Most people seem to hate Spirit Airlines. I used to be right there with them, but over the past two years, they may have become my favorite airline. I just booked a quick 1.5 day getaway to Dallas for $46 round trip.
Sure, Spirit’s luggage policy is terrible (the boarding pass describes the size limit on the free personal item to be no larger than a purse or a laptop bag, though I’ve never been challenged when I bring a backpack). The legroom isn’t great, either, but it’s only an inch or two less than airlines like United, American, and Delta. But those two negatives combine into one very positive feature- there’s always plenty of space in the overhead compartment to put my backpack. And when push comes to shove, it’s better having the space by my feet clear with 28 inches of room than to have to fit a backpack plus my feet into 30 inches.
Spirit has also been my all-star airline for its prices and deals. The Spirit $9 Fare Club program has been well worth it for me, much moreso than Frontier’s Discount Den, though obviously this is something that will vary monumentally depending on your base of operations. There always seem to be plenty of flights where the $9 Fare Club applies, and because it applies for both me and everyone traveling with me, one trip usually makes up for the yearly fee. For the months of September and October, I’m drooling over the $50 or less flights to Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Houston, and more. How many mini trips can I cram in while preparing for my wedding?
Shifting back to the Dallas trip- I’m flying to Dallas on a Wednesday morning and flying back a Thursday evening. A day in Texas for little more than what it costs me to go down to Chicago after I factor in parking fees and train tickets. I have absolutely nothing planned- one of my usual travel staples is to find some kind of mountain terrain to hike, but it looks like Dallas is flat as a pancake.
I’ll be traveling with my best friend and fellow escape room enthusiast Jon Congdon, who currently sits squarely between Christina and my dad in total escape room tally with just over 100 solved.
Scanning the Facebook escape room enthusiasts page for Dallas buzz, I’m intrigued by a few details I spotted. Red Door Escape has an interesting rewards program to bring customers back, so it could be fun running through a few of theirs. Grapevine Escape has two themes I’ve never experienced before, one with a unique wedding scenario and one with a wine cellar. The wedding in particular sounds quite unique- rather than trying to escape, you’re looking for reminders for the bride, groom, and family for why they love each other. It sounds sweet and I wish Christina could do this one with me. It still works with Jon- he’s a groomsman at my upcoming wedding, and if not for my brother would have been my obvious choice for best man.
I’m excited to see more about Dallas. I don’t know much about it aside from its massive football stadium and “Who shot JR?” It’s great to have a trip to a distant state where the total bill for travel + car + hotel is below $100 per person. I will be watching my calendar carefully in the next few weeks to see how many more trips like this I can fit in!
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