Sweet Spots for Redeeming Spirit Airlines Points

As a budget airline, Spirit Airlines is known for its cheap fares. Redeeming Free Spirit points for award flights can also be a pretty good deal. In fact, with award flights starting at just 2,500 points per direction of travel, you may be closer to paying with points than you think.

But if you hope to make your Free Spirit points go further, several sweet spots will help you get more bang for your proverbial buck. We scoured the spirit.com booking calendar to find these sweet spots for redeeming points for Spirit Airlines flights.

Learn more: The guide to Free Spirit by Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines award sweet spots

Dallas to Cancun, Mexico

Treat yourself to a little fun in the sun; for as little as 2,500 points, you can get yourself from the sprawling metropolis of Dallas to the beach in Cancun. Not all award flights will be as affordable as this, but depending on the time of year, you can expect to find quite a few of these low-priced award fares.

Orlando, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico

Surfing, beaches, oceanfront properties and vibrant culture are all within reach in San Juan — and for fewer points than you might think.

Again, availability of the lowest-priced award flights may vary depending on the season, and flexibility is key if you want the best award rate, but nonstop fares from Orlando to Puerto Rico can be had for as little as 4,500 Free Spirit points (even less if you’re part of the Saver$ Club).

This is a cheap-flight getaway with a good point value that offers a refreshing change of scenery, and you don’t even need a passport!

Boston to Las Vegas

For a flight that crosses such a large percentage of the continental U.S., you can’t do much better than a flight from Boston to Las Vegas for around 4,000 Free Spirit points.

You may have to be flexible to find such a good award rate during more popular travel times, but if you’re not picky about when you head to the desert for live entertainment, outdoor recreation or casino fun, they’re not hard to find and many are even nonstop.

This is a great option for anyone in the New England area within driving distance of the Boston airport.

Chicago to Atlanta

Want to trade one big city’s lights for another? You can head from Chicago-O’Hare to Atlanta for fine dining, sports, and more with Spirit Airlines — and you can do it with points. As few as 5,000, in fact.

While you’ll have to pick your travel dates carefully (many flights require far more points than 5,000), you can find deals like this peppered throughout the Spirit booking calendar. This sweet spot is out of Chicago-O’Hare specifically, but it’s a great option for anyone in the general area.

Atlantic City, New Jersey, to/from Tampa, Florida

Looking for a sunny escape or the chance to take a seat at a blackjack table? Trade poker chips for theme parks (or vice versa) and do it for fewer points. Starting at just 3,500 Free Spirit points (2,500 for Saver$ Club members), you can book a direct one-way award flight between Atlantic City and Tampa, and live large in whatever way strikes your fancy.

Make sure to keep your travel plans flexible when booking, as the points required for a reward flight can vary drastically from one week to the next. Some can be as costly as 30,500 points (like during spring break season).

» Learn more: Ways to earn Free Spirit Points

Redeeming Spirit points

After you’ve earned some Free Spirit points and you’re ready to redeem them, there are plenty of ways to do so. But the best way to find the lowest award fares is to search Spirit’s online fare calendar, which will show you the lowest award rates available for any destination over a range of dates.

You’ll be shown a week’s worth of flight options at a time, but make sure to check prices for the weeks before and after your ideal dates to see if prices (and point requirements) change dramatically.

And while award fares start as low as 2,500 for a one-way flight, if you don’t have quite enough, there's no need to sweat. Simply take advantage of the airline’s points pooling feature, which is available to Spirit credit card holders (the Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® or the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®) and Silver and Gold elite status members. This program allows you and up to eight friends and family to collect Free Spirit points together and earn an award flight faster.

You can also pay with points plus cash (as long as you have at least 1,000 points) if you don’t have quite enough points for your flight.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

The best ways to use Spirit points recapped

If you’re planning to book any Spirit Airlines flights with points this year, there are plenty of good deals to be had. Whether you’re looking for nightlife, fun and games, beaches or family activities, with so many direct flights to destinations in the U.S. and beyond, you’re sure to find a flight that makes for a very pleasing award rate.

And while you won’t find as many amenities available when traveling on this budget airline, the rock-bottom award rates often more than make up for it.