Known for their incredibly low fares and bright yellow airplanes, Spirit Airlines has become synonymous with cheap air travel. With over 90 destinations in their network, the carrier offers routes to many destinations popular with Canadian travellers across the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America.
Spirit’s fares are primarily designed for travellers who want to save money when going on vacation once or twice per year. But with the addition of multiple ticket packages and a Savers club, even regular flyers can find value from the ultra-low-cost-carrier. Here’s everything you need to know about planning your next trip with Spirit Airlines.
Why should you consider Spirit Airlines?
The biggest advantage of flying Spirit is the cost of their “unbundled” airfares. The carrier advertises flights at low prices, with the option to pay monthly for terms between three- and 11-months using Uplift. They save money by operating a “point-to-point” network instead of a “hub-and-spoke” model, letting you connect to your final destination often with fewer flights than a traditional airline.
For an ultra-low-cost-carrier, Spirit has one of the biggest international networks to and from the United States, operating in many hubs popular with Canadian flyers. Their route map runs across US and into Mexico, The Caribbean, Central America, and Northwest South America.
Unlike other airlines, Spirit only has one type of aircraft in their fleet: The Airbus A320 and A321. This means that each aircraft has the same exact configuration and space between seats. And while Spirit does not have a traditional “Business Class,” passengers can take advantage of their premium product, “The Big Front Seat,” for a nominal fee.
Spirit Airlines’ single-class cabin
When it comes to international travel, many airlines offer at least three cabin classes: First/Business class, Premium Economy, and Economy. Spirit only offers a single economy cabin, split between the premium seats at the front, and the regular seats through the aircraft.
At the front of the aircraft is the “Big Front Seat:” The airline’s “premium” product. The Big Front Seat comes in a two-by-two configuration, measuring 51 cm wide with up to 28 cm of additional legroom compared to the standard seats. The number of Big Front Seats are extremely limited by aircraft: The A320’s offer eight, while the A321neo is limited to five. You can score the Big Front Seat either with the “Go Big” ticket, or by upgrading separately.
The remainder of the cabin is configured in economy. Each row offers three seats on each side, with a 44.5-cm wide seat and only 71 cm of pitch, tying with other ultra-low-cost-carriers for the shortest legroom. If you want extra legroom for your flight but don’t want to pay for the Big Front Seat, the exit row seats are the best option. Be prepared to pay for these seats unless you are a Free Spirit Gold or Silver elite member.
Spirit fare class and pricing
Spirit Airlines does not operate with traditional “fare classes.” The airline currently offers four fare packages, depending on what experience they want.
The base fare is called the “Go” ticket, and it embodies the original option that made Spirit famous. Travellers purchase the ticket at the lowest advertised price, which only includes the airfare and one personal item. During the check-out process, you will have the option to add a carry-on bag or checked bag, or both. Prices will vary based on the route and length of your trip.
If you want to select your seat with the “Go” ticket, you will need to purchase that as well. Otherwise, your seat will be assigned randomly—which means if you’re travelling with a group, your seats aren’t guaranteed to be next to one another.
The “Go Savvy” ticket comes at the second-lowest price tier. This ticket includes airfare, the choice of a carry-on bag or a checked bag, and seat selection for you and your party.
The next level up is the “Go Comfy” seat, which includes both a carry-on and checked bag, and a “comfy seat,” where the middle seat is blocked off. This fare also comes with a small snack and drink aboard the flight and priority boarding with Group 2.
The “Go Big” is the all-inclusive fare at the highest price tier. In addition to everything in the “Go Savvy” ticket, “Go Big” includes everything from the “Go Comfy” ticket, along with free in-flight Wi-Fi, priority check-in at select airports, and seating in the “Big Front Seat” section.
Accessing Wi-Fi on Spirit
As with everything aboard Spirit Airlines, your amenities and entertainment will depend on how much you want to spend. The only free content is access to Spirit’s website. In addition, there are no USB power outlets on the flight, which means you may have to bring your own portable charger if you want to stay online throughout your trip.
Spirit offers two different Wi-Fi packages for their flights. The slower “Browsing” plan allows travellers to do all the basics online, such as browsing, checking e-mail, or going through social media. The “Streaming” package comes with speeds advertised as fast enough to stream video games, shows, and movies—although your personal experience may vary.
The Wi-Fi connectivity goes gate-to-gate, meaning flyers can login and start surfing the internet or watching shows immediately. Even better, coverage is available across all the routes where Spirit flies, meaning you can stay online throughout the duration of your flight.
Spirit’s amenities: Pay-as-you-go
“Free” amenities aboard Spirit only go as far as what ticket bundle you bought. If you booked “Go Big,” premium snacks and drinks are included for your flight. But if you only went for the “Go Comfy” package, you only get a selection of one small snack and a drink. All other flyers will need to buy their food and drink à la carte.
Free Spirit Gold members can also get a free snack and non-alcoholic beverage during their flight. All they need to do is show the flight attendant proof of their status to take advantage of this benefit.
To save the most money, travellers should be prepared to bring their own snacks aboard the flight. Dry foods and empty water bottles can be brought through the security checkpoint—many airports have water bottle filling stations throughout the terminal. Anything else can be purchased at a comparative discount before the flight.
Free Spirit: Spirit Airlines’ loyalty program
Free Spirit is Spirit’s loyalty program. Travellers can join for free and start earning points towards free travel. The number of points you can earn is based directly on how much you spend with the airline.
Members earn six points per US dollar spent on airfare, and 12 points per US dollar spent on upgrades, baggage allowances, and food and beverage purchases (1 US dollar is roughly equivalent to CA$1.40). On the ground, travellers can earn up to 10 points per US dollar for select promotions.
Residents of the U.S. and a number of South and Central American countries can also earn Free Spirit points with the airline’s credit cards. The Free Spirit Travel Mastercard offers bonus miles when spending on airfare, while the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard offers bonuses on Spirit tickets and eligible dining and grocery store purchases.
After earning 2,000 qualifying points in a year from travel or credit card spending, Spirit travellers reach the Silver tier. Silver members get free exit row seating, free priority security screening, a better boarding group, and one free checked bag.
Earning 5,000 qualifying points in a year unlocks Spirit Gold status. In addition to all the Silver benefits, Gold passengers get both a free checked and carry-on bag, one free snack and drink onboard, Zone 1 boarding, and a pet fee waiver. Both Silver and Gold members can also start a points pool, where family and friends can come together and collectively use their points for free travel.
Points can be redeemed for discounted or free flights with Spirit. Travellers can use a Points + Cash fare to reduce the cash price of their tickets. Points won’t expire as long as you earn points in a 12-month period, or hold one of the two Spirit credit cards.
Spirit $avers Club: Access to the lowest fares
For Spirit’s most loyal travellers, the Spirit Savers Club offers the airline’s deepest discounts on everything from airfare to options. Unlike Free Spirit, there’s a fee to join the club. Active students get a 20% discount when joining.
In exchange, you get access to exclusive fares, and discounts on checked bags, carry-on bags, and seat choices for up to eight people travelling together. You will also get to save money when upgrading to priority security and boarding lines, along with exclusive savings from the airline’s partners.
Joining the Spirit Savers Club only makes sense if you are planning to fly with Spirit more than once or twice per year. If you aren’t going to be a regular aboard the big yellow aircraft, you probably won’t get the full value of the program.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
