Spirit Will Now Match Your Status With Another Airline — What to Know

The airline has partnered with StatusMatch.com to give travelers that hold status with 16 airline and 16 hotel loyalty programs access to its Free Spirit program.

Spirit Airlines just introduced a new status matching program, allowing travelers with access to dozens of loyalty programs to receive perks like free checked bags and seat selection.

The low-cost airline, which typically charges extra for most of these types of perks, has partnered with StatusMatch.com to give travelers that hold status with 16 airline and 16 hotel loyalty programs access to its Free Spirit program. The status match will be valid for one year.

"Spirit offers convenient, nonstop routes for Guests who are regularly crisscrossing the country, and we're excited to offer road warriors the opportunity to continue enjoying the benefits they're accustomed to while flying Spirit," Rana Ghosh, the vice president of omnichannel sales at Spirit Airlines, said in a statement. "We're incredibly proud of our Free Spirit program, which offers Gold and Silver members a long list of perks on every flight."

Travelers who take advantage of the status matching will receive access to a multitude of perks, but there is one catch: travelers must pay $49 to receive Free Spirit Silver status and $99 for Free Spirit Gold status.

Those who gain silver status will have access to shortcut security boarding, free seat selection at check-in, and fee waivers for things like overweight bags. Travelers who gain gold status will have access to all the benefits of silver status along with a free carry-on and checked bag, free seat selection at booking, a complimentary drink and snack on board, and more.

Travelers can only apply to match the status of their current loyalty program (if they’re a Delta Silver member, for example, they can apply for Spirit silver status). Matching is available for all major airlines in the United States, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest, and JetBlue, along with major hotel brands like Marriott, Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, and more.

Most airlines offer status matching, which temporarily allows travelers to experience the differences between different airline loyalty programs.

For travelers who don’t have airline status, however, certain credit cards — like the American Express Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards — offer perks to make the travel experience better like lounge access.

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