Spirit reveals upgraded onboard experiences, including new Big Front Seats

Flying in Spirit’s latest yellow Airbuses may soon be a little less uncomfortable, thanks to the introduction of new seats.

The Miramar, Florida-based airline on Thursday unveiled the next-generation integrated product for its latest batch of Airbus A320neo jets. These newly delivered aircraft will be equipped with Haeco’s Vector Light and Vector Premium seats, bringing some welcome upgrades to the passenger experience.

Here is the summary.

Spirit’s large front seats have been around for a long time one of the best deals in travel. It’s basically the same as the domestic first-class recliner, but it’s usually priced closer to economy class seats with more legroom than standard on legacy service providers.

These seats are arranged in a 2-2 configuration and they occupy the first few rows of the aircraft.

The next-generation large front seats offer wider seat backs, extra cushioning and nearly an inch more front recline.

While the tray table still pops out of the armrest, Spirit says it’s easier to reach the tray table. It was not immediately clear what that meant.

It should be noted that while The large front seats are significantly more comfortable compared to those in the economy, they don’t include any extra perks like free food and drink or electrical outlets.

New economic products

The focal point of the upgrades to the standard economy seats is the addition of extra width. The aisle and window seats will be 17.5 inches wide, while the middle seat will be 18.5 inches wide.

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This represents a half-inch increase over the existing product, and hopefully it will be enough for some Spirit frequent flyers to notice the difference.

While no one usually likes to fly in the middle seat, at least Spirit makes it a little more comfortable by adding that inch of width.

In addition, the economical product has a new headrest design. Unfortunately, passengers still cannot raise or lower the head restraints, nor do they have wings for extra neck support when dozing off.

Spirit says these new seats will have extra padding, so it will be interesting to see if flyers find the product more comfortable.

The new economy class seats maintain a curved back design, giving the airline more space at knee level. Spirit says this design provides about two inches more around the knee than a flat-back chair.

While you can enjoy a little more space and comfort, many aspects of Spirit’s onboard experience remain unchanged. You won’t find any power outlets or USB ports on board, nor can the seats recline. In Spirit’s terms, it’s all pre-arranged.

(However, it is worth mentioning that God recently completed a team-wide Wi-Fi rolloutso it’s getting easier and easier to stay connected while flying with Spirit.)

In addition, all Spirit seats have thin contours, which many passengers find uncomfortable on long journeys.

In fact, the new seats are 11 ounces lighter than the previous model. While the reduced weight increases fuel economy, it often corresponds to a less comfortable in-flight experience, especially on longer flights.

It’s also worth mentioning that JetBlue takeover It’s not expected to complete the regulatory review until 2024, so – assuming it’s approved – it’s business as usual for Spirit until then.

That said, the new seats appear to be an overall upgrade over the airline’s existing offering. With slightly more space, redesigned headrests and additional seat cushions, the new product hopes to make flying with Spirit a little more comfortable.

I’m most curious about the upgrades to the Big Front Seats and I look forward to putting them to the test once they start flying.