4 Things the Spirit Airlines Frequent Flyer Program Gets Right

The Free Spirit program lets members earn rewards through flying, spending on a Spirit credit card and more.
Elina Geller
By Elina Geller 
Updated
Edited by Kevin Berry

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Spirit Airlines might have a reputation for add-on fees that offset its low base rate, but the airline’s recently revamped frequent flyer program has its share of perks. With a little bit of savviness, you can take advantage of low flight prices and great rewards.

Here are four things the airline’s frequent flyer program, aptly named Free Spirit, gets right.

1. The price is right

Anyone can sign-up for Spirit’s rewards program free of charge.

The introductory level is Free Spirit, which allows members to earn 6x points on fares. Silver and Gold elites earn 8x and 10x points on fares, respectively. Á La Smarte options, which are purchases for things like seats and bags earn double the rate of points (12x, 16x and 20x).

Earning elite status

For Silver or Gold status with Spirit, you would need to earn 2,000 or 5,000 Status Qualifying Points (SQPs). SQPs are earned in two ways:

  • When booking travel with Spirit, you earn 1 SQP for each $1 spent on flights, seats, bags and other extras.

  • When using one of Spirit's co-branded credit cards (the Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® or the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®), you earn 1 SQP for every $10 spent on everyday purchases.

So, if you wanted to reach Silver status, you would either need to spend $2,000 on travel purchases with Spirit, charge $20,000 on one of the cards, or a combination of the two.

2. Redeem for free flights (when you plan ahead)

If you do trip planning and book a flight more than 28 days in advance, you can avoid the redemption fee altogether. Booking 28 days or fewer before departure incurs a $50 fee.

Book travel online to avoid over-the-phone reservation charges and check in online to avoid a $10 boarding pass fee at the airport.

3. Credit card purchases earn extra points

Issued by Bank of America, Spirit Airlines has two credit cards to choose from:

  • Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® (annual fee: $0): Online offer: Earn 10,000 Bonus Points after making at least $500 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. This card earns 2x points per $1 on Spirit purchases and 1x points on everything else.

  • Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® (annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $79): Earn 50,000 Bonus Points + $100 Flight Voucher after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. This card earns 3x points per $1 on Spirit purchases, 2x points on dining and groceries, and 1x points on everything else.

4. Dining, cruises and more offer additional ways to save

Like most airline rewards programs, Spirit allows you to earn points with its partners. You can earn points through the Free Spirit Dining program, Free Spirit Cruises, online shopping, car rentals and more.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Points
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-6.5%

Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
See more travel cards
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