I won’t lie. I used to believe Spirit’s name was purposely ironic. “Fly Spirit – we’ll break yours.” But as I grew more adept at traveling, I realized budget airlines have a place in the travel sphere. When you tack on the baggage fees, check-in surcharges, and breathing taxes, they’re often as expensive as traditional airlines. But if you can fly light and flexible, they can be a steal.
The Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard helps you take even more advantage of the rock-bottom fares, especially if you’re willing to cut down on the extras. As well as waiving the first year’s $79 annual fee, Spirit is currently running a limited-time intro bonus of 60,000 Free Spirit points after spending $1000 in three months. Depending on how you use it, that could be worth over $600 in flights. You’ll also grab a $100 companion pass each year you have the card open.
Here are some of the excellent fares you can find with 60,000 Free Spirit Points:
11 roundtrips from New York to Cancun ($100 in fees)
11 Roundtrips from LA to Miami ($10 in fees)
Four roundtrips from Chicago to Bogota, Colombia ($86.50 in fees)
Remember, you can pull a massive amount of flights with this bonus, but it doesn’t count as much if you’re paying for loads of bags. Use Spirit for short weekend trips or unexpected travel and pack as light as possible.
A carry-on will cost at least $35, while a checked bag starts at $33. A personal item is 18 by 14 by 8 inches or smaller – that’s not a lot, but I promise it’s doable for a short trip if you’re careful with packing. Check my Sweet Spot below for more Spirit booking tips.
by travelers, for travelers.
