Do you like flexibility with your flight plans and the option to travel standby? Curious if Spirit Airlines will let you be a free spirit and change your mind about boarding times? You might want to depart earlier instead of waiting around, but you want to know if that’s even possible or what it’ll cost. Like many companies, Spirit has its own rules and policies. Here, you’ll find answers about Spirit’s standby system and learn if it gives you the freedom you want to hop on another plane.

Question 1 of 9:

Can I fly standby on Spirit Airlines?

  1. Yes, Spirit Airlines sells same-day standby flights for an upcharge. They’re not guaranteed and you can’t reserve them online. Unlike some other airlines, they don’t offer them for free as a courtesy if earlier flights have a bunch of free seats. Spirit also prioritizes offering a selection of flights departing before your flight instead of ones after it.[1]
    • If Spirit oversold seats on the plane you were planning to board and you’re not choosing to switch to a standby flight just for added convenience, Spirit staff will book another flight for you at no charge.
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Question 2 of 9:

How do I fly standby on Spirit Airlines?

  1. 1
    Buy a ticket for a Spirit Airlines flight. Your ticket will be your proof-of-purchase. You’ll need a booked flight to buy a standby option and change your departure time. When you pay to switch to an earlier flight, you're just making an adjustment to a previously scheduled flight plan.[2]
  2. 2
    Arrive early at the airport and talk to staff at the check-in desk. Walk up to the Spirit employees with your ticket in hand. You can’t browse standby options online, so Spirit’s staff will have to tell you what earlier flights are available in person.[3]
    • Seats are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you’re the first to show up in the morning, you’ll have a lot of standby choices. Even if one plane fills up, there might be a lot more than can take you. Your standby selection diminishes the more you postpone coming to the airport.[4]
  3. 3
    Be friendly with airline staff when asking for standby options. Even though Spirit charges for switching flight plans, that doesn’t mean they’re offering a guaranteed service. After all, no airline is required to provide standby flights to travelers.[5]
    • If customer service is struggling to find a standby flight, that’s normal. People can make a lot of last-minute changes to their plans. What ends up happening is that lots of seats can fill or free up. Space on a plane can really range in a matter of hours or even minutes.
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Question 4 of 9:

How much does it cost to travel standby?

  1. 1
    It costs $99 USD to fly standby. If you just want an earlier flight time and you’re not a member of one of Spirit’s programs, you pay an extra fee for changing when you’ll depart. Spirit Airline Reservations charges per person, so if you’re traveling with extra people who’d like to board at the same time, you’ll spend more.[7]
  2. 2
    If your original flight is full, it’s free. Lots of airlines sell more seats than there are passengers to board the plane. This is a common practice in case people are no-shows, but if everyone who bought a ticket arrives, planes will end up with too few seats. It isn’t your fault if this happens, and to make up for the hassle, Spirit will put you on a new flight at no cost to you.[8]
  3. 3
    If you’re a Free Spirit Silver member, it’s also free. You can travel standby on any earlier same-day flight with open seats. To enjoy this perk, walk up to the check-in desk and ask Spirit staff what planes can take you. [9]
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Question 5 of 9:

Do I need a ticket to travel standby?

Question 6 of 9:

What flights are eligible for standby?

  1. Only same-day flights are eligible for standby. Spirit Airlines will let you board earlier flights, but they have to be on the same day you’re scheduled to depart. If you’re fine with that, you can choose from a variety of flight times, provided the planes have space.[11]
    • Spirit Airlines doesn’t have a standby list you can sign up for. Some airlines let you opt to be put on a standby list just in case seats free up on another plane. With Spirit, you have to actually pay for a seat on a standby flight in advance and lock it in as yours.
    • If you want to change the actual date of a flight or cancel it, Spirit Airlines has a different pricing model.
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Question 7 of 9:

Can I ever get an upgraded seat traveling standby?

  1. You can buy a Big Front Seat if a plane still has one. Big Front Seats are Spirit Airlines’ luxury offering, with cozy leather and lots of legroom. When purchasing a standby flight, ask the airline staff if you can upgrade your seat. If the plane you want to be on has a Big Front Seat, just the upcharge for the cushy seat will be between $25 USD and $250 USD. Since that’s added on top of the fee for selecting a standby flight, you can end up spending an extra $349 USD altogether. [12]
    • Spirit Airlines doesn’t have an official system for “seat bumping.” Seat bumping is when you can get a better seat on another plane if your flight was oversold. Some airlines give you