The airline unveiled a makeover for their Free Spirit® loyalty program that will make it easier for members to earn status and rewards. Rewards will now be based on dollars spent rather than miles traveled, with guests earning at least six points on every dollar spent on fares.
Today (October 22, 2020), Spirit Airlines announced the launch of an all-new Free Spirit® loyalty program with the fastest way to earn rewards and status. The revamped program will launch on January 21, 2020 and will be built around points, with rewards based on dollars spent, rather than miles. With the redesigned program, Free Spirit members will earn points for every booking, every bag and every Big Front Seat® purchased. Members will receive a minimum of six points for every dollar spent on airfares as well as at least 12 points for every dollar spent on Á la Smarte upgrades such as seats and bags. The carrier has also introduced Free Spirit Silver and Gold status, where members will earn even more points on every purchase and receive exclusive benefits including free seat selection, free carry-ons and free checked bags. Reward Redemptions start at 2,500 points with no blackout dates and if a seat is available for dollars, it will also be available for points. In Thursday’s announcement, Spirit Airlines’ President and CEO Ted Christie, said,
“Loyalty programs should work for travelers whether they fly once a year, or once a week. You should be rewarded either way. We decided to start with a clean sheet of paper and re-imagine what Free Spirit could be. Points don’t mean anything unless you can actually use them. Our new program lets everyone hold onto their points longer, which allows family vacationers, frequent travelers and people visiting loved ones to take advantage of Free Spirit’s new benefits and rewards. Spirit is committed to letting Guests pay only for what they want. Redesigning Free Spirit from the ground up gave us the chance to make our loyalty program as flexible as the travel experience we provide. Families and friends who vacation together should be able to use their points together. We want them to use those points when it’s convenient, and not just when a computer says they can.”
The new Free Spirit program will also allow eligible members to pool points of up to eight friends and family members. Additionally, members will now be able to combine points with dollars, with the ability to use as few as 1,000 points and covering the remaining fare balance with dollars. If a Free Spirit member makes one qualifying transaction to earn or redeem points annually, the points won’t expire. Spirit credit card holders’ points never expire, providing their account remains open. The new Free Spirit program also has no redemption fees for flights booked at least 90 days in advance and lower fees for booking closer to the date of travel.
Members will now earn Status Qualifying Points (SQPs) for every dollar spent on airfares and options as well as one SQP for every $10 dollars spent on eligible Free Spirit credit cards. Guests will earn Silver status at 2,000 SQPs after spending 2,000 on Spirit flights, $20,000 on an eligible credit card or a combination of both. Silver tier members will earn 8 points for every flight-dollar spent and 16 points for each dollar spent on Á la Smarte options. Some exclusive benefits for Silver status guests include Free security shortcut (where available) and Zone 2 boarding, free same-day standby, free seat selection 24 hours before departure (exit row availability three hours prior to departure, a dedicated Guest care phone line, the ability to create a points pool and no reward redemption fees.
Free Spirit Members can achieve Gold status at 5,000 SQPs. Gold tier members receive all of the Silver benefits plus a free carry-on and first checked bag, priority boarding (Zone 1), free standard seat selection (including exit rows) at time of booking, free ‘Flight Flex’, which offers a one-time change without fees up to 24 hours prior to departure and a free inflight beverage and snack.
Speaking on the new status levels, Spirit Airlines’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Matt Klein, added,
“The new Free Spirit status levels go way beyond offering reward travel in exchange for loyalty. Earning Silver and Gold status on Spirit will offer our Guests a long list of benefits every time they fly, all of which are designed to remind them how much we love having them onboard the brightest planes in the sky.”
Miramar, Florida-based low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines typically operates over 650 daily flights to 77 destinations in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean. The airline allows customers to select and pay for only the products and services they want, something they call “À La Smarte.” Spirit also operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the US and recently firmed up an order for 100 new Airbus A320neo Family aircraft. The carrier proudly calls their youthful fleet of aircraft their “Fit Fleet®.”
Source: Spirit Airlines