Spirit Airlines is the king of discount airlines. Are you sure you want to rest your choices? And. Frontier publishes an official award chart, citing that a one-way domestic flight starts at 10,000 miles. You Should Choose Spirit Or Frontier For Your Amex Airline Incidental Credit Dia Adams Editor Reviewed By Caroline Lupini editor Updated: Dec 21, 2022, 6:28pm Editorial Note: We earn a. You can book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars there. Since membership starts as soon you sign up, you should only join once you have an immediate use for it. One more gotcha: The voucher expires in six months. Spirit Airlines fly to 60+ destinations with 500+ daily flights with Ultra Low Fare. No limit to the points you can earn, no points expiration as long as your card account is open, and no redemption fees as a primary cardholder. The membership will renew automatically for the following year, but you can cancel any time. Keep in mind that balance transfers don't earn miles. Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, respectively the largest and second-largest ULCC in the nation by passengers carried, have expanded their route maps significantly and opened up flying to larger swaths of the public in the process. Frontier Airlines World Mastercard: Best feature: Frontier Airlines rewards. Both cards have seen significant improvements over recent years. Next, assess what type of spender you are. For more details, check out our review on the Frontier card and the Free Spirit card. With this promotion, children ages 15 and under fly for free when accompanied by the Discount Den member on select flights. Normally, Frontier charges for these. Gregory Karp is a former NerdWallet writer and an expert in personal finance and credit cards. First to hear about offers, promotions and new destinations, Discounts on seat assignments, including the Big Front Seats, Discounts on additional perks, such as Shortcut Boarding and Flight Flex, Related: Which low-cost carrier should you fly? Elite 50K members get 50% off, while Elite 100K members get complimentary membership. 5 miles per dollar spent on purchases from Frontier. All non-bonus-category spending earns 1 point per dollar spent. Free Spirit members earn 6x points on fares and 12x points on optional add-on items like baggage and seat selection. The primary benefit of the program is access to discounted Discount Den fares. Spirit Airlines fly to 60 . Although a checked bag will usually cost you less than a carry-on bag, standing in Spirit's notoriously long bag drop lines at some airports may not be worth the savings. And if your ticket price is less than $100, you forfeit the remaining value. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card from American Express, please visit this page. Spirit Airlines inflight service. Find the best travel credit card for your travel needs. The recent changes to Spirit's membership come in addition to a slew of enhancements to its frequent flyer program. All non-bonus-category spending earns 1 point per dollar spent. You can use a tool on Spirit's website to calculate baggage fees. . It earns 3 ThankYou points per dollar spent on air travel, hotels, dining, supermarkets and gas stations. Spirit has two cobranded credit cards available to U.S. residents: the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard ($0 introductory annual fee, then $79) and the Free Spirit Travel Mastercard (no annual fee). The Denver base of operations services many more destinations west of the Mississippi River than Spirit does. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money. 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. Related: Your complete guide to the new Spirit Airlines loyalty program. To earn Frontiers lowest elite status Elite 20K youll need 20,000 qualifying miles or 25 flight segments in a calendar year. Fees are route-dependent and Frontier advises passengers to use the airline's online bag price checker. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. You can earn Frontier Miles by flying, through its cobranded credit card and transacting with Frontier partners. FRONTIER Airlines World Mastercard Earn 50,000 bonus miles after qualifying account activity 2 Earn toward Elite Status by earning 1 Qualifying Mile with every $1 spent on purchases or by flying Frontier 2 Earn 5x miles on eligible purchases at flyfrontier.com 2 $89 annual fee 1 Rewards Earn 50,000 bonus miles I recommend booking your flight with a credit card that offers trip delay benefits, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, so you'll be protected if Spirit delays or cancels your flight. at least once every six months, that counts as activity on your account and resets the clock on the expiration date. Pre-qualified offers are not binding. Both also offer annual club memberships that give benefits for an annual fee. Related: The do-it-yourself airline: A review of Spirit Airlines on the A320neo from New York to Fort Lauderdale, Related: Flight review: What its like to fly Frontier Airlines, from Miami to Newark on the Airbus A320neo. Her areas of expertise include research and strategy. The Works adds free flight changes and refunds and access to seats with more legroom. After running a few searches, we found the consistent fees below, but be sure to check your specific route. Best of all, you can add the Big Front Seat after purchase for the same price as if you bought it at booking, so it triggers the credit. Wyndham Rewards Earner Card: Best feature: Wyndham rewards. