Spirit Airlines, like Frontier Airlines, is a super-budget carrier known for its extremely low base rates with a la carte charges for just about anything. The airline mainly flies within the United States, but also has routes to destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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Free Spirit is the carrier’s frequent flyer program, recently relaunched to include new elite status levels, cheap award flights, valuable perks and cobranded cards. But will the improved Free Spirit program be enough to lure you in as a new client and turn you into a loyal Spirit Airlines passenger? Keep reading to find out. For other airline loyalty programs, see the best frequent flyer programs for earning & redeeming points/miles.
| Domestic Hubs | Atlantic City, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando |
| Personal Credit Cards | Free Spirit Travel Mastercard Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard |
| Business Credit Cards | No business credit card |
| Redemption Options | Award flights, magazines, online games |
| Average Mile Value | $0.005 |
Free Spirit Elite Status
There are three Free Spirit elite tiers: Free Spirit, Silver, Gold. Eligibility is determined by Free Spirit Status Qualifying Points (SQPs), which is calculated by every dollar you spend with Spirit, as well as eligible purchases made with your Free Spirit Credit Card (more on cobranded cards later).
| TIER | ELIGIBILITY |
| Free Spirit | No requirements |
| Silver | 2,000 SQPs |
| VIP | 5,000 SQPs |
Free Spirit Silver members receive 8x points on fares and 16x points on Spirit extras, plus:
- Ability to host a points pool
- Redemption fee waiver
- Free seat selection at check-in (excluding exit rows and Big Front Seats)
- Free exit row seat selection (3 hours before departure)
- Free same-day standby
- Shortcut boarding
- Dedicated guest care phone number
Free Spirit Gold members enjoy 10x points on fares, 12x points on Spirit extras, all Silver-level benefits, and:
- Free seat selection at booking
- Free full-sized carry-on bag
- First checked bag free
- Free snack and drink on board
- Free modification to your itinerary once online (up to 24 hours before departure)
The ability to pool points is a new feature of the revamped Free Spirit program. This perk allows you to combine Free Spirit points with up to eight family members and friends, so you can earn award flights faster.
*For up-to-date information, see Spirit Airline’s website.
Earning Free Spirit Points
Free Spirit points are earned based on dollars spent, rather than the miles you fly, so you’ll receive points for every Spirit Airlines purchase. The primary way to earn Free Spirit points is by having elite status:
| FREE SPIRIT | SILVER | GOLD |
| 6x points on fares | 8x points on fares | 10x points on fares |
| 12x points on extras* | 16x points on extras* | 20x points on extras* |
*Known as À La Smarte options, extras include spending on bags, seats and more. For more information on earning points, click here.
Other ways to earn Free Spirit points include:
Spirit Airlines offers two personal credit cards, issued by Bank of America. Using a cobranded card is great way to earn Free Spirit points.
| FREE SPIRIT TRAVEL MASTERCARD | FREE SPIRIT TRAVEL MORE WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD |
| Welcome Bonus 10k points $500 spend in your first 90 days | Welcome Bonus 40k points + $100 Companion Flight Voucher $1k spend in your first 90 days |
| Ongoing Rewards 3x points on Spirit purchases – 1x points on everything else | Ongoing Rewards 3x points on Spirit purchases 2x points on dining & groceries 1x points on everything else |
| Anniversary Bonus 5,000 points $10k spend the previous year | Anniversary Bonus $100 Companion Flight Voucher $5k spend the previous year |
| Additional Spirit Benefits Points pooling 25% inflight rebate Zone 2 shortcut boarding Points do not expire – – | Additional Spirit Benefits Points pooling 25% inflight rebate Zone 2 shortcut boarding Points do not expire 1 SQP for every $10 charged to card Waived redemption fees |
| Other Notable Benefits No foreign transaction fees – | Other Notable Benefits No foreign transaction fees Free monthly FICO Score |
| Annual Fee $0 | Annual Fee $79, waived 1st year |
Earn Free Spirit miles with the following hotel partners:
Choice Hotels. 250 miles for each stay in the United States, Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, Europe and Australia.
PointsHound. Up to 6,000 miles per night at over 150,000 hotels worldwide.
