I took a $10 flight from Miami to New York, and for that price I'd do it again everyday

While planning to travel up to the city during the first half of April, I compared dozens of different flight options.

I didn't have a defined budget, but I knew I wanted to opt for lower-priced options. Of the budget-friendly airlines, I had traveled with both Spirit and Frontier before and had good experiences, so I was open to both.

My priority filter was departure and arrival time. I wanted something that wouldn't interfere with my work schedule. That meant that the earliest flight I could take on a weekday would depart by 7 p.m. and the latest would arrive by 7 a.m.

With those filters, and while playing with Google Flights' different filters, sorting, and price comparison tools for the first week of April, a surprising price appeared at the top of my screen.

The one-way flight from Miami to Newark was listed as $10, although booking options showed that the total would actually be $20 if booked through the airline's website directly.

The flight was scheduled to depart Miami at 9:51 p.m. and arrive in New Jersey at 12:59 a.m.

I wanted to be flexible in my schedule and get the best deal on my return flight as well, so I waited until later to book my return, which I would also buy as a one-way ticket.

The third-party website offering the $10 fare was called eDreams. I had never heard of it.

I knew there were risks associated with booking through third-party retailers. For example, if the airline cancels or delays the flight, it might not be possible to get a refund or reach a customer service representative.

After looking up reviews on forum websites like Reddit and Quora, I figured it was safe enough to book the flight through them. After all, if it turned out to be phony, it would only be a $10 gamble.

Accepting the risk of booking through a third-party website, which I had never done for flights before, I bought my ticket.

After receiving the airline's confirmation email, my initial doubts faded. The email looked like others I had received before. Plus, I was able to log into my account with the airline and see the upcoming trip.

I found it curious that on Spirit's confirmation email, the total for the flight was different than what I actually paid.

While only $9.97 left my bank account, in the email, Spirit listed the total as $19.30, which is close to what it would've cost to book through their website.

Once the flight was confirmed, I reviewed the conditions of the ultra-cheap fare.

Under the airline's basic economy option, I wasn't allowed to bring a carry-on bag, although checked bags were available for purchase for $75.

Committed to traveling on as low a budget as possible, I opted to only bring with me a personal item bag, which I was allowed. The bag, defined a backpack or a laptop bag, needed to fit under the seat on the airplane, measuring 18 x 14 x 8 inches at a maximum.

Preparing for a 10-day trip, I had to strategize how I used my personal item luggage.

I bought $22 bag on Amazon that had come up a lot on my TikTok feed. Users recommended it as a travel bag, and it fit within the airline's limitations.

Although the expandable bag should fit comfortably within the measurements, I was scared that expanding the bottom by a few inches would make it larger than what was acceptable to bring aboard.

I was also nervous about over-stuffing the bag. I had previously read reports of airline agents deciding personal item bags were too big at the door and charging an additional fee for carry-on luggage, although I had never had that happen to me.

Wary of how I utilized space, I decided to pack only the necessities and keep items in mind I could take out if needed to close the extended compartment.

With my trip schedule revolving around going to the office and meeting up with friends in the city after work, I packed a capsule wardrobe of outfits I could dress up or down during the day.

I brought a limited color palette that could be worn in different ways, using green as the signature color and light and dark neutrals as the bulk of what I packed.

For the 10 days, I packed four white tops and blouses, four darker tops and blouses, three work pants (black, cream, and khaki), two skirts (grey and green), one workout set, two pairs of comfortable, office-friendly shoes, one pair of sneakers, a big work bag, and a smaller purse for going out.

I kept toiletries and electronics to a minimum, only bringing products in small pouches and limiting myself to one small bag for the rest of my makeup and toiletries.

I also packed strategically, putting all the shoes at the bottom and fitting socks in between them, then arranging clothes in space-saving ways and using the purse for extra storage space within the bag.

Wearing my bulkiest items and layering for maximized stuff-bringing, I layered my workout set under a pair of wide-leg jeans and a thick knit sweater, which I topped with a leather blazer (with books and other essentials in every pocket). I also wore a pair of boots and a scarf to the airport.

The outfit was efficient and beyond well equipped for the 45-degree weather waiting for me in New Jersey, but it was certainly too hot for the 79-degree Miami that I was departing. I ended up taking off the scarf and jacket in the Miami airport and carrying them along with me during the flight as well.

After much anticipation and preparation — including arriving at the airport extra early, identifying items I'd be OK leaving behind and asking my ride to wait until I could confirm my bag fit — I dropped my slightly overstuffed bag carrying 10 days worth of clothes into the measuring bin. It fit!

I might've had to push it down into the compartment quite a bit in order for it to fit, but after getting a thumbs-up from an airline agent, I was on my way to check in with no luggage fees.

Having traveled out of Miami International, my home base airport, dozens of times, I was very surprised by how quiet and empty the airport was.

It may have been the departure time — my flight had been pushed back by about an hour to 10:50 p.m. It was also a middle-of-the-week night, which tends to be quieter, SimpleFlying.com reported.

Being able to go through a line-less TSA check-in in under 10 minutes made my travel experience all the better.

Once at the gate, the airline personnel were organized, friendly, and eager to start a conversation. One flight attendant asked about the book I was reading.

The friendly service was made even better by the seamless boarding process, which took under 30 minutes for all groups.

Being in basic economy, I was in the second-to-last group to board. Not many of the people at the gate seemed to board during the first four groups, usually reserved for first- and business-class seats.

While seating, the crew made an announcement about the flight not being too crowded and asked passengers not to seat themselves in the empty seats for weight distribution purposes.

I opted out of the airline's seat selection option, as it came with an extra fee, and I was too committed to traveling for under $10.

The seat I was assigned was near the back of the plane in an aisle seat, which gave me some extra space.

The seats themselves weren't the most comfortable, but they were bearable enough for a three-hour midnight flight.

Once in my seat, I put my personal item bag under the seat in front of me and made myself comfortable.

While the legroom itself wasn't too bad, I didn't have much space for my feet with my luggage under the seat. Thankfully, having the aisle seat meant I could extend my legs a bit to the side during the flight, making it more comfortable.

While the basic economy ticket did not include refreshments, a snack and menu drink were available, including sweet and savory bites, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages, as well as packages offering a combination of all.

Unlike what I had expected, the prices of the items were good and not too inflated, although I wish they had been included with the flight.

Snacks and soft drinks cost between $3.35 and $5.49, and alcohol ranged from $9.49 for a can of beer to $12.49 for a small bottle of brut sparkling wine.

WiFi was also available for purchase on the flight for $8.

I thought of getting some tea to help me fall asleep during the flight, but I fell asleep before the crew started offering refreshments.

Even with the slightly uncomfortable seats, I was able to find a way to make myself comfortable and nap during the flight, as were the people around me. Some rested their heads against the seat in front of them or reclined against the windows.

I woke up once we were close to landing as the lights came on and the crew promoted the airline's credit card offers.

Arriving at a quiet Newark Liberty International Airport at around 1:30 a.m., a few minutes earlier than programmed, I found my way to the rideshare lot. I called a Lyft to take me to my final destination in Manhattan's Washington Heights, about a 30-minute ride away.

The ride cost $66.91 plus tip, but based on other airport rides I've had, I thought the price wasn't too bad.

Overall, the experience was great and totally worth its value price. The friendly crew, efficient boarding and arrival, quiet airports, and schedule-friendly timing made the trip everything I needed it to be for a quick trip. If the same route had that price every day, I'd be super-super-commuting