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features. Frontier miles have a shorter shelf life than other airline miles. If you tend to be budget-conscious and dont mind flying ultra-low-cost carriers such as Frontier Airlines or Spirit Airlines, you may have considered either of these co-branded credit card options. After each flight, I left with the same impression: that I was comfortable enough in my seats for the sub-three-hour flights, but any longer would become a different situation altogether. Nothing was automated, and I was stuck waiting in line for for about 20 minutes before I was able to speak to an agent. But that's not justified by any real numbers when it comes to safety; flying an ultra-low-cost carrier, or ULCC as the industry calls them, is as safe as flying the major airlines. Related: Why Spirit gives Delta a run for its money in our head-to-head comparison. This probably way too dramatic but these rules work for me in keeping the flights worth it. The annual fee is, You could earn high rewards in more categories with the. 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. Earn an additional 20,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months with the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard, 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 billing cycles, APR: 20.74%, 24.74% or 29.74%, Variable APR. The Frontier Mastercard lets you earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $500 on purchases within the first 90 days. 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for the first fifteen billing cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 20.74%, 24.74% or 29.74%, Variable APR. Related: Credit card showdown: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard vs. Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard Similarly, you can reach Free Spirit Silver or Gold elite status with the Spirit card by earning 1x Status Qualifying Point (SQPs) for each $10 in purchases during a calendar year. Plus, there's a rich welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Why having the Spirit credit card isnt crazy, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. You can pay to select a seat when flying Spirit. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on eligible Spirit purchases. Credit Score ranges are based on FICO credit scoring. Claire Tsosie is an assigning editor for NerdWallet. Cocktail combinations (e.g., a shot of gin and a can of tonic water) are $14 . TPG values both airline currencies at 1.1 cents each, so well pare down the redemption options to see which loyalty program offers a more user-friendly experience. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed. And the card comes with a nice bonus offer. If youre deciding between these two cards, you cant go wrong with either. You have the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard with Frontier and the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard with Spirit. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. With the same annual fee ($79, but waived the first year), well help you decide which airline card is best for you. Points can be redeemed for a variety of things, but theyre more valuable worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion directly. Arriving Soon. Just be sure to buy the Discount Den membership in a separate transaction from your airline tickets. Plus, there won't be any amenities on board, and Spirit doesn't serve complimentary food or drinks. NerdWallet's best no-annual-fee travel cards. is a former reporter for the site, covering all things points, miles, credit cards, travel and aviation. Winner: The Spirit Mastercard offers a higher earning potential due to its more comprehensive range of earning categories. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. TPG editorial director Summer Hull said she's never regretted paying extra for Big Front Seats. Booking it at a later date will trigger the incidental credit. If you purchase a carry-on baggage allowance, your luggage must be no larger than 22 inches by 18 inches by 10 inches. Although they are fairly similar, there are some differences in price and benefits. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539, NMLS Consumer Access|Licenses and Disclosures, California: California Finance Lender loans arranged pursuant to Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Finance Lenders License #60DBO-74812, Property and Casualty insurance services offered through NerdWallet Insurance Services, Inc. (CA resident license no. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. For these travelers, the annual fee can be justified to. With this Frontier Airlines card, you get Zone 2 boarding, meaning you generally get to board before passengers in Zone 3 and 4. So with just $2,000 or $5,000 in spend each year, you can get exclusive benefits such as free same-day standby flights, free seat selection at check-in and more. I more commonly see savings around $10 for one-way flights under $100 and up to $50 on coast-to-coast flights. However, the carrier has made monumental improvements with its loyalty program, Free Spirit, since January 2021. This compensation may impact how and where . Furthermore, both cards grant you access to family pooling, which allows you to share miles with family and friends. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. Frontier Airlines was right behind Spirit, with 1.87% of flights canceled. One important thing to keep in mind is that Spirit charges a $50 redemption fee for flights booked within 28 days severely impacting the value of using your hard-earned points. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Prices on each airline were about the same and each offered combo options for those flying with others, or for very hungry people like myself. Earn an additional 20,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months with the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard Depending on where and when you travel, that could be worth a round-trip flight. Before the global shutdown of travel began, I gave the two largest ULCCs in the U.S. a go in the same weekend, on flights between New York City and the Miami area. