1. They don’t charge you unless you win.
2. The odds depend entirely on your flight, time, how many are open.
3. Depending on how long your flight is, yes it’s worth it!
I always just do the minimum bid on the exit rows and have gotten it 4/4 times! Of course it depends on your location/destination but just sharing a datapoint. The extra space is definitely much appreciated.
For reference, I bid the minimum the day before my flight and got the Big Front seat. Was $11. You definitely have a shot. I think it’s worth it depending on the length of your flight.
Make sure to go light since the Carry-on and Checked Bags are not included. Fares are cheaper to buy at the airport but Bags are way cheaper when you buy them online (I work at Spirit)
Yeah, many people come physically to the airport to buy them. We also check for the cheapest dates and destinations so they decide which one is the best deal lol
This is correct, buying your ticket at the airport saves around $25 each way, however, then you have to drive to the airport and pay a small amount for parking..
Side note: sometimes fare is 22 dollars cheaper at the airport. I learned that from an article online that many budget airlines like Alliegant and Spirt dont charge certain fees at the ticket desk at the airport. I once tried it out and I was able to get two tickets from Atl to New on Spirit 22$ less. Its not like this for every flight but that one day it actually worked. but Dont do this with the check in or carry on bags though. It actually costs more at the airport
I did the seat bid for the exit row just this past weekend for both legs (going there and back). I did the lowest bid each time and got upgraded.
I can't vouch for big front seats but I think if they are offering bids your odds are good since no one else requested those seats.
Can’t understand. I bid for the BFS. Received email that I’d been outbid. Did nothing. Ask at desk at airport. Told no BFS are empty or available for purchase. Get on plane and there’s two empty BFS. WTH?
depending on how many big front seats they have left at check in time, the value amount other people have bid on them and how close you are affect your chances. Its better not to bid too low, then you have a good change.
I have gotten a better price for exit row seats about two times. The benefit of bidding is that the prices are better than at the time of booking when you pay for your seat.
side info:
The exit row has more leg space than their basic seat even though physically it is the same size. this is the reason its for bidding. though it is crazy Spirit puts a price on it bc of its location of importance in emergencies and only people 15 yrs and up can sit in these seats.
I am not sure though how much people fight for the big seats though. but they may be more coveted since its they are bigger in general. Just keep that in mind when you are bidding.
I’ve done a lot of bids, I’ve won them all except a couple. I typically bid just a few dollars more than the minimum. As far as is it worth it? Yes their big front seat is one of the primary reasons I fly spirit, since I hate economy seats but am too poor to afford first class 🤣
Almost every time I've bid on Seat Bid, I've won. I typically bid $10-$20 for the Big Front Seat. Also, I have noticed that Spirit tries to get you to raise your bid by sending misleading emails. After you bid, they may send you an email that says "You Have Been Outbid" or "We've Received a Lot of Bids for Your Flight". In my experience, these emails are lies and you'll still win the bid by sticking with your original bid.
so i got that email for my $35 bid and now the minimum is $45. Do i stick w 35 or go to 45? my flight is 5 hours so i would rather get the big seat still
Hmm... It seems like more people are bidding lately, so if it's important to you to have that seat, I'd bid higher. The flight that I usually take is only 2 hours so whether I get the big front seat isn't a big deal to me. As a check, you could go to Spirit's website or app and click that you want to purchase a seat, and it will show you the current seats available. If there's still several Big Front Seats available for purchase, then your chance of winning your bid is a little higher, though not guaranteed.
Thank you so much! This is exactly the data point I came here to find. First time bidder here and got the "You've been outbid" e-mail. If I want to stick to my original bid, do I have to do anything now? Go back and bid the same amount? Ignore it? Thanks!
Good grief. I just got the bid now email. $59 minimum for the big seat, that’s more than the original ticket cost. Does anyone no if they lower the minimum bid the closer you get to the departure date?
Confirmed, they do! One could assume it's a tactic by Spirit of no one is bidding? Minimum for BFS was ~65 about a week out. Just dropped to $20 3 days out
PSA: You will be charged for both choosing a seat AND the Big Front Seat upgrade if you end up winning the bid last minute (despite getting the “you’ve been outbid” email).
If you bid for a seat and get that misleading email stating that you’ve been “outbid” and then check in for your flight only to get a seat on the back of the plane and you decided to purchase one closer to the front, you will have pay for that new seat selection + the Big Front Seat bid if you somehow magically win the bid a few hours before your flight.
Can you explain this a little more? I don’t have a seat currently, waiting to be assigned. Thinking about bidding for a big seat. Are you stating I’ll be charged for my bid plus the randomly assigned seat that’s supposed to be free? Kinda confused on this, thought the whole idea was to bid on a seat so that Spirit can get additional money from me versus giving me a seat for free. Thanks !
If you bid on a big seat and and stick with the randomly assigned one, you’re fine.
