Spirit Airlines Eliminates Change and Cancel Fees for All Tickets

Spirit Airlines is an airline known for its low-cost flights. While its ticket costs are often more affordable than those of other competitors, it charges fees for extras beyond the ticket itself. You'll pay more to choose your seat, bring a carry-on bag, or check one or more bags. But the airline recently announced a change that will save some flyers money on fees. Change and cancellation fees are now a thing of the past. Here's what you need to know.

These fees are being eliminated for all flyers

Until recently, Spirit Airlines charged fees when passengers changed or canceled a flight. But that's no longer the case. The airline's website now includes a banner that reads, "Book Now With No Change or Cancel Fees." This is welcome news for busy travelers' wallets.

Here's what travelers can expect when making flight changes or cancellations with Spirit:

• When making flight changes: No fees will be charged when making changes. Travelers will only be responsible for paying the difference in airfare.
• When canceling flights more than 24 hours after booking: Travelers will be issued a Reservation Credit valid for one year. This credit can be used by anyone linked to the original reservation and can be used for airfare and extras like seats, bags, and taxes.
• For flights canceled less than 24 hours after booking, a refund will be issued to the original form of payment.

This news follows recent ticket pricing and fee updates from Frontier Airlines, another low-cost carrier. Frontier updated its ticket pricing structure to be more transparent. The airline also eliminated change and cancellation fees for most fares. However, change and cancellation fees still apply to Frontier's Basic Fare tickets, the cheapest fare available.

Why this is good news for travelers

These changes are good news, especially if you plan to fly with Frontier or Spirit this summer.

Every extra fee impacts your personal finances. Life is busy, and your plans can change at any time. You can feel more confident when booking flights with Spirit Airlines, knowing that if your plans change, there won't be negative financial consequences.

Other fees are here to stay when flying with Spirit

While some fees have been eliminated, flyers should know that Spirit Airlines will continue charging other fees. Exact fees vary depending on the route, date, and travel time. But you can expect to pay extra for anything beyond the initial ticket price.

Spirit has an optional service section on its website that you can use to estimate fees before flying. All you have to do is enter your flight details to get a breakdown of the fees you'll pay.

To provide more insight, I researched fees for a July 2024 trip from Philadelphia to Austin:

• Carry-on bag fee ranges from $38 to $79 per one-way flight.
• The cost of a first checked bag ranges from $33 to $79 per one-way flight.

Bag fees vary depending on when you pay for the bag and whether you're a Spirit Saver$ Club member. This membership offers fare discounts and other perks for a fee of $69.95 per year.

Seat assignment fees start at $5. You can expect to pay more for seats with more legroom.

Don't ignore extra airline fees

It's essential to consider all costs associated with a trip before taking a vacation. This way, you can outline a realistic vacation budget and set aside enough money in your high-yield savings account to prepare accordingly. It's never a good idea to spend beyond your means. Otherwise, you could risk racking up expensive credit card debt.

If you use travel credit cards to earn rewards on your travel spending, the best strategy is to pay the entire balance in full to avoid interest charges. I like to save up for trips well before taking them to stay debt free while I continue to explore the world. I suggest taking a similar approach.