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion directly. Earn bonus rewards in a variety of popular spending categories, including dining and travel. Earn 40,000 bonus points plus a $100 companion flight voucher after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening, 5x on eligible Frontier purchases, 3x on restaurant purchases, 1x on all other purchases, 3x on eligible Spirit purchases, 2x on eligible dining and grocery store purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $100 flight voucher each card anniversary after spending $2,500 or more on card each year, earn 1 Elite Qualifying Mile per $1 spent on your card, Zone 2 priority boarding, award redemption fee waiver, family pooling, World Mastercard benefits no foreign transaction fees, $100 companion flight voucher each card anniversary after spending $5,000 or more on card each year, Zone 2 priority boarding, 25% rebate on inflight purchases, World Elite Mastercard benefits, no foreign transaction fees. Problem is, youll have to squeeze hard. Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. During Booking: Spirit Saver$ Club $59 to $68 Get more smart money moves straight to your inbox. . Earn 40,000 bonus mile after spending $500 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. Related: Why having the Spirit credit card isnt crazy. The membership will renew automatically for the following year, but you can cancel any time. Comparing Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines. It's also possible to transfer your points to several airline and hotel partners. Both airlines have very slim seats with hardly any padding. Become a NerdWallet member, and well send you tailored articles we think youll love. You may need to wait in long bag drop lines. . After flying America's two most popular ULCCs in the same weekend, I left with no qualms about flying either in the future especially if I can find those legendary cheap fares as we begin to slowly emerge from travel lockdowns. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. For now, Spirit and JetBlue are operating as separate airlines. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. In my opinion, the Big Front Seat is the best deal in the sky. I was able to find my reservation quickly at the kiosk, print my checked-bag tag and drop it at the automated bag drop and then I was on my way. See the card application for more details. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Miles expire after just six months if your frequent flyer account doesn't show activity. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can't use it to cover fees for, , seat assignments, reservation changes or membership in the airline's. Additionally, all elites and Spirit Airlines credit cardholders can now pool points with others. And now you can select PayPal's Pay in 4 service, which lets you divide your payment into four biweekly (automatic) installments at 0% interest. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. The cost of Frontier Airlines Discount Den is slightly lower than Spirits Saver$ Club. There's no complimentary drink or snack service on Spirit, so you might want to bring snacks and fill up your water bottle after clearing security. Related: Style vs. savings: Comparing JetBlues Mint Studio and Spirits Big Front Seat. Spirit Airlines serves an ever-expanding list of United States airports, as well as flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. Although the Spirit flight was cheaper, your booking experience will depend on a number of factors the route, when you book and more. Our Verdict The Frontier Airlines World Mastercard * is a worthwhile option for those who travel within Frontier's network. Nevertheless, both cards are still solid options to consider for the thrifty traveler. Additionally, members now get discounts on seat assignments, including Big Front Seats and exit row seats. Spirit's website notes that passenger usage charges range from $6.99 to $22.99 per segment. Before my first flight with Spirit Airlines several years ago, a friend joked that I'd be flying on a "rubber-band plane." NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. Related: Credit card showdown: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard vs. Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard. Both carriers allow you to bundle certain aspects of your flight at the time of booking, which is recommended as it will save you some cash. So yeah, American cancels more flights than Spirit and Frontier combined. And in recent years, these carriers have made huge inroads in the U.S. commercial aviation market by offering passengers extremely low prices and then charging an extra fee for just about everything. Upon a closer look, theres not a whole lot of difference between the two programs. A 12-month membership now costs $69.95, with no discount in your first year and no trial option. Comparing Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. While there are some limitations on flight eligibility, this benefit alone can offset the annual fee for family travelers. The process started a few minutes behind, but zones were enforced effectively, crucial for a low-cost airline where you can pay quite a bit more to board in an earlier zone. The better sign-up bonus really depends on what youre looking for. 5 miles per $1 spent with Frontier Airlines, 3 miles per $1 spent at restaurants and 1 mile per $1 . However, we have resumed the publication of new flight, hotel and lounge reviews, from trips taken before the lockdown. