Spirit adds extra legroom, elite & cardholder upgrades, redeem points for Big Front Seat and more

Today Spirit Airlines has announced the introduction of an extra legroom product, the possibility of upgrades for elites and credit card holders, free checked bags for cardholders, and the opportunity to redeem Free Spirit points toward all of the various seating products. Having flown the Spirit Big Front Seat a couple of times, I am particularly interested in redemptions for the premium seating products as this might make Spirit even more attractive. And for those who spend on debit cards, it will soon be possible to earn miles and SQPs on debit card spend.

Spirit to add “Go Comfy” extra legroom bundle

Spirit announced today that they will be fitting the first 7 rows on their planes with “Go Comfy” extra legroom seating, adding a selection that ultimately falls between a standard seat and the Big Front Seat.

With more than 40 of these new extra legroom seats coming to most Spirit aircraft this summer, customers who would like a slightly upgraded product without ponying up for the big front seat will have the new Go Comfy fare to consider.

New Go Comfy extra legroom seating will include a free checked bag, no change or cancellation fees, priority boarding, reserved overhead bin space, and a snack & drink and will include 32 inches of total pitch. I am told that Spirit found that most customers who were interested in a more premium product like the Big Front Seat were already buying add-ons like a checked bag, so they bundled the new premium seating product with those benefits they expected customers would want.

Spirit plans to move quickly in implementing these changes with new extra legroom seating being installed beginning in June 2025, with most of the fleet to have the new seating by July 2025 and remaining installations scheduled to be completed in 2026.

Redeem Free Spirit Points for all four seating packages (including Big Front Seat)

The good news is that customers can now redeem Free Spirit points for all four seating products, including the new Go Comfy offering and the Big Front Seat. On the flip side, I am disappointed that customers can not choose to redeem points for just the seat but rather have to choose a bundle in order to get upgraded seating.

I am told that Spirit made this decision based on the fact that their data shows that most customers paying up for a premium experience were likely to add on things like a carry-on bag, so the goal here was to simplify the booking process with fewer decisions. I can see the perspective there, but I’d love to have been able to redeem points just for an extra legroom seat.

Still, the bundles do make sense as to add-ons that customers are likely to want and it is great to see the chance to redeem points for those bundles all the way up to “Go Big”, essentially giving customers the chance to purchase an experience that is similar to domestic first class (including what I consider to be a better seat than most domestic first class products in the Big Front Seat).

In my first couple of searches, value yields a but over 1 cent per point toward all four seating options. Here were the cash prices for the above bundles.

I had a chance to speak with Spirit executives about these changes and while pricing will be dynamic, it sounds like Spirit’s intention is to keep the range relatively tight so that one can have a reasonable expectation of value when redeeming points. That seems consistent with my initial searches. Here’s a look at an example with numerous options from Detroit (DTW) to Orlando (MCO), where redemptions look a bit better yet as compared to cash fares (keep in mind that awards here will incur $5.60 in taxes, but points are worth a bit more than 1.2 cents each in most cases here.

The nice thing is that redemptions yield relatively consistent value across all four seating packages.

Again, you’ll have to bundle for the upgraded seating options. For instance, if I pick a “Go” fare and look to add a seat later, those “Comfy seats” and “Big Front Seat” products only come bundles with add-ons (notice that those seats don’t have prices but rather there are the add-on prices to the left).

Note also that while the screen shot above shows blocked middle seats in the “Comfy Seats” section, Spirit is eliminating the blocked middle seat in favor of expanding legroom in that section. That will surely be a big downgrade to the offering for some, whereas the extra legroom will matter more to others. Presumably, Spirit’s data indicated that customers cared more about a more “Premium Economy” type experience that is more similar to what one might find with a traditional legacy carrier.

I also asked whether the new “extra legroom” options would reduce the pitch of standard seats and Spirit tells me that it will not effect the pitch of standard seats.

Complimentary upgrades for elites and cardholders, no changes to elite requirements

Another way in which Spirit looks to be attempting to compete with legacy carriers through today’s changes is that they are introducing complimentary upgrades starting in June 2025.

Notably, Spirit is making no changes to elite status requirements, but rather is adding some incentives for elites.

Free Spirit Status members and Free Spirit Credit Card holders will now qualify for upgrades to a Big Front Seat and Comfy Seat at boarding, based on availability and status level. Starting today, the benefit applies to the status member only, but that will soon change. Thankfully, this benefit will begin extending to one guest on the member’s reservation starting in June. One of my gripes with Spirit elite status has been that most status benefits do not extend to others in the status member’s booking. This is a positive step toward making it possible to enjoy the travel experience with a companion.

