in with ideal flight times, direct flight options, and (what seems to be) lower ticket prices, but it all evens out and comes full circle every time I book with them.

Here’s my latest example:

After searching for a last minute ticket to Orlando, I found Spirit Airlines at the top of my list with the best price and flight times, much like I do every time I look for a flight. I usually fly Delta, US Airways, or American Airlines, so I expect an additional charge past the ticket for checking a bag or in-flight wi-fi, but anything past that just seems shady.

I had a choice between flying directly into Orlando on Spirit for an advertised $424, or on other airlines anywhere from $450-$550+ with a 6+ hour flight time and layovers. I was bringing a small tote with me that would hold my purse and computer bag along with one small carry-on suitcase. I don’t ever book upgraded seats or need any special requests. Most airlines wouldn’t charge me for anything past the ticket price, right?

Just for fun, let’s take a look at my receipt from Spirit:

First of all, I am guessing the $424 base price was set from the flight and government fees (even though it’s still around $10 off). Second, check out the bag and seat fees.

Here’s where it gets great.

To carry on 1 bag with you that isn’t your purse, it’s $35 (per trip) to purchase online upon booking, $45 (per trip) to purchase during your online check-in, $50 (per trip) to purchase at the check-in counter, and $100 (per trip) to check at the gate if you don’t end up carrying it on. Seriously.

Also, any seat costs $10 to claim. ANY seat. So, that explains the $20 charge: $10 per trip.

What really gets me is they also charge $10 (per trip) to print your boarding pass at check-in. Knowing all of this, I checked in online the day before (with my 1 pre-purchased carry-on bag), but I had to go through leaps and bounds to finally get my ticket pulled up to print. I can see how people get frustrated and end up paying the extra charge to print at the ticket counter.

So, if you want to fly Spirit, you should basically expect a minimum of an extra $100 tacked onto your ticket price. Cool.

 

Things I still can’t get over about this airline:

– They don’t serve any complimentary in-flight drinks or snacks. Not even water!

– No in-flight wi-fi (even for purchase!)

– I previously had a hard time claiming my bags the last time I checked one through them. They were the only airline without help behind the counter, and I had to stare at my bag locked in an office for over thirty minutes before someone came to help me… after I went to another floor and back to inform Spirit workers that no one was there.

I just can’t believe an airline with all of these last minute charges and poor customer service is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. I’m sorry for the rant, but it really needed to be said.

Book at your own risk, y’all!

 

• I received my first order from Blue Apron today, and I’m excited to get started!

I will be covering a lot more of my delivery and cooking experience next week. For now, all I know is that the recipe I tried out at a friend’s house was delicious!

 

• It’s currently 59° in Rochester Hills. I’m not complaining, but…

We had 4 inches of snow on Tuesday! FOUR inches. I left the area when it was sunny and in the mid-50s, so I couldn’t believe the pictures some of my friends sent me the very next day when a snow storm rolled in.

(photo courtesy of my friend, Alex!)

I flew back to the area on Wednesday and all of the snow was already gone. It’s like it never happened. Today it’s in the 50s and 60s, which is awesome, but then it’s predicted to drop and possibly even snow on Sunday.

What. the. heck. Are you okay, Mother Nature?

 

• I’m genuinely sorry if I offended you yesterday.

I had no idea you all would take my thoughts on missing my home state of Florida so seriously yesterday! It was April Fool’s Day after all. If I’m being honest, I didn’t even plan an April Fool’s Day post… the sarcastic side of my writing came out while recapping a great run, and I rolled with it. I had fallen for the beach life again, and I didn’t want to leave.

After getting some serious backlash from friends both living in Michigan and Florida, I think I need to make a few things clear:

– I was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and lived there for 27 years. Of course I am going to miss living there!

– Although I joke about the freezing weather, I actually do enjoy living in Michigan.

– Scott and I have become very acclimated to our new home state of residence, and we would certainly miss a lot about it if we ever did decide to move.

– There are things about Florida that drive me crazy too like the humidity, ridiculously hot summers, and a slew of tourist drivers on the road.

– But, beyond all of that, I for sure left a big piece of my heart in Florida when we moved away in 2012. Going home to visit is always bittersweet for me. I’d say more for me than Scott, even. I love any chance I get to see my friends and family.

So yeah, I just wanted to put all of that out there. Much love going out to my Michiganders and fellow Midwesterners reading this!

 

• Speaking of April Fool’s Day…

Did any of you fall for any pranks yesterday? I love hearing these stories! Feel free to comment with one you got someone with or fell for!

 

• I have been all about James Bay lately.

I seriously can’t stop listening to his music. His voice is so soothing.

I shared one of his tracks as a cool down track on my newest workout playlist, but he has so many good ones I could have also chosen. Check ’em out if you haven’t already!

 

• I’m ecstatic to report that Roadie is almost back to his old self!

Thank you for all of your well wishes last week. <3 He certainly gave us a scare!

He may not be back one hundred percent, but from what I can tell, he is feeling much more like himself today.

I got a phone call from the vet yesterday sharing some good news too! The growth on his elbow is not cancerous, and it should eventually disappear on its own over the next couple of months. Woo hoo!

That was a scary several days of waiting for lab results since he was also getting sick at home. I’m so glad he is okay!

 

***

Well, I guess that’s it for now. I need to get cracking on some things before I head back out to the gym to teach tonight.

Thanks for clicking over, and I’ll see you back here bright and early in the morning with Friday Favorites!

 

Previous TOL posts: (Thanks for hosting the link-up, Amanda!)

• Thinking Out Loud #9

• Thinking Out Loud #8

• Thinking Out Loud #7

• Thinking Out Loud #6

• Thinking Out Loud #5

• Thinking Out Loud #4

• Thinking Out Loud #3

• Thinking Out Loud #2

• Thinking Out Loud #1