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. No Wi-Fi, no seatback power, no entertainment. With the free TPG app, you can track your progress toward your next trip, and get spending recommendations to help you reach your travel goals. The Spirit flight from New York-LaGuardia (LGA) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) was cheaper at $258 one-way, which included airfare, seat selection, a checked bag and early boarding, all paid for after booking the ticket. But if you make a purchase on your. Second Bag. Points take on more value when redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and you can transfer them to multiple airline and hotel partners. Typically, paying for bags during booking is the cheapest, while paying at the gate is the most expensive. Meanwhile, Spirit does not have an official award chart for redemptions. While these cards (and their loyalty programs) are often overlooked, both airlines have recently refreshed both of these offerings, making them surprisingly decent options to add to your credit card portfolio. Can you save money by purchasing Spirit tickets at the airport? If it doesnt make sense to own both, answering these two questions can better inform your decision. Which low-cost carrier should you fly? But you can only get Saver$ Club fares if you purchase a membership, which carries the following costs: Regardless of which membership option you choose, Spirit will automatically renew your membership as an annual membership for $69.95 each year unless you cancel your membership. Related: What you should know before flying Frontier Airlines. program. The biggest problem with Frontier is that if your flight is cancelled or delayed, it could be days before another flight is available. Frontier Airlines Credit Card Frontier Airlines Credit Card is related to the following categories: Frontier Airlines Credit Card is an Editor's Pick for: > WalletHub is an independent comparison service. She is the author of Amazon Bestselling Disney World Hacks and has been featured on national television, radio, print, and online media as a credit cards, miles and points, Disney and family travel expert. These memberships are separate from their loyalty programs, which allow travelers to rack up miles and earn elite status. Updated July 26, 2023 5 min read In a Nutshell Good news: Fans of low-cost airlines Frontier and Spirit can take their money even further with either airline's card. If you can earn the annual $100 flight voucher, you could make this card worthwhile. Frontier Airlines could be a better choice for you than Spirit Airlines if you live in the Western United States. The card comes with a nice sign-up bonus: Depending on where and when you travel, that could be worth a round-trip flight. Another TPG reporter recently wrote about his pleasant experience flying Spirit's Big Front Seat. Our opinions are our own. Even better, you can reach top-tier status just by spending $5,000 in a year to unlock benefits such as a free checked bag or a free snack or drink onboard. However, if you want to bring a larger bag -- or a second smaller bag -- onboard, you'll need to purchase a carry-on bag. Vouchers a re non-transferable and may only be redeemed in the . JetBlue Plus Card . Two words can describe the amenities and inflight entertainment offered on any low-cost carrier within the U.S.: not much. If you purchased Flight Flex or the Bundle It Combo, then you can change your flight once free of charge -- subject to fare differences -- up to 24 hours before departure. I recommend using one of the best cards for airfare or one of the best cards for travel to maximize your purchase. Frontiers value proposition is similar to Spirit Airlines, with one big perk: kids 14 and under fly free with a parent on certain dates. You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. Why Frontier Airlines elite status is the only airline status I have, If you want more flexibility, a general travel credit card may be more appropriate for your lifestyle. Photos by the author unless where otherwise noted. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data on hundreds of economy routes, not a maximized value. But they're not for everyone. It's actually easier to achieve elite status with the Spirit card, as you can reach Silver status by getting 2,000 SQPs or Gold status with 5,000 SQPs. For instance, both programs are more appealing for family or group travelers than those typically traveling on their own. Check here before booking an award fare. Frontier's miles are worth less than those of any other major U.S. airline, according to NerdWallet valuations. So how do we make money? Updated: December 20, 2022 54 Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines are two of the biggest ultra low cost carriers (ULCCs) in the United States, and if the two companies have their way, they'll be merging soon. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. Spirit says that members save $160 a year on average. They're 17.75 inches wide with 28 inches of pitch and no recline. Spirit earned a respectable fourth place on Forbes best airlines ranking in 2019(the last full year of normal data), above United JetBlue, Southwest and American Airlines. The new Free Spirit program offers actual elite status tiers with tangible benefits like free seat assignments and bag fee waivers. The cost to choose a seat depends on the route, seat type, when you purchase the seat and seat location. But the checked bag that comes with the Boost It and Bundle It upgrade packages on some routes can weigh up to 50 pounds. On the plus side, the fares are often very low, and the planes are relatively new. Spirit: The . Americas two largest ultra-low-cost carriers, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, have a lot in common.
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