They are just as bad as an economy seat on other airlines (who cares if you have to pay for water), but you miss the extra stop and save hundreds. Spirit is the worst in a crisis. If your flight gets cancelled or delayed they will be the worst to work with… however, by taking a non stop you are mitigating half of the risk so you won’t get stuck in the middle of nowhere. And by the way, I’ve gotten stuck in Philly with American and it’s no picnic, they are just as bad to try to work with. Spend the hundreds you save on some drinks at the airport to take with you. Yea the seats are tight but economy on American is just as tight in my experience. I’d rather suck it up and sit through a tight 3 hour flight than a seven hour trip with another airline because of the stop.