Budget Airlines · Tool Face-Off

Frontier Airlines vs Spirit Airlines

Quick answer

Both are ultra-low-cost carriers that will nickel-and-dime you, but Frontier edges ahead with slightly better seat comfort and more flexible bundling options, while Spirit wins on raw route availability and a larger fleet.

Our pick

Frontier Airlines

Low fares, surprisingly decent seats — if you pack light.

3.1★

Spirit Airlines

The OG of 'you get what you pay for' flying.

2.7★

Base Fare (short-haul)

$20-$60

$19-$55

Carry-on Bag Fee

$0 (personal item only free)

Checked Bag Fee

~$35-$45

~$40-$55

Seat Pitch

28-32 inches

28 inches (industry low)

Bundle/All-In Option

WORKS bundles (bags + seat)

$9 Fare Club membership

Fleet Size

~120 aircraft

~190 aircraft

Destinations (US+Intl)

~115 destinations

~90+ destinations

Free Loyalty Program

Miles (Frontier Miles)

Free Spirit

Seat Recline

Limited on most aircraft

No recline ('pre-reclined')

Change/Cancel Fee

Varies; free on some fares

$69-$119 or credit only

In-flight Wi-Fi

Not available

Available on select flights

On-Time Rate (approx.)

~70-75%

~65-70%

Frontier Airlines

Pricing★★★★☆

Seat Comfort★★★☆☆

Route Network★★★☆☆

Baggage Policy★★½☆☆

Customer Support★★½☆☆

Booking Experience★★★½☆

On-Time Performance★★★☆☆

Spirit Airlines

Pricing★★★★☆

Seat Comfort★★☆☆☆

Route Network★★★½☆

Baggage Policy★★☆☆☆

Customer Support★★☆☆☆

Booking Experience★★★☆☆

On-Time Performance★★½☆☆

Worth knowing

Frontier is headquartered in Denver; Spirit is based in Miramar, Florida.
Spirit's seats literally do not recline — they're fixed to save weight and speed up cleaning.
Frontier's WORKS bundle can actually make the total price competitive with legacy carriers.
Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2024, raising concerns about long-term reliability.
Both airlines charge for a carry-on bag that goes in the overhead bin — your 'free' item must fit under the seat.

Spirit's seats are so thin and fixed that passengers have dubbed them 'lawn chairs at 35,000 feet' — and honestly, that's not far off.

If you want

You want the absolute lowest base fare and don't mind chaos

Spirit's base fares are marginally cheaper, and their $9 Fare Club can stack extra savings if you fly them often.

→ Pick Spirit Airlines

If you want

You want slightly more comfort and flexible bundling

Frontier's WORKS bundle and slightly roomier seats make the experience less punishing for a few dollars more.

→ Pick Frontier Airlines

If you want

You're flying with a checked bag

Frontier's checked bag fees tend to run $10-20 cheaper than Spirit's, easily offsetting any base fare difference.

→ Pick Frontier Airlines

If you want

You need Wi-Fi on your flight

Spirit offers in-flight Wi-Fi on select aircraft; Frontier currently offers none at all.

→ Pick Spirit Airlines

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