Spirit Airlines has been getting a lot of discussion lately and they continue to stay in the spotlight. From their low fares, expensive add-ons, service complaints, and more, much of the discussion and focus is on Spirit Airlines.

For a quick re-cap, Spirit Airlines first caught everyone’s attention when they offered exceptionally low fares for their airline tickets with some noted “options” and necessities that would cost the traveler a pretty penny in the long run. Unlike many other airlines, Spirit charges for any and all bags carries on their flights (except for your one free personal item which also has to meet specific requirements). They also charge if you want to choose your seat, board early, check-in at the airport, and just about anything else you can think of. Many travelers would agree that because of the “extra” charges, Spirit airline tickets really aren’t cheaper than flying with another comparable airline.

The most recent topic of focus is their operational performance. If you follow “The Cranky Flier” he wrote a great article on Spirit’s operational performance and the recent presentation recently given at the Boyd Conference. I June alone half of Spirit’s flights were delayed, evidence of a lacking organizational airline; yet one could argue that their delays are due to the fact that Spirit won’t cancel a flight due to all the various factors which means delayed or not, you will still make your flight.

The questions comes down to this: Are these cheap tickets worth a frustrating flight experience or are ticket prices all that really matter?