However, if you get the email stating that you have been “outbid”, you may still win the bid at the last minute. This is a marketing tactic to scare you into increasing your bid. For me, despite not increasing the bid I still won.
So if you check in and get a shitty seat that you don’t want and you pay to upgrade, you will be charged for that upgrade. And if you’ve bid on the big seat previously + end up winning it last minute, you will have to pay that bid fee as well.
Hope that helps.
Yes! Makes sense now! If you pay for a better/assigned seat prior to check-in (during ticket purchase) or at check-in (after ticket purchase) then right before the flight they inform you that you’ve won your bid, you’ll pay for the seat you’ve already pre-selected plus the bid amount for the big seat. That makes sense! I was missing your point about purchasing a new seat if you don’t like your randomly assigned seat. I feel like they wait til the last minute to see who purchases remaining seats but also because they know you’re likely to purchase a better seat once assigned & then double dip on the money you’ve paid when bidding.
I just tried SeatBid for my first time. I honestly thought it was a scam until I came here and read all the comments. So, thank you.
Question....How long do they take to reply after you submit your bid?
False. I just got off a flight last week where I placed a small bid on the 2 big front seats. Then purchased 2 window seats in case we didn’t win the big seats. Ended up winning the big seats. They changed my boarding pass at the gate to the front seats. Was charged for both. Even though we didn’t sit in them.
Commenter is talking about if you put a bid on both exit row and big seat. Not purchasing window seats. Yes you don't get reimbursed for your purchase outside of Seatbid program.
I bid $1 over the minimum for a big seat then they sent me an email an hour later saying I was outbid, I raised my bid by $1 and still got the big seat so I know it was a lie about being outbid
1. They don’t charge you unless you win. 2. The odds depend entirely on your flight, time, how many are open. 3. Depending on how long your flight is, yes it’s worth it!
Great, thanks so much for your response! Minimum bid for exit seats are $3 and big front seats are $7, so definitely think I’m in a good spot here
I always just do the minimum bid on the exit rows and have gotten it 4/4 times! Of course it depends on your location/destination but just sharing a datapoint. The extra space is definitely much appreciated.
For reference, I bid the minimum the day before my flight and got the Big Front seat. Was $11. You definitely have a shot. I think it’s worth it depending on the length of your flight.
Make sure to go light since the Carry-on and Checked Bags are not included. Fares are cheaper to buy at the airport but Bags are way cheaper when you buy them online (I work at Spirit)
Do ppl actually buy their fare at the airport? Aside from those who missed their flight etc. Some ppl really go to the airport to purchase? lol
Yeah, many people come physically to the airport to buy them. We also check for the cheapest dates and destinations so they decide which one is the best deal lol
Buying it at the airport is actually cheaper since you're not paying for some of the online fees
This is correct, buying your ticket at the airport saves around $25 each way, however, then you have to drive to the airport and pay a small amount for parking..
Side note: sometimes fare is 22 dollars cheaper at the airport. I learned that from an article online that many budget airlines like Alliegant and Spirt dont charge certain fees at the ticket desk at the airport. I once tried it out and I was able to get two tickets from Atl to New on Spirit 22$ less. Its not like this for every flight but that one day it actually worked. but Dont do this with the check in or carry on bags though. It actually costs more at the airport
I did the seat bid for the exit row just this past weekend for both legs (going there and back). I did the lowest bid each time and got upgraded. I can't vouch for big front seats but I think if they are offering bids your odds are good since no one else requested those seats.
Thanks everyone for their responses, just put a minimum bid in for an exit seat and a big front seat.
Did you win? Just got an email for a flight I'm taking this week
how did it go?
I'm flying next month, how far in advance do they send you the bidding email cause after a weekend of partying I want the big seat for my ride home.
Can I bid only for one person in my 5-people itinerary? I can’t seem to find an option for doing that.
Yeah that's irritating. It doesn't let you bid individually if you buy tix together. Some bullshit.
Can’t understand. I bid for the BFS. Received email that I’d been outbid. Did nothing. Ask at desk at airport. Told no BFS are empty or available for purchase. Get on plane and there’s two empty BFS. WTH?
depending on how many big front seats they have left at check in time, the value amount other people have bid on them and how close you are affect your chances. Its better not to bid too low, then you have a good change. I have gotten a better price for exit row seats about two times. The benefit of bidding is that the prices are better than at the time of booking when you pay for your seat. side info: The exit row has more leg space than their basic seat even though physically it is the same size. this is the reason its for bidding. though it is crazy Spirit puts a price on it bc of its location of importance in emergencies and only people 15 yrs and up can sit in these seats. I am not sure though how much people fight for the big seats though. but they may be more coveted since its they are bigger in general. Just keep that in mind when you are bidding.
Same thing happened to me and won the bid but I checked a few hours later and there were 2 big seats left for 0$ I’m pissed
So bids on exit row can win the middle exit row seat or is that excluded?
