Spirit vs Frontier Airlines (2025)
Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines are ultra-low-cost, prominent American airlines. These airlines are quite synonymous with one another. Both Spirit and Frontier airlines operate through a cost-efficient model, as they offer economical tickets but focus on ancillary fees. Starting from airport assistance to onboard amenities, there are hardly any prominent differences found between Spirit and Frontier Airlines.
In spite of having several similarities, both carriers are profoundly unique. This blog presents an elaborate breakdown of Spirit vs Frontier Airlines to help customers decide which airline is better between the two.
Booking with Spirit and Frontier Airlines
The booking experience plays a vital role in shaping customers’ reviews regarding any airline. Travellers usually make bookings through the official website and mobile applications to book flights, as explained below:
- Frontier Airlines has an easy-to-navigate booking process that can be executed through their official website, www.flyfrontier.com. Another way to reserve tickets is Frontier Airlines’ mobile app, which is user-friendly and allows customers to book and manage air travel.
- To make a reservation on a Spirit Airlines flight, passengers usually book their flight by visiting www.spirit.com or through the airline’s mobile application called ‘Spirit Airlines’.
The detailed analysis of both airlines suggests that booking through Frontier Airlines is quite effortless because it gives an authentic overview of ticket fares without confusing customers with promotional offers and upsells.
The Low Fare Calendar presented by Frontier Airlines also makes the booking process even more transparent. On the other hand, Spirit Airlines’ website is more chaotic as it is immersed in promotional offers and upsells. The fares shown before and after the final booking can also be discrepant in Spirit Airlines after adding taxes.
Route Coverage of Spirit and Frontier
Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines both primarily cover domestic routes within the United States of America and operate flights to a few popular international destinations. The main bases and key destinations of the airlines are as follows.
Frontier:
Frontier Airlines flies to 120 destinations across the world. Apart from covering various regions of the U.S., the carrier also frequently visits cities in Mexico and the Caribbean islands. The important bases of Frontier Airlines are as mentioned below:
- Denver, Colorado
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Orlando, Florida
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The travellers can also go through the extensive route map of Frontier Airlines.
Spirit:
On the other hand, Spirit Airlines flies to more than 80 destinations across the globe. With its primary focus on popular cities such as Orlando, Chicago, New York, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Detroit, and so on. The main base of Spirit Airlines is located in Fort Lauderdale, U.S.A.. The subordinate bases of Spirit Airlines are situated in the following cities:
- Miami
- Atlanta
- Chicago
- Detroit
- Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
- Las Vegas
The data presented above highlights that both Spirit and Frontier Airlines operate on a limited route network as compared to other American airlines. Out of these two, Spirit Airlines has better route connectivity as compared to Frontier Airlines. It has enhanced its pattern by incorporating new destinations to its route and flying frequently to various of them. However, by the Fall of 2025, Frontier Airlines will be launching prominent new routes to improve its existing network.
Ticket Fares on Spirit and Frontier Flights
Spirit and Frontier are both renownedly for selling low-cost tickets. This is one of the major reasons that American flyers are enamored by the airline. However, both airlines present several amenities to the passengers that are chargeable. The ticket fare is solely dependent on the route chosen by the travellers when flying with the airlines.
This table comprises some of the common and popular routes covered by Spirit and Frontier Airlines, along with the ticket fare fixed by the airline.
| From | To | Ticket Fare of Spirit Airlines | Ticket Fare of Frontier Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando International Airport | Philadelphia International Airport | $39 | $39-$166 |
| Orlando International Airport | Harry Reid International Airport | $64 | $66-$147 |
| Baltimore/Washington International Airport | Orlando International Airport | $46-$129 | $25-$100 |
| Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport | Orlando International Airport | $40-$100 | $27 |
| Miami International Airport | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport | $46-$99 | $33-$100 |
| Chicago O’Hare International Airport | Orlando International Airport | $44 | $29 |
| Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport | Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport | $56-$128 | $37 |
In terms of ticket fare, it is evident that both airlines sell their tickets for prices as low as $29. It is quite difficult to regard one as cheaper than the other. However, customers can compare the prices of these airlines depending on the route they’re flying to. Traveler experience states that Frontier Airlines generally charges a few dollars extra for add-ons like baggage, in-flight meals, in-flight entertainment, and so on.
