Would you take the time to purchase your plane ticket at the gate if you could save a few dollars? For most, the answer is yes — but is that really an option?
The answer is yes and no.
Most airlines don’t offer cheaper airfare at the airport. Airlines like Southwest give their customers the cheapest flight directly on their site, while you might be able to find a good deal on American, Delta, and United via sites like Kayak or Google Flights. Now, if you’re a Spirit Airlines fan, you’re in luck since they offer lower fares at the airport — well kind of, depending on how you look at it.
When you book your flight online or over the phone, Spirit charges a “Passenger Usage Charge” that can be as little as $19.98 and go up to $39.98 on one-way reservations. Since the Passenger Usage Charge is a fee, Spirit doesn’t have to pay federal excise taxes on it, and they have to give passengers away around it since its a qualifies as a fee and not a government mandated tax – making this an ideal perk for the budget-savvy traveler.
The only drawback is that you’d have to be willing to take a trip to the airport and possibly wait in a long line of Spirit passengers to take advantage of this special menu item. If you’re booking a round-trip ticket, the saving could be worth it. If this isn’t an option you’re willing to give up time from your day to take advantage of— there are plenty of awesome flight deals out there!
