A few weeks ago my husband and I flew to Chicago (ORD) from Portland (PDX) on our first flight with Spirit Airlines. Harry handles all our travel arrangements, and he’s always on the lookout for ways to stretch our travel dollar (especially now, when the birth of our first grandchild means we’ll be making more trips to Chicago). The more he looked at Spirit, the better it sounded — to him. Quite honestly, I was less than enthusiastic. I knew Spirit, a discount airlines, boasted its “Bare Fare” approach, meaning everything — from carry-on bags to boarding passes to seat selection to a cup of water — beyond the basic fare comes with a price tag. I figured such a minimalist approach would extend to the comfort of the seats. Added to that the fact that we’d be flying a red-eye to and fro, and you can understand my (rather outspoken) reluctance. However, I decided we should at least give it a try . . . once . . . especially since fares on other carriers (before the charges for bags and seat selection, mind you) were 60–100 percent more than Spirit’s. Harry joined the $9 Fare Club for an enrollment fee of about $60 ($70 annually after the first year) to take advantage of discounts on bag fees ($9 less per bag than nonmembers pay) and access to exclusive travel deals, figuring we’d make up the fee on savings over the course of a couple of flights. We each traveled with a free “personal item” (16″X14″X12″) while I paid for a carry-on bag ($26 when paid for during the online booking process) and a checked bag limited to 40 pounds ($21). Prices per bag increase if one waits to pay for the bag during online or airport check-in. Best to print your boarding passes at home, too, to avoid the $10 fee at the airport. Want to select your seat? That fee ranges from $1–50 (we paid about $15 for window and aisle seats), $12–99 for a “Big Front Seat” — roughly equivalent in size to a domestic business-class seat. No fee if Spirit chooses your seat, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be seated with your travel companion. Our 12:20 a.m. flight to Chicago, delayed by lingering air traffic control issues in Chicago, departed at 2:00 a.m. — not an auspicious beginning. The basic seats don’t recline and aren’t as wide (or cushioned) as standard coach seats on other airlines I’ve flown, but I had a little more legroom than some others, and the aisle in the 3 X 3 configuration was comfortably wider. Luckily, we had an empty seat between us; I honestly can’t imagine being comfortable with three passengers side by side here. For a four-hour flight, I decided I could tolerate it. On the return flight, we booked two roomy seats in the front row ($35 each and worth every penny), configured 2 X 2 with reclining, leather, cushioned seats and adjustable headrests, 21 inches wide and 18 inches deep with 20 inches of legroom between the seat and the forward bulkhead. I would have appreciated a footrest, too, but this was still far better than any standard coach seat and far less expensive than any airline’s business-class fare. All in all, I’d have to say my experience with Spirit was reasonable considering my initial expectations. The personnel were all pleasant and efficient, the aircraft (Spirit flies an all-Airbus fleet with an average age of 5.5 years) were clean, and the airline doesn’t hide any of its fees. I can say I would fly them again (and pay the extra for the Big Front Seats if they were reasonable), but I’ll have to wait for the seasonal nonstop between PDX and ORD to return next spring. If you’re looking for an inexpensive flight and aren’t fussy about frills, it may be worth your while to check out Spirit. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor