What are Spirit Airline's bag fees?
- Spirit allows 1 small 18″ x 14″ x 8″ personal bag for free
- Carry on and checked bags cost $30-$100 each
- Large or heavy checked bags cost an extra $75-$150 each
- Active military and parents get additional free bags
Spirit Airlines is known for offering crazy-cheap airfare to a surprising (and growing) number of airports around the world. With low-cost flights, you might be wondering if Spirit Airlines baggage fees are where they’ll getcha.
After reviewing the Spirit Airlines baggage fees and policies, we’ve discovered that their pricing structure is generally in line with other airlines. That’s great news if you’re trying to keep your flight as budget-friendly as possible!
Continue on to glean all the info you need to know about Spirit Airlines baggage fees, allowed bag dimensions, free baggage offers, and more in our complete guide.
How Much Are Spirit Airlines Baggage Fees?
Spirit Airlines baggage fees are comparable to many of the most popular airlines. Where Spirit differs from other popular airlines is in their carry on baggage pricing and allowances.
Many airlines allow passengers to bring both a personal bag and carry on bag for free (even in economy), but Spirit only allows a free personal bag (like a laptop bag or purse) in most cases.
When you fly with Spirit Airlines, you get to bring 1 free small personal bag, like a purse or laptop bag. You’ll place your personal bag into a box to ensure it doesn’t exceed the size limit before you fly.
If you’re bringing a carry on or checking baggage, that can cost anywhere from $30 to $100 per bag. The more checked bags you bring, the more it costs.
The baggage cost depends on whether or not you pre-pay for bags, bag weight and dimensions, your departure and arrival destination, and whether or not you’re a member of the Spirit Saver$ Club.
Heavy (41-100 lb.) and larger checked bags (62+ linear inches) with unique contents (like musical instruments or sports equipment) cost more. Additional weight and size fees can range from $75 to $150 per bag.
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But there are some special baggage “loopholes” that many passengers don’t know about when flying with Spirit.
Parents of kids under 2 are allowed to bring a diaper bag in addition to their personal bag at no extra cost. Parents of young children can check a stroller, double stroller, or car seat for free as well.
If you or one of your party uses a wheelchair, you may be able to check it or bring it as a carry on for free.
Personal items like cameras, umbrellas, assistive devices (like canes), coats and hats, magazines and books, and snacks for the flight are free to bring along. Neck pillows are free to bring if they fit into your personal bag.
Spirit Airlines provides active duty military service members with 2 free checked bags and a free carry-on bag in addition to the free personal item.
If you’re a military service member, just use ID.ME during booking to verify your military ID and get your free additional bag offer. You can also present your ID at the counter, but you should arrive early to do it this way.
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Current Spirit Airlines Baggage Fees
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Spirit Airlines baggage fees vary from $0 for a personal bag to as much as $150 for overweight or oversized checked bags.
It all depends on how many bags you’re carrying, their size and weight, contents, when you pay for the baggage, and whether or not you’re a member of the Saver$ Club.
The best time to pay for your baggage is during booking, when the cost is cheapest. Checked bags were as much as $68 cheaper when paid for during booking as opposed to at the airport gate!
If you forgot to add baggage during booking, make sure to pay for it before online check in (as much as $66 less than paying at the gate) or during online check in (as much as $60 less than at the gate).
Waiting to pay at the airport reservation desk can save you around $10, while you’ll pay full price – $99/bag – at the airport gate and are limited to 1 carry on and 1 checked bag.
Let’s take a look at the range of Spirit Airlines baggage fees and how much you can expect to pay.
| During Booking | Before Online Check-In | During Online Check-In | At the Airport Desk | At the Airport Gate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Personal Bag | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Carry-On Bag | $36-$63 | $38-$65 | $44-$71 | $89 | $89 |
| With Saver$ Club | $35-$62 | $37-$64 | $43-$70 | -- | -- |
| 1st Checked Bag | $31-$58 | $33-$60 | $39-$66 | $89 | $89 |
| With Saver$ Club | $30-$57 | $32-$59 | $38-$65 | -- | -- |
| 2nd Checked Bag | $71-$89 | $73-$91 | $81-$99 | $99 | -- |
| With Saver$ Club | $70-$88 | $72-$90 | $80-$98 | -- | -- |
| 3rd-5th Checked Bag | $99 | $99 | $99 | $100 | -- |
| With Saver$ Club | $98 | $98 | $98 | -- | -- |
The cheapest baggage fees we found were for shorter flights, like from Tampa to Ft. Lauderdale or Nashville to Myrtle Beach. Carry on bags were as low as $36 and 1st checked bags were as low as $31.
