I have been saying for a long time that the Big Front Seat is the best value in domestic travel. It may be time to rethink that claim.

What is Spirit Airlines’ Big Front Seat?

Ultra low cost carriers are popular. The business model of the company is to have low base fares and then charge extra for everything, including drinks and snacks.

Frontier Airlines is my favorite ultra low cost carrier in the US, and I prefer it over the other one, Spirit Airlines. It's down to two factors. The Big Front Seat is one of the perks of the airline.

The big front seat is a first class seat without the service. There are a couple of rows of first class-style seating at the front of the cabin, and they are in a 2-2 configuration.

You only pay for the extra space. The people in the Big Front Seat have to pay for things.

Extra space can be paid for by those who value it. A big front seat with high-speed wi-fi is a good way to fly.

Spirit Airlines’ Big Front Seat at front of cabin

Spirit Airlines’ Big Front Seat pricing has hugely increased

For a long time, I thought the Big Front Seat of Spirit Airlines was the best value in domestic travel. You could book a Big Front Seat for a price that was comparable to what you would pay in economy on another US airline, and the premium for assigning a Big Front Seat was very reasonable.

Multiple readers point out that something has changed. Pricing for the big front seat has increased the most recently.

The Big Front Seat used to cost anywhere from $12 to $250, but now the airline says it can cost as much as $500. You will almost never find a big front seat for less than $500.

Take a flight from Tampa to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks and you'll see how big front seat pricing is. The price of selecting a big front seat has gone up. The fee is for assigning a seat.

Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat pricing

If you wanted a carry-on you would have to pay an additional $60.

Spirit Airlines baggage pricing

The one-way flight in a Big Front Seat with a carry-on will cost you $418, which is a lot more expensive than it used to be.

Spirit Airlines ticket pricing

The pricing for the Big Front Seat varies depending on a number of factors, including length of flight, day of week, time of day, how full a flight is, and historical demand patterns.

With certainty, I can tell you that the price of the Big Front Seat has been creeping up recently, and it seems that there has been a particularly large increase recently.

I can’t blame Spirit Airlines for this…

I don't blame Spirit Airlines for raising Big Front Seat prices. This isn't like a loyalty program being taken for granted. It is natural for pricing to change when there is a very good deal. That is the right thing for the airline.

It has become more appealing for the frequent flyer to fly with Spirit Airlines due to the carrier having high-speed wi-fi.

I can no longer say that the Big Front Seat is the best value in domestic travel because it isn't always the case. The Big Front Seat was an unbeatable value for anyone who valued space. Pricing is not the same as it used to be.

There are still lots of big front seat bargains. The Big Front Seat on a long flight like the Fort Lauderdale to Lima flight is just an extra $150. That is a good deal compared to others.

Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat pricing

Bottom line

The Big Front Seat is a first class seat on an ultra low cost carrier. Pricing has crept up over time and is no longer a consistent bargain.

Even people who value space can no longer justify some of the prices being charged. It is something to be aware of as you think about the Big Front Seat.

What do you think about Sprit Big Front Seat Pricing?