Membership Perks and Loyalty Programs
Spirit, as well as Frontier Airlines, offer profound loyalty programs to their travellers. The loyalty programs of these carriers are specified below:
Spirit Airlines:
- Free Spirit Rewards Members
- Spirit Saver$ Club
Frontier Airlines:
- Frontier Airlines Miles
- Go Wild! Pass
- Discount Den Membership
Frontier Airlines provides premium Membership perks and Loyalty programs to its passengers in comparison to Spirit Airlines. The carrier’s Frontier Miles program allows travellers to enjoy a vast number of facilities and redeem exceptional travel benefits.
Airport Facilities and Check-in Process
The Spirit, as well as Frontier Airlines, generally provides decent airport facilities to its customers. Starting from a comfortable check-in to hassle-free boarding, the airlines strive hard to fulfill passenger expectations.
Check-in:
The most significant airport facility is the check-in. Both airlines provide 3 types of check-in to the travellers as mentioned below:
- Online Check-in
- Kiosk Check-in
- Airport Check-in
The airline officials of Spirit and Frontier are present at the airport offices to ensure seamless check-in assistance for their passengers. Although there are certain airports where Frontier Airlines doesn’t offer kiosk check-in, it is chaotic for the flyers to wait in long queues.
Boarding:
Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have been working profoundly on their traditional boarding process. The authorities have adopted a five-group boarding process, which reduces time and increases efficiency. Passengers who have the following memberships can simply enjoy Priority Boarding.
For Spirit Airlines:
- Free Spirit Gold Members
- Free Spirit World Elite Mastercard
- Go Big Program
For Frontier Airlines:
- Frontier Miles Members with Elite Diamond Status
- Frontier Miles Members with 100K Status
To gain more insights on the airline’s Boarding process, travellers can also read Shortcuts to Boarding on Spirit Airlines.
Onboard Experience with Spirit and Frontier
Despite operating on the ULCC model, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines offer a variety of onboard services to their passengers. An objective contrast of those amenities is written below to enhance transparency in the minds of the flyers.
Fleet and Seat Details
Spirit and Frontier Airlines function mainly through Airbus aircraft. They have a fleet full of cutting-edge, young aircraft, including Airbus A320, Airbus A320neos, Airbus A321neos, and so on. The seat types, along with Seat’s Width, Pitch, and Recline, are mentioned explicitly below.
Spirit Airlines:
| Seat Type | Number of Seats | Seat Width, Pitch, and Recline |
| Big Front Seats | 8-10 Seats | 20” Width, 36” Pitch with Pre-Recline |
| Deluxe Leather/Standard Seats | 174 Seats | 16.5”-18.5” Width, 36” Pitch with Pre-Recline |
| Premium Economy Seats | 42 | 17.5”-18.5” Width, 32” Pitch with Pre-Recline |
Frontier Airlines:
| Seat Type | Number of Seats | Seat Width, Pitch, and Recline |
| Economy | 150-230 seats | 18” Width, 28”-31” Pitch and No Recline |
| Stretch Seats | 24-36 | 18” Width, 36”-38” Pitch and No Recline |
| UpFront Plus | Available in 136 aircraft | 5-7 inches more Pitch than Standard Seats, Window or aisle seats, guaranteed empty middle seat. |
Being ultra-low-cost carriers, both Spirit and Frontier Airlines offer seats with limited width and congested legroom. According to the majority of Customer reviews for Standard Seats, Frontier Airlines is preferred because of its slimline seat design. Although Spirit Airlines’ Big Front Seats are often admired by passengers because of their spacious structure and better legroom.
In-Flight Entertainment and Other Amenities
The In-Flight Amenities play a crucial role in making the travel experience memorable for the travellers. An extensive list of facilities provided is listed here:
Spirit Airlines:
- Personal Item onboard
- Onboard WiFi
- Noise-Reduced Cabins
Frontier Airlines:
- Personal Item onboard
- LED Lighting
In terms of In-Flight facilities, both Frontier and Spirit Airlines can be immensely disappointing for the flyers. The worst between the two is Spirit Airlines only because of its In-Flight WiFi, which enables travellers to use their devices for entertainment onboard.