Longer flights, like from Oakland to Salt Lake City or New York to San Diego, had mid-tier baggage fees with carry ons as low as $48 and 1st checked bags as low as $43.
The highest baggage fees we found through Spirit were for international flights, like from Armenia to Baltimore. These baggage fees ranged from $65-$99/each.
Keep in mind that these general baggage fees only cover bags that meet and don’t exceed the Spirit Airlines baggage dimensions and weight limits! We’ll take a look at those next.
Spirit Airlines Baggage Dimensions
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Making sure your bags are within the allowable dimensions is essential to avoid overweight and oversized charges. Spirit Airlines allows you to bring 3 basic types of baggage if you choose:
- Personal bag
- Carry-on bag
- Checked bag(s)
One personal bag is included free with your ticket purchase. You’ll have to pay for a carry-on bag or checked bags. You’ll pay more if the bags are larger or heavier than the Spirit policy states.
So what are the allowable Spirit Airlines baggage dimensions? Let’s take a look.
Personal bags must be no larger than 18 inches high, 14 inches wide, and 8 inches deep (18″ x 14″ x 8″), including handles and wheels. This means most purses and laptop bags are okay to bring along as your personal bag.
Carry on bags must be no larger than 22 inches high, 18 inches wide, and 10 inches deep (22″ x 18″ x 10″), including wheels and handles. If your carry on is larger, it will need to be checked.
Checked bags must be no larger than 62 linear inches, or the sum total of all the dimensions (height, width, and depth). For example, a 30″ x 20″ x 10″ suitcase would be 60 linear inches and allowed by Spirit as a checked bag.
Checked bags must be 40 pounds or lighter and meet the dimension requirements including wheels and handles to avoid additional fees.
Checked bags heavier than 40 pounds or larger than 62 linear inches will be charged an extra fee:
- 41-50 lbs: $79/bag fee
- 51-100 lbs: $125/bag fee
- 63-80 linear inches: $150/bag fee
- 80+ linear inches: $150/bag fee
If you’re bringing irregularly shaped/sized items like musical instruments or sports equipment, extra fees may apply. Small musical instruments can be placed in carry-on baggage as long as they fit with no additional fee.
Large musical instruments packed properly in a case or container must be checked and will be charged the additional per bag fee if they weigh more than 40 pounds or are larger than 62 linear inches.
Sports equipment can be checked on a Spirit flight, like bicycles ($75 fee), surf boards (up to 2 in one bag for $100 fee), skis, snowboards, and golf clubs. Overweight fees may apply if the item is 40+ pounds.
Spirit Airlines International Baggage Fees
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What about Spirit Airlines baggage fees when you’re flying out of the country? International baggage fees tend to be higher due to the increased fuel cost for carrying more weight across a longer distance.
Taking a look at the table you saw previously in this guide, you can assume your baggage fees will be on the higher end of the range when flying internationally with Spirit (around $65-$99 per bag).
There are some additional baggage rules in place for international flights through Spirit Airlines that are important to know as well.
| Where? | When? | Baggage Rules |
|---|---|---|
| All international airports | 12/1 - 1/10 each year | 1 paid checked bag per person with additional checked bags offered first-come, first-serve Overweight + oversized bags are charged extra |
| Lima, Peru (LIM) | Year-round plus extra restrictions 12/1 - 1/10 | 1 paid checked bag per person with additional checked bags offered first-come, first-serve |
| Colombia (BGA, BAQ, CLO, CTG, MDE) | Year-round plus extra restrictions 12/1 - 1/10 | 1 paid checked bag per person with additional checked bags offered first-come, first-serve |
| Ecuador (GYE) | Year-round plus extra restrictions 12/1 - 1/10 | 1 paid checked bag per person with additional checked bags offered first-come, first-serve |
As you can see, these are generally the same rules that apply to flying with Spirit in the United States with the added limitation of 1 paid checked bag allowed and others offered only on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Things to Consider
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What else should you know about navigating Spirit Airlines baggage fees? Here are a few of our best air travel baggage tips when you’re flying with Spirit.
