Summary

  • Spirit Airlines offers packages for fees: Boost It and Bundle It, with seat selection, baggage, and shortcut boarding.
  • Baggage fees for carry-ons and checked bags vary depending on the route, time of payment, and weight of the bags.
  • Spirit’s membership program, Spirit $avers, offers discounts and points for flights and fees, with prices from $69.95 to $129.90.

Spirit Airlines started as a typical, full-service airline. However, the airline changed its business model in 2008 and became the Spirit Airlines we know and have a love/hate relationship with. The airline marketed itself as the only unbundled airline, with no-frills tickets that offer point-to-point travel for just the passenger and a personal item.

However, times have changed, and in 2017, Spirit Airlines introduced plenty of bundles for passengers to choose from. It is far from the unbundled airline it once was. But all these fares, bundles, and add-ons overwhelm passengers trying to book a cheap flight. This guide will outline the different types of bundles Spirit offers and which one you should choose.

For this guide, we will use the values sourced by Nerdwallet for a $26 flight from Seattle to Las Vegas.

Bundle packages

Spirit offers two main packages: Boost it and Bundle it. Here’s what you need to know about both of these bundles.

Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Photo: Raleigh–Durham International Airport

Boost it

For an additional $52.99, the Boost It package offers the following:

  • Seat selection (limited to standard seats and the exit row)
  • Personal item
  • Checked bag plus 10 lbs added weight (50 lbs total)
  • Shortcut boarding

For an additional $64.99, the Bundle It package offers the following:

  • Seat selection (limited to standard seats and the exit row)
  • Personal item
  • Checked bag plus 10 lbs added weight (50 lbs total)
  • Shortcut boarding
  • 2x flight miles

More fees

Planning ahead is paramount when flying ultra-budget carriers like Spirit Airlines and its competitor Frontier Airlines. The more you need the airline to do, the more the fees increase. A simple example is the check-in process.

Check-in fees

You can check in online for free and print your boarding pass at home. However, if you forget to do so and have to check in at the kiosk at the airport, you’ll have to pay an additional $2 fee to print your boarding pass. If you want a human touch, you’ll be charged $10 for an agent to check you in and print your boarding pass at the counter.

Spirit Airlines Airbus A320neo departing FLL shutterstock_2436315101

Photo: HMBSoFL Photography | Shutterstock

However, there are circumstances where the fee is waived. For example, the fee is waived if you have a lap infant, have a military ID or other ID that prevents an online check-in, or are traveling as an unaccompanied minor.

Baggage fees

Most airline ticket prices include baggage fees for personal items, carry-ons, and one or two checked bags. However, Spirit charges passengers for all bags except a personal item.

The airline defines a personal item as anything 18 by 14 by 8 inches or smaller. Most modern backpacks are bigger than this, so passengers will have to purchase extra baggage. The cost of bringing on bags is often more than the cost of flying the person. Here are the size allowances for bags by Spirit:

  • Personal item: 18 x 14 x 8 inches
  • Carry-on: 22 x 18 x 10 inches, including handle and wheels
  • Checked bag: Maximum linear length of 62 inches, including handles and wheels

Spirit also doesn’t have fixed baggage prices. They fluctuate depending on the route and when you pay for them.

When the bags are added Carry-on 1st Checked bag 2nd Checked bag
Initial booking on Spirit.com $35 $33 $42
After booking, before checking in online $45 $43 $52
During online check-in $45 $43 $52
At the airport check-in counter $55 $50 $60
At the gate $65 $65 N/A

As you can see, the closer you get to departure, the more you pay. Passengers who add baggage at the last minute rather than when they first book the flight can end up paying twice the fees.

In addition, the prices also change based on the weight of the bags. The prices in the table above are for bags that weigh 40 lbs or less. If you carry more weight, there is an additional charge on top of the baggage fee.

Weight/Size Additional Charge
41–50 lbs $50
51–70 lbs $75
71–100 lbs $75
Items measuring 63–80 inches $100
Items over 80 inches $150
Bicycles $75
Surfboard (maximum of 2 per bag) $100

Membership benefits

Spirit has a membership program that gives customers discounts and points called Spirit $avers, which they can use towards flights and fees.

Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 landing at Orlando International Airport MCO shutterstock_1537700198

Photo: VIAVAL TOURS | Shutterstock

The membership costs are as follows:

  • $69.95 for 12 months
  • $$99.90 for 18 months
  • 129.90 for 24 months

Upon signing up for the service, the fees must be paid in a lump sum. It offers customers discounts, special fares, and other amenities.

Related

Spirit Airlines Baggage Fees: Everything You Need To Know

As the largest ultra-low-cost major American airline, Spirit charges for luggage – including carry on luggage.

Seat selection fees

Many airlines today charge passengers an extra fee for selecting a particular seat. However, ultra-budget airlines are the pioneers of this practice. At Spirit, seat reservations start at a minimum of $5. These fees also fluctuate depending on the route.

Standard seat selection costs $12-18 on the previously mentioned route. However, seats with extra legroom will set you back even more: $40 for the wider, extra-legroom seats in the front row and $20 for the emergency aisle seats.

Shortcut boarding

If you want to get through security and be the first onboard the aircraft, you can. You just need to pay another fee. Spirit calls it “shortcut boarding,” the service starts at $7.99 but doesn’t exceed $20.

N682NK Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-231

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

However, it isn’t a TSA pre-check. You’ll still have to go through the usual rigamarole, but you’ll have an expedited lane, so it’ll be slightly faster.

Food and beverage fees

In full-service carriers, fees for in-flight food and alcoholic beverages are often complimentary. Airlines in the US have always been more frugal, but even regional airlines such as Delta Connection will throw a packet of peanuts your way. However, Spirit offers nothing for free.

All refreshments are chargeable. Coffee costs $2, while sodas and juices cost a dollar more. Alcoholic beverages like beer and wine will set you back $8, and snacks like cookies and chips start at $3.

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