In-Flight Meals and Beverages
Frontier Airlines doesn’t offer any complimentary food or snacks to passengers. Instead, it has an in-flight menu which is extended to the customers, allowing them to buy any food item or beverage of their choice. Along with food items, Frontier also caters a ‘Fly Bar’ which serves a variety of Spirits, Wines, Beer, and various alcoholic drinks to the customers. Some of the common food items available on their menu are:
- Savory Snacks
- Hot Meals, such as a Bowl of Noodles
- Munchies and Cookies
- Frontier’s exclusive meal boxes for Children
- Expensive Meal Combos for more charges
Whereas Spirit Airlines has added several unique dishes to its menu. It also offers complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic beverages under their “Go Comfy” package and provides a 25% discount on in-flight purchases. Their In-flight menu is composed of a large number of food options and alcoholic drinks. Some of the prominent food items are given below:
- Savory Snacks
- Delight Meals, which includes Vegetarian Ramen
- Muffins and Cookies
- Snack Boxes and Cheese Boxes for children as well as adults
- A diverse range of beverages
Neither Frontier nor Spirit Airlines is highly regarded for its in-flight meals and beverages. Following the role of a low-cost airline, none of them don’t offer complimentary food products onboard. However, in terms of dishes, Spirit Airlines has included various unique dishes to its menu, enhancing options for the flyers.
Cabin Crew Assistance
Spirit Airlines’ passengers often submit mixed reviews regarding the Cabin Crew Assistance. These reviews suggest that in certain cases, the cabin crew and customer support providers have been extremely helpful to the travellers. Especially when dealing with children and answering baggage-related queries. Whereas, some flyers have felt neglected by the authorities at several intervals.
Frontier Airlines has received comparatively pessimistic reviews about its Cabin Crew. The travellers suggest that the airline’s staff show an unhelpful attitude towards solving queries, poor handling of special assistance requests, and limited contact hours. Although a few reviews show that the flight attendants and pilots were willing to help the customers in all sorts os situations.
The flyers who are highly disappointed with the services offered to them in flight can also reach out to Frontier Airlines Headquarters and Spirit Airlines Headquarters.
Flight Reliability and Delays Comparison
Most of the time, passengers are unwilling to travel with Spirit and Frontier Airlines because of the frequent delays and momentary cancellations caused by the airlines. An analysis of the airlines’ reliability is explained below.
Spirit Airlines’ cancellation rate has grown extensively in 2025. Especially during the peak Summer months of June-July, the airline’s cancellation rate has increased dramatically. Spirit Airlines is unreliable when it comes to uninformed flight delays and cancellations, but its refund policies have been improved in recent times.
Likewise, customers associated with Frontier Airlines highly disregard the airline for not posting any major updates or notifications about flight delays and cancellations. The passengers felt as if they were stranded by the airline officials. According to the U.S. PIRG, “Frontier Airlines had the largest number of complaints per 100,000 boarded passengers, followed by Spirit Airlines and JetBlue”. This again highlights that Frontier Airlines is regarded as an unreliable airline by its customers.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines are utterly indistinguishable from one another. They not only function on a ULCC model, but their offers also resonate with each other.
This blog contains an in-depth analysis of Spirit vs Frontier Airlines to decide which airline is better than the other. Although no concrete winner can be decided, considering the complexities of the criteria. It can be said that Spirit Airlines is generally considered better than Frontier Airlines in most of the dimensions.
FAQs
Spirit Airlines is usually considered a better airline compared to Frontier Airlines. To have more clarity on this, you should read this blog.
Spirit and Frontier, both airlines, are quite equivalent to one another. Spirit Airlines will be the most appropriate option if you are seeking onboard amenities such as WiFi and better cabin crew assistance, and Frontier if you prioritise better legroom and spacious seats.
Yes, Spirit Airlines sells cheaper tickets than Frontier Airlines on the Orlando International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport route. The ticket fare is as low as $64.
Frontier Airlines offers better membership perks and loyalty programs than Spirit Airlines.
Frontier Airlines is well-regarded for providing a more convenient booking experience to passengers, especially because of its unique Low Fare Calendar.