- The shorter your flight, the cheaper baggage fees are. It’s not true 100% of the time, but in most of our test searches, this statement held up. Short flights tend to have lower baggage fees, so if you’re not flying across the country or internationally, you’ll probably be on the lower end of the baggage fee spectrum.
- Consider joining the Saver$ Club. A 12-month membership to the Spirit Saver$ Club costs $69.95 for the entire year and saves you about $1 off each bag fee when you fly. The real savings happen with airfare deals exclusive to Saver$ Club members.
- Pack only what you need. You’ll always save more on Spirit Airlines baggage fees when you bring fewer bags. Do you really need a carry on in addition to a personal bag? Do you qualify for any free bags (parent, military, etc.)? Can you make due with just 1 checked bag? Pare down your packing list to save money on baggage.
- Make sure your bags fit the dimensions. You don’t want to end up paying to check a carry on bag that’s too big or having a checked bag refused for being oversized or overweight. Weigh and measure your bags before leaving for the airport and compare to the dimensions in the guide to make sure it’ll be allowed.
- Know what’s free to bring. If you need to bring a wheelchair, stroller, diaper bag, car seat, camera, snacks, or reading materials for the flight that won’t quite fit into your free personal bag, don’t worry! These are all items Spirit Airlines allows you to bring on the flight at no additional cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
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People that are wondering about Spirit Airlines baggage fees also have a few more questions on the topic. Take a look at the FAQs below to learn more!
How much do Spirit Airlines charge for baggage?
Spirit Airlines allows a free personal bag and charges $35-$99 for carry on, $30-$99 for 1 checked bag, and $70-$99 for each checked bag after that (up to 5). The earlier you add your additional bags to your booking, the cheaper they are.
You’ll pay the most ($89-$99) when you wait to pay for baggage through Spirit Airlines at the airport desk or departure gate.
How many bags does Spirit allow for free?
Spirit allows 1 small personal bag (like a purse or laptop bag) no larger than 18”x14”x8” for free.
Carry on bags and checked bags cost $30-$99 each or more if the bag is over 40 lbs. or over 62 linear inches in size.
Is Spirit strict about personal item size?
Yes, Spirit is strict about personal item size because even small weight and capacity differences can affect the plane’s fuel usage for the flight and passenger space in the plane.
Spirit Airlines will have you place your personal bag into a small box that determines whether or not it meets the proper dimensions.
Do you get a personal item on Spirit?
Yes, Spirit Airlines allows you to bring 1 small personal bag along on the flight for free with your paid ticket. The bag must not exceed 18”x14”x8” to avoid incurring additional fees.
Spirit also allows you to bring personal items that may not fit into a bag, like an umbrella, stroller, car seat, wheelchair, cane, coat, hat, reading materials, or snacks for no additional cost.
Can you bring a purse and backpack on Spirit for free?
You can bring only 1 personal item - like a purse or a backpack - on Spirit Airlines flights for free. If you want to bring both, you will need to pay $35-$99 since the backpack will be charged as a carry on bag.
If the backpack is being used as your diaper bag and you have a child 2 years old or younger, Spirit will allow you to bring it for free.
So, Are Spirit Airlines Baggage Fees Cheap?
Spirit Airlines baggage fees aren’t super cheap or expensive – they’re right in the middle and considered on par with other airlines.
With a free personal bag included with your ticket and carry on and checked bags ranging from $30 to $99 when pre-paid, the cost for baggage isn’t too bad on Spirit Airlines.
Pay for your baggage when you book to save the most, when costs for a carry on and 1st checked bag range from $30-$63 per bag.
The cost creeps up when you wait to purchase your additional baggage allowances at the airport. You’ll pay $89-$100 per bag at the airport.
If you fly often enough and want to score deals on flights while saving about a dollar off your baggage fees, consider joining the Saver$ Club.
If not, pack light (1 checked bag) and stuff what you can into your small personal bag – it’s the best way to save on baggage through Spirit.