Spirit Airlines, was founded as Charter One Airlines and then later changed to Spirit. It began operations in 1983 with scheduled flights serving 83 cities around the US. This overview has been designed to give customers who may be considering Spirit as a potential carrier an idea of its offerings from their customer perspective – such as what are its baggage charges; do you receive refreshments and snacks while traveling; how frequently it delays operations, etc.
Below we have listed some key business statistics, ticketing options, additional charges (such as baggage charges), seats and amenities provided on flights as well as customer satisfaction ratings – along with customer service ratings to give an overall picture.
Spirit Airlines Fare Classes
Standard Fare
Spirit Airlines takes great pride in offering “unbundled” prices, or discounted base fares, with additional options called A La Smarte available as “unbundled” add-ons.
Spirit’s basic fare includes standard seating and one personal item; no refreshments, recline features, or Wi-Fi are included as part of this price; they say this may lower ticket costs because other airlines often include these “extras” into their base price even if you do not intend on using them. Spirit Airlines does not offer business class, premium economy, or first class tickets; therefore guests may have to pay charges for extra legroom.
Spirit Airlines Saver$ Club
Spirit Airlines provides its Spirit Saver$ Club (formerly the 9 Fare Club) which promises customers access to discounted fees for baggage, seat flights, Flex, and Shortcut Security. Additionally, shortcut Boarding as well as special savings are only provided to members of its Saver$ Club. It also states that only members receive these special savings.
The price for this program starts from $69.95/month or $99.90 over 18 months for 24-month coverage; a club discount applies to up to 8 people sharing one confirmation number.
Spirit Frequent Flyer Program
Spirit Airlines recently unveiled an enhanced and enhanced Frequent Flyer Program featuring additional perks such as faster points accrual, benefits for baggage and seats, pooled points with friends or family, and an extended time before the expiry dates of points.
Free Spirit membership is free, and you’ll earn points by flying with Spirit Airlines, spending with their co-branded credit cards from Bank of America, or joining their partner programs.
Earn Free Spirit points when flying award flights and using services and products provided by our partners.
Spirit Airlines Baggage and other charges
Spirit Airlines starts with an economical base fare; however, additional services may be purchased at additional fees. For instance, Spirit Airlines baggage policies offer only basic coverage; additional options can be added with additional costs attached.
Spirit Baggage charges
Spirit Airlines includes only personal items in its standard prices. Meanwhile, carry-on bags and checked bags must be added separately. In addition, baggage fees increase when closer to departure; therefore it is best to purchase your desired baggage allowance prior to making your initial reservation.
The Airlines imposes certain stringent weight/size limits for their baggage:
- Personal Item size should be 18×14 8 inches.
- Standard Carry-On baggage dimensions must be 22x18x10 Inches
- The Checked Bag Size must be of a maximum linear dimension size of 62 inches in linear dimension. Additionally, its maximum weight should be 40 lbs.
The table given below lists general charges applicable to most routes. These charges are for Spirit Saver$ Club and Standard Fare classes.
| Baggage type | During Reservation | Before/ During online check-in | Airport Booking Desk | At the Gate |
| Carry-on Luggage | USD 26/USD 35 | USD 36/ USD 45 | USD 55/USD 55 | USD 65/ USD 65 |
| 1st Checked Baggage | USD 21/ USD 30 | USD 31/ USD 40 | USD 50/ USD 50 | USD 65/ USD 65 |
| 2nd Checked Baggage | USD 31/ USD 40 | USD 41/USD 50 | USD 60/ USD 60 | Not Applied |
Change and Cancellation Fees
These are charges associated with canceling or changing your flight reservation. When purchasing Flex Flight for $35 to $45 at the time of booking, one modification of the flight can be made at no cost as long as it is done more or 24 hours prior to the flight’s scheduled departure.
- The fee for online Change/Cancellation is $90 and for phone/in-person is $100. Additionally, Change/Cancellation fees for group bookings are $50.
- Customers canceling online will get more value by receiving $10 (per one-way ticket) back if the value of the booking is less than the cancellation amount.
Other Charges
Reservation Center Booking Fees
Spirit Airlines charges $35 for regular reservations as well as Free Spirit award tickets booked through their reservation center, though online ticket purchases can save money by cutting out this step altogether.
Seat Assignment and Big Front Seats
Spirit Airlines Offers Random Seat Assignment and Big Front Seat If you don’t pay an additional fee, Spirit will randomly assign an assigned seat when checking in – however, there’s no guarantee it will be with loved ones or friends; therefore Spirit encourages customers to purchase an assigned seat in order to select the optimal spot for them.
Seat assignments typically range from $1 up to $50 depending on your flight, seat location, and availability on board the plane.
Passengers can purchase an optional Big Front Seat which provides approximately 6 inches of additional legroom (please refer to seat specifications below). As these seats may not be available in all planes (usually only 4-10 per plane), their prices could range anywhere from $15-150 upfront or $25-175 as upgrades are available onboard; prices depend on seat availability and length of flight duration.
Boarding Pass: When traveling with Spirit Airlines, check in online and then print or select email-based tickets to board. If you don’t wait until arriving at your destination airport to use one of its kiosks to print your boarding pass or at check-in counters to produce one – Spirit’s explanation is that printing passes at airports requires additional resources so a surcharge must be applied accordingly.
Onboard Refreshments: Spirit offers customers a menu with various price points from which they can order a drink or snack of their choosing onboard the ship. Soft drinks, juices, and water currently cost $3 while coffee and tea cost $2 each. Alcoholic beverages range between $8-11 while snacks have prices that span from $3-8.
Priority Boarding: For customers requiring Zone 2 priority access (Shortcut Boarding), tickets at $5.99plus for one-way travel may be purchased.
- The Standby Fee is currently $99 for one-way flights.
- Cost for infant (Lap Child) diapers in most countries – zero dollars
- Unaccompanied minors cost $100 for both directions (this includes drinks and snacks).
- Pet Travel Charges are $100 for each direction (up to four pets in one cabin)
Spirit Airline Inflight Amenities and Seat Specifics
Onboard Amenities: As previously stated, Spirit is well known for offering low base prices, which means many of the amenities travelers are used to are unavailable on its flights.
- Spirit Airlines does not provide inflight Wi-Fi, video streaming capabilities, or entertainment options onboard its flights.
- Only paid drinks and snacks are included in the refreshment services.
Seat Specifications
Seat Specifications for Spirit Airlines flights vary slightly based on the plane type; however, Spirit is well known for having one of the tightest economy pitch configurations among domestic carriers.
Dimensions of Spirit Airlines Seats are:
The size of the big front seat is 18.5 inches wide and 36 inches pitch.
Standard economy seats feature a 28-inch pitch and 17.75-inch width for optimal seating comfort.
Conclusion
Travelers seeking Spirit Airlines reservations may also seek assistance with canceling, changing, or adding tickets – call our helpdesk at +1-888-671-0924 so we can resolve your problems when making reservations with Spirit Airlines. You can connect to us at any time to ensure a hassle-free process for the cancellation of flight tickets or booking operations.