I asked what an upgrade “at boarding” would look like and it sounds as though these upgrades will be cleared at the gate prior to boarding similar to the way that an upgrade list works with a legacy carrier.

Spirit is obviously aggressive in selling their add-ons, but I imagine that there are situations where upgrading seating would otherwise go out empty. I think it is a really smart move for Spirit to offer the chance to upgrade to those otherwise empty seats as an easy benefit to offer members with status. I am surprised to see credit card holders included, but that is a great add as well.

The Free Spirit Mastercard will soon come with two free checked bags for cardholders

Free Spirit Mastercard cardholders will get two free checked bags beginning sometime later in 2025. We do not yet have full details about the new free checked bag benefit, but I asked and was told that there will not be a spending requirement tied to the benefit but rather this will be a standard cardholder benefit. To be clear, we do not yet know exactly when Spirit and Bank of America will roll this out, but it is coming in 2025.

Free Spirit Debit Card launching in Fall 2025

We recently saw Wyndham Rewards launch a debit card. Later this year, Spirit will also launch a product aimed at those who prefer debit over credit, with the new Free Spirit Debit card offering the chance to earn Free Spirit points, receive Group 2 Priority Boarding, and a 25% rebate on inflight purchases.

Details on the debit card will be coming this fall, but executives confirmed to me that debit card holders will also earn Status Qualifying Points (SQPs) at the same rate as credit card holders do. That might make the Spirit debit card appealing for those looking to spend their way to status with purchases that might not ordinarily be made with a credit card. I will be curious to learn about any annual fee or requirements — we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more detail on this.

Coming soon: Redeem points for experiences

Spirit Airlines intends to begin offering experiences, similar to the way that many other travel programs offer the opportunity to redeem points for things like concert tickets, sporting event tickets, etc. I expect that Spirit will try to include some creativity here with access to experiences that customers couldn’t otherwise buy, though I imagine that those money-can’t-buy type experiences might be more focused on Spirit Airlines-specific experiences. Time in a Spirit Airlines flight simulator was the type of thing mentioned as possibilities we may see coming for expanded redemption opportunities. That said, I expect we will mostly see the types of things you can already buy with points, simply giving Spirit customers the same opportunity to use points towards things other than flights that other programs will offer.

I imagine that the economics here will dictate that most redemption options outside of Spirit flights and bundles will be unideal.

Bottom line

I find today’s announced changes interesting because it causes me to question who it is that Spirit sees as its core customer. In conversation with Spirit about that, executives continue to emphasize the value proposition regarding price and schedule, but it is hard to ignore that the introduction of bundles that look very much like legacy carrier premium economy and first class seem designed to attract customers used to those types of products.

Obviously, flying Spirit still comes with the drawback of a more limited schedule and much larger disruption in the case of a flight cancelation or significant delay. However, in cases where schedule is similar, like for those who live at an airport with significant Spirit Airlines service, it looks like Spirit is really trying to offer a range of products that makes them competitive with larger carriers. Whether that strategy works remains to be seen, but I think it’s a big win for anybody who has been collecting Spirit points that they can now redeem those points to sit in more comfortable seats. Cardholders in particular make out well since they have the ability to create a points pool, so a family taking a trip or two could potentially earn more than enough points for a passenger or two to fly up front on a future trip and the two free checked bags coming soon on the credit card will further reduce the cost of choosing Spirit. That’s a pretty nice combination for leisure travelers. Adding upgrades for elite members also incentivizes loyalty in a way that is far more similar to legacy carriers than the Ultra Low Cost Carrier model.

I don’t expect that these changes will put a big dent in the bottom line for legacy carriers, but I do like the idea of being able to redeem Spirit points at what appears to be fairly consistent value toward more premium products. Will that chance the perception of Spirit Airlines as an ultra low cost carrier? Probably not. Would you want to spend at 1x on the Spirit Airlines Mastercard only to get 1.2c per point in value on redemptions? No, that wouldn’t make sense over using a cash back card. However, for those who do find themselves flying Spirit, the Free Spirit card’s free checked bags and ability to pool points could certainly make it worth holding the card. The chance to redeem points earned on paid Spirit flights for a more premium experience — and to get a free upgrade to these comfier seats — is a nice value add.

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