Can I bring a backpack on Spirit for free?

How to fly Spirit Airlines without paying a bag fee by using the free personal item?

Fees are a well-known source of revenue for airlines. Bag fees, seat selection fees, shift fees, and other similar charges account for a significant portion of ultra-low-cost carriers' revenue. However, as revenue from these "extras" has increased, the size of free carry-on personal items (such as a backpack or purse) permitted on these low-cost carriers has shrunk.

Make the most of your free personal items to save money

If you wait until you get to the gate to pay for a full-sized carry-on suitcase, Spirit Airlines can charge you up to $65 per the direction of travel (or get broken with an oversized own item at the gate). If you pay for it during the initial online booking process, you can get it for as little as $37 per carry-on (even less for $9 Fare Club members), but that's still a lot of money probably more than you charged for your actual ticket.

Can I bring a backpack on spirit for free? If you can carefully pack your belongings into a free personal piece, you can avoid paying $74+ for a carry-on bag on a round-trip flight.

What is the maximum size of a free Spirit Airlines personal item?

According to the company's website, a standard JanSport Right Pack backpack, which has been used by thousands of high school students, measures 18 x 13 x 8.5 inches?

Although that is theoretically a half-inch in one direction over Spirit Airlines' free personal item rules, never seen Spirit Airlines be so particular about the size of a free personal item. What size backpack, in our opinion, would be perfectly acceptable as a free carry-on.

Can I bring a purse and backpack on Spirit for free?

A purse, laptop bag, or another similar item of similar size will also suffice as a free personal item carry-on. If that seems to be too small for a trip, it isn't.

For example, many of United Airlines' Basic Economy fares only allow one free personal item (no full-sized carry-on). United's maximum permitted free personal item size, at 9 inches x 10 inches x 17 inches, is smaller than Spirit's. Frontier Airlines, a low-cost rival, has the same free personal object maximum size as Spirit Airlines.

For further assistance contact the Spirit airlines customer service

If you need a larger pack!!

If carrying a free personal item isn't enough and you need to pay for luggage on Spirit Airlines, bear in mind that checking a bag is always a few bucks less expensive than paying for a carry-on.

Rather than paying for a checked bag for everyone, it makes sense to pack for the whole family in one or two full-sized checked or carry-on bags and has each traveler maximize their free personal item. You'll also want to buy the bag as soon as possible (for example, at the time of booking); because the price will rise the longer you wait.

If you have a credit card with an annual travel credit or an incidental airline fee credit, you may be able to use it to pay for the Spirit Airlines bag fees. The Chase Sapphire Reserve®, for example, comes with a $300 annual travel credit that you can use however you like on travel.

In conclusion

The free carry-on personal item offered by Spirit Airlines isn't massive, but it's large enough to do some simple packing for a short ride. If you're planning a trip with Spirit Airlines, here's a guide to what you need to know about flying Spirit Airlines, as well as tips for flying Spirit Airlines with a family.

  • Customer Reviews
  • Leave a comment
  • Your email address will not be published.