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Customers 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 its 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: Spirit’s baggage policy states the maximum checked bag weight allowed is 40 pounds (18 kg). This is 10 pounds (5 kg) less than the standard average, and you’d better believe you’ll be paying extra for that difference.
1 Personal Item: FREE with Bare Fare
Standard Carry-on Bag:
Fees depend on the route and when you purchase your bags, and Spirit advises passengers to use its baggage calculator. After running a few searches, we found the consistent fees below, but be sure to check your specific route.
During Booking:
Before Online Check-in:
During Online Check-in:
Airport Reservation Desk: $79
At Gate: $99
Size Restrictions
Lap Infant Carry-on Policy
Stroller Check Policy
All checked bags must adhere to a max weight of 40 pounds (18.1 kg) and must adhere to max linear dimensions of 62 inches (158 cm).
Spirit Airlines considers several items in its fee calculations, including the route, dates of travel, and Spirit Saver$ Club or standard fare. We ran some searches and found consistent fees below.
For the most personal/accurate baggage fee calculations, please use Spirit’s online baggage calculator tool.
| Checked Bag (Fees Are Route Dependent) | During Spirit.com Booking | Before Online Check-in | During Online Check-in | Airport, Group Desk, Reservations Center | At Gate | |||
| Spirit Saver$ Club | Standard | Spirit Saver$ Club | Standard | Spirit Saver$ Club | Standard | |||
| First bag | $54 to $63 | $55 to $64 | $56 to $65 | $57 to $66 | $58 to $67 | $59 to $68 | $79 | $99 |
| Second bag | $64 to $73 | $65 to $74 | $66 to $75 | $67 to $76 | $68 to $77 | $69 to $78 | $89 | N/A |
| Third through fifth bags | $98 | $99 | $98 | $99 | $98 | $99 | $100 | N/A |
Some routes may limit the number of checked bags allowed (please refer to the online baggage calculator tool).
Hot Tip: Those with Spirit Airlines Gold status receive a free carry-on and checked bag on all Spirit flights.
Overweight Fee
41 to 50 pounds (18 to 23 kg): $59
51 to 100 pounds (23 to 45 kg): $99
Oversized Fee
63 to 80 linear inches (158 to 203 cm): $100
Special items over 80 linear inches (203 cm): $150
For baggage fees related to special luggage (sporting equipment, musical instruments, etc.) please refer to Spirit Airlines’ policy.
Spirit Airlines does allow passengers the ability to prepay for luggage online, via the mobile app, or by contacting its call center.
Here are the ways you can prepay:
For active-duty military, Spirit will provide 2 free checked bags and a free carry-on, in addition to the free personal item. This does not extend to family members.
Neither of Spirit Airlines’ 2 co-branded credit cards offers any baggage benefits, so if you need to pay for checked luggage, consider using one of the cards below to offset the cost:
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To see more airline baggage fees and policies, click here.
Spirit allows passengers to bring 1 personal item for free but it charges for standard carry-on.
During Booking:
Before Online Check-in:
During Online Check-in:
Airport Reservation Desk: $79
At Gate: $99
You could take a backpack on Spirit Airlines for free as your personal item, provided the measurements of the backpack do not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches. If it is larger than these measurements you would incur a fee for standard carry-on with a maximum size allowance of 22 x 18 x 10 inches.
For most routes, Spirit’s checked baggage fees vary depending on whether you’re a Spirit Saver$ Club member, the route, and when and where you add your baggage. Check the table in this article for more information.
Spirit Airlines will provide active-duty military with 2 checked bags and a carry-on piece for free in addition to the free personal item.
For overweight baggage, Spirit charges $59 for bags weighing 41 to 50 pounds and $99 for bags weighing 51 to 100 pounds. If your bags are oversized (63 to 80 inches) then you will be charged $100; for special items over 80 inches, the fee is $150.
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An experienced points hacker, Erin is Alex’s partner-in-crime and contributes to Upgraded Points with in-depth guides and relationship management. Erin’s work has been cited in multiple major publications.
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