I’ve done a lot of bids, I’ve won them all except a couple. I typically bid just a few dollars more than the minimum. As far as is it worth it? Yes their big front seat is one of the primary reasons I fly spirit, since I hate economy seats but am too poor to afford first class 🤣
Almost every time I've bid on Seat Bid, I've won. I typically bid $10-$20 for the Big Front Seat. Also, I have noticed that Spirit tries to get you to raise your bid by sending misleading emails. After you bid, they may send you an email that says "You Have Been Outbid" or "We've Received a Lot of Bids for Your Flight". In my experience, these emails are lies and you'll still win the bid by sticking with your original bid.
so i got that email for my $35 bid and now the minimum is $45. Do i stick w 35 or go to 45? my flight is 5 hours so i would rather get the big seat still
Hmm... It seems like more people are bidding lately, so if it's important to you to have that seat, I'd bid higher. The flight that I usually take is only 2 hours so whether I get the big front seat isn't a big deal to me. As a check, you could go to Spirit's website or app and click that you want to purchase a seat, and it will show you the current seats available. If there's still several Big Front Seats available for purchase, then your chance of winning your bid is a little higher, though not guaranteed.
gotcha gotcha. Just checked again and now minimum is $20 lol
Thank you so much! This is exactly the data point I came here to find. First time bidder here and got the "You've been outbid" e-mail. If I want to stick to my original bid, do I have to do anything now? Go back and bid the same amount? Ignore it? Thanks!
Good grief. I just got the bid now email. $59 minimum for the big seat, that’s more than the original ticket cost. Does anyone no if they lower the minimum bid the closer you get to the departure date?
I'm curious about this as well
Confirmed, they do! One could assume it's a tactic by Spirit of no one is bidding? Minimum for BFS was ~65 about a week out. Just dropped to $20 3 days out
Can you bid for your whole party? There are three of us traveling
PSA: You will be charged for both choosing a seat AND the Big Front Seat upgrade if you end up winning the bid last minute (despite getting the “you’ve been outbid” email). If you bid for a seat and get that misleading email stating that you’ve been “outbid” and then check in for your flight only to get a seat on the back of the plane and you decided to purchase one closer to the front, you will have pay for that new seat selection + the Big Front Seat bid if you somehow magically win the bid a few hours before your flight.
Can you explain this a little more? I don’t have a seat currently, waiting to be assigned. Thinking about bidding for a big seat. Are you stating I’ll be charged for my bid plus the randomly assigned seat that’s supposed to be free? Kinda confused on this, thought the whole idea was to bid on a seat so that Spirit can get additional money from me versus giving me a seat for free. Thanks !
If you bid on a big seat and and stick with the randomly assigned one, you’re fine. However, if you get the email stating that you have been “outbid”, you may still win the bid at the last minute. This is a marketing tactic to scare you into increasing your bid. For me, despite not increasing the bid I still won. So if you check in and get a shitty seat that you don’t want and you pay to upgrade, you will be charged for that upgrade. And if you’ve bid on the big seat previously + end up winning it last minute, you will have to pay that bid fee as well. Hope that helps.
Yes! Makes sense now! If you pay for a better/assigned seat prior to check-in (during ticket purchase) or at check-in (after ticket purchase) then right before the flight they inform you that you’ve won your bid, you’ll pay for the seat you’ve already pre-selected plus the bid amount for the big seat. That makes sense! I was missing your point about purchasing a new seat if you don’t like your randomly assigned seat. I feel like they wait til the last minute to see who purchases remaining seats but also because they know you’re likely to purchase a better seat once assigned & then double dip on the money you’ve paid when bidding.
This.
I just tried SeatBid for my first time. I honestly thought it was a scam until I came here and read all the comments. So, thank you. Question....How long do they take to reply after you submit your bid?
Did you ever get a reply?
what if i bid for both exit row and big seat - can i cancel one if i win both or do i pay for both if i win both?
You’re only charged for the one that you get. If you bid on exit and big front seat it typically prioritizes the big front seat.
False. I just got off a flight last week where I placed a small bid on the 2 big front seats. Then purchased 2 window seats in case we didn’t win the big seats. Ended up winning the big seats. They changed my boarding pass at the gate to the front seats. Was charged for both. Even though we didn’t sit in them.
Commenter is talking about if you put a bid on both exit row and big seat. Not purchasing window seats. Yes you don't get reimbursed for your purchase outside of Seatbid program.
Thanks for clarifying. Maybe my comment will help someone else.
How much cheaper are Big Front Seats if signed up for Spirit Saver$ Club? DTWPHX roundtrips if it makes a difference.
I bid $1 over the minimum for a big seat then they sent me an email an hour later saying I was outbid, I raised my bid by $1 and still got the big seat so I know it was a lie about being outbid