Spirit Airlines Baggage Fees & How To Avoid Paying Them! [2018]
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You need to be careful about how charges like baggage fees add up on budget airlines like Spirit.
Spirit Airlines does not include any bags in their base allowance (Bare Fare), not even carry-ons. Additionally, baggage prices increase the closer you get to take-off. This means your best bet is to buy your allowance during your initial booking.
Another consideration: the max checked bag weight allowed on Spirit is 40lbs. This is 10lbs less than the standard average and you’d better believe you’ll be paying extra for that difference.
Table of Contents
Spirit Airlines Carry-On Allowance:
1 personal item: FREE with Bare Fare
Standard carry-on bag:
During Booking:
- $9 fare club – $26
- Standard – $35
Before & During Online Check-In:
- $9 fare club – $36
- Standard – $45
Airport Reservation Desk: $55
At Gate: $65
Size Restrictions
- Personal: 18″ x 14″ x 8″
- Standard: 22″ x 18″ x10″
Lap Infant Carry-On Policy
- Breast pumps and baby formula are allowed to be carried onto an aircraft and don’t count against your carry-on allowance.
Spirit Airlines Checked Baggage Allowance:
All checked bags must adhere to a max weight of 40lbs and must adhere to max linear dimensions of 62 inches.
Spirit Airlines considers a number of items in their fee calculations, including: route, dates of travel, and $9 fare club or Standard fare. The following table displays general fees for MOST* routes. For the most personal/ accurate baggage fee calculations, please use of Spirit’s online baggage calculator tool here.
| Checked Bag | During Spirit.com Booking | Before Online Check-In | During Online Check-In | Airport, Group Desk, Res Center | At Gate | |||
| 1st Bag | $21 | $30 | $31 | $40 | $31 | $40 | $50 | $65 |
| 2nd Bag | $31 | $40 | $41 | $50 | $41 | $50 | $60 | n/a |
| 3rd-5th Bags | $76 | $85 | $86 | $95 | $86 | $95 | $100 | n/a |
| $9 Fare Club | Std | $9 Fare Club | Std | $9 Fare Club | Std | |||
*Some routes may limit the number of checked bags allowed (please refer to online baggage calculator tool).
Credit Cards That Reimburse You For Checked Bag and Carry-On Fees
Spirit is notorious for fees, but you can use a few different credit cards to reimburse your checked bag and carry-on fees.
| Credit Card | Fee Reimbursement Details |
|---|---|
| 💳 Barclays Arrival® Premier World Elite MasterCard® | Use your miles to cover any qualifying travel purchases of $100 or more, including baggage fees. Rates & Fees |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ | $300 travel credit per calendar year (covers all travel related purchases). |
| Citi Prestige Card | $250 air travel credit per calendar year (covers all travel related purchases) |
| Chase Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card | $300 airline fee credit per calendar year (covers all travel related purchases) |
Additional / Excess Baggage Fees:
Overweight Fee
41 – 50lb: $30
51 – 70lb: $55
71 – 100lb: $100
Oversized Fee
63 – 80cm: $100
Special items over 80cm: $150
Exclusions & Waivers:
For active duty military, Spirit will provide two free checked bags and a free carry-on, in addition to the already free personal item.
I’m confused about the credit card reimbersment ? If I use my card are they going to charge extra on it when I go online to check my bag?
Nope, what happens is you pay for the bags and then your credit card company will reimburse the fee. The “how” depends on your specific credit card, e.g. it might be a statement credit or you might be able to use points to offset that cost when your statement is ready to be paid.