And the following rental car partners:
Avis. 500 miles on rentals of 3+ days and save up to 35%.
Budget. 300 miles on rentals of 4+ days and save up to 35%.
Hertz. Up to 500 miles per rental.
Payless. Earn 50 miles per rental day and save 5% on rentals in the United States and Canada.
And the following everyday partners:
Free Spirit Dining. 1,000 miles when you spend $30 within your first 30 days. Up to 5x miles at more than 10,000 restaurants, bars and clubs.
Free Spirit Online Mall. 1,000 miles for your first online purchase.
Spirit Cruises. Up to 10,000 miles per cruise.
Miles for Thoughts. 400 miles when you sign up and complete your first survey. Get additional miles for every survey you complete.
MyPoints. 250 miles after 30 days of membership. Get another 500 miles when you make your first qualifying purchase in the first 30 days.
Swagbucks. Up to 750 miles, plus free gift cards, for your online activities.
Ticket Club. Free membership, plus $10 off your first purchase.
Vinesse Wine Club. 5,000 miles and 6 wines for $6.99 per bottle.
You can purchase points at $0.025 apiece. Because we value each Free Spirit point at an average of $0.005 each, we strongly advise against buying points.
SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PREMIER CREDIT CARD
Earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. We value each Southwest point at an average 1.5 cents a piece, or $750 for the 50,000 points. The best value will be redemption for flights. As with most other airline rewards cards, point value can vary a lot depending on flight time, destination, etc.
You’ll also get 6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on Southwest Airline purchases. Also, earn 2 points for every $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, and on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming. You’ll get 1 point for every $1 on all other purchases. You’ll get 1 point for every $1 on all other purchases.
There are no foreign transaction fees with this card. Unfortunately, the $99 annual fee isn’t waived for the first year.
Redeeming Free Spirit Points
Free Spirit points can be redeemed for award flights with every seat available on every flight, which means no blackout dates. In March 2021, Spirit Airlines will roll out their new Free Spirit Points + Cash option. Plus, your points will never expire as long as you continue to earn or burn with Spirit Airlines or Free Spirit partners every 12 months, or if you hold a Free Spirit credit card.
Award tickets start as low as 2,500 Free Spirit points. Redemption fees are as follows:
| Flights booked at least 28 days in advance | No redemption fee |
| Flights booked less than 28 days in advance | $50 redemption fee |
| Free Spirit Credit Cardholder | No redemption fee |
| Free Spirit Silver/Gold Member | No redemption fee |
Similar to Southwest Airlines and JetBlue, Spirit does not belong to an alliance. So you don’t have the option to book award flights with partner airlines.
Starting March 2021, you can fly sooner by combining as little as 1,000 points with cash.
Mags For Miles. Use your Free Spirit miles for magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Rates vary.
*For up-to-date information, click here for our source.
Free Spirit Tips & Tricks
Spirit Airlines sends daily emails with limited-time promotional codes for flight discounts. Don’t miss out on these by signing up for the mailing list.
Separate from the Free Spirit frequent flyer program, members of the Spirit Saver$ Club – and up to eight travel companions on the reservation – have access to:
- Discounted fares
- Up to 50% off checked and carry-on bags
- Discounts on seat assignments, including Big Front Seats
- Discounts on additional perks, like Shortcut Boarding and Flight Flex
Membership costs $69.96 for 12 months, $99 for 18 months, or $129.90 for 24 months.
Here are several tips to keep your costs down when you fly with Spirit Airlines:
- Pay for your baggage fees when you book your ticket. Don’t wait to pay for them at the airport when they’re the most expensive.
- Print your boarding pass at home, at the airport kiosk or use a mobile boarding pass from the Spirit Airlines app. Printing the pass at check-in will set you back $10 per person.
- If you’re not picky about your seat, don’t pay for a seat assignment. Spirit Airlines does have a reputation of splitting up families. So if you want to sit together, fork over $12 each for advance seat assignments.
Bottom Line
Spirit Airlines unveiled its improved loyalty program, along with the rebranded Spirit Saver$ Club. With new benefits and credit cards, the revamped Free Spirit program should help capture new clients and turn them into loyal passengers.
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