Spirit Airlines - How strict on Personal Item?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2
Spirit Airlines - How strict on Personal Item?
We have never flown Spirit Airlines but we are all set to travel on Spirit for the first time next month.
We are aware of the baggage policies (free personal items and baggage check fee for standard roller carry-on), extra charges like reserving seat, no free drinks, tight seats, etc.
This question is specific to the free personal item allowance (16" x 14" x 12").
How strict do they enforce this dimension. We have a few duffle bags and backpacks at home that are apprx 17" and 18" long. We have used them as personal items for other airline carriers even putting them under seats.
Can anyone advise as to how strictly Spirit enforces the personal item size measurements?
Will they allow bags that are little longer than the stated maximum 16" length?
What if we don't pack them to the max such that they can be squished squeezed down to 16" length?
Thanks
We are aware of the baggage policies (free personal items and baggage check fee for standard roller carry-on), extra charges like reserving seat, no free drinks, tight seats, etc.
This question is specific to the free personal item allowance (16" x 14" x 12").
How strict do they enforce this dimension. We have a few duffle bags and backpacks at home that are apprx 17" and 18" long. We have used them as personal items for other airline carriers even putting them under seats.
Can anyone advise as to how strictly Spirit enforces the personal item size measurements?
Will they allow bags that are little longer than the stated maximum 16" length?
What if we don't pack them to the max such that they can be squished squeezed down to 16" length?
Thanks
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
We have never flown Spirit Airlines but we are all set to travel on Spirit for the first time next month.
We are aware of the baggage policies (free personal items and baggage check fee for standard roller carry-on), extra charges like reserving seat, no free drinks, tight seats, etc.
This question is specific to the free personal item allowance (16" x 14" x 12").
How strict do they enforce this dimension. We have a few duffle bags and backpacks at home that are apprx 17" and 18" long. We have used them as personal items for other airline carriers even putting them under seats.
Can anyone advise as to how strictly Spirit enforces the personal item size measurements?
Will they allow bags that are little longer than the stated maximum 16" length?
What if we don't pack them to the max such that they can be squished squeezed down to 16" length?
Thanks
We are aware of the baggage policies (free personal items and baggage check fee for standard roller carry-on), extra charges like reserving seat, no free drinks, tight seats, etc.
This question is specific to the free personal item allowance (16" x 14" x 12").
How strict do they enforce this dimension. We have a few duffle bags and backpacks at home that are apprx 17" and 18" long. We have used them as personal items for other airline carriers even putting them under seats.
Can anyone advise as to how strictly Spirit enforces the personal item size measurements?
Will they allow bags that are little longer than the stated maximum 16" length?
What if we don't pack them to the max such that they can be squished squeezed down to 16" length?
Thanks
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2
Thanks for the post
Any other thoughts from recent Spirit passengers.
How strictly do they follow the 16x14x12 personal item restriction? Do they measure at the ticket counter or at the gate? Or do they simply let reasonably close personal items bags through w/o closely checking measurements?
Any other thoughts from recent Spirit passengers.
How strictly do they follow the 16x14x12 personal item restriction? Do they measure at the ticket counter or at the gate? Or do they simply let reasonably close personal items bags through w/o closely checking measurements?
#4
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: S.Carolina
Posts: 58
I fly Spirit quite alot, being in Myrtle Beach. They are pretty strict on the size of the "personal" free carryon. In Myrtle beach airport they are not as fussy,but if you're flying into or out of Boston or N.Y. they are FUSSY. If the duffle can be squished down to those measurements than you should be all right. I bring a small roll on exactly the correct measurements and a BIG pocketbook. Don't pay for seats, you'll be assigned 2 together if you're on the same locater#.The bigger roll ons that you see people bringing on...they've probably paid to bring on beforehand.
#5
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,461
"you'll be assigned 2 together if you're on the same locator #"
REALLY? Their websites says they won't gurantee that.. and if all that is left are 'middle' seats you are going to be sitting in them.
Expecting Spirit to "care" about you sitting with your traveling party is not really realistic!
REALLY? Their websites says they won't gurantee that.. and if all that is left are 'middle' seats you are going to be sitting in them.
Expecting Spirit to "care" about you sitting with your traveling party is not really realistic!
#6
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 257
Last flew them in October. Line trolls at ORD and FLL with a wooden sizer. Had a Brookstone under-seat bag, and my wife a Ciao under-seat bag - so neither of us were asked to put things in the sizer. But they were going after seemingly everyone else at ORD...
#7
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3
I fly Spirit all the time. They are very strict. If it can fit under the seat, you don't have to pay, but if it has to go into the overhead bin, they charge. They will not allow you to put anything in the overhead bin unless you paid the carry-on fee for that piece. Only passengers boarding in Zone 1 have purchased carry on baggage, and even when boarding is complete, the flight attendants will not allow you to put the bags under your seat in the overhead bin.
If there's any doubt your bag will fit under the seat, pay the $20 online or at check it because if it doesn't fit and you haven't boarded in zone 1, they will charge you $45
If there's any doubt your bag will fit under the seat, pay the $20 online or at check it because if it doesn't fit and you haven't boarded in zone 1, they will charge you $45
#9
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: usa
Posts: 4
Separated travellers
"you'll be assigned 2 together if you're on the same locator #"
REALLY? Their websites says they won't gurantee that.. and if all that is left are 'middle' seats you are going to be sitting in them.
Expecting Spirit to "care" about you sitting with your traveling party is not really realistic!
REALLY? Their websites says they won't gurantee that.. and if all that is left are 'middle' seats you are going to be sitting in them.
Expecting Spirit to "care" about you sitting with your traveling party is not really realistic!
#12
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MYR
Programs: spirit elite, MRgold Hilton Gold
Posts: 454
#14
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Admirals Club, Global Entry
Posts: 1,141
That should be fine as well and would appear to be, in fact, what most people use.
I use a medium-sized gym bag and never get a second glance.
As a fail-safe, you might pack it only 85% or so full to keep a squishability factor in reserve, should the need arise, but that's admittedly probably getting too conservative.
I use a medium-sized gym bag and never get a second glance.
As a fail-safe, you might pack it only 85% or so full to keep a squishability factor in reserve, should the need arise, but that's admittedly probably getting too conservative.
#15
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
has anyone flown both spirit and frontier out of LGA to MIA/FLL and back? It seems that they have similar policies, but is the implementation the same? has anyone had success with larger bags?
Does Spirit or Frontier now let you use the overhead bin for small bags so you can have extra leg room?
Does Spirit or Frontier now let you use the overhead bin for small bags so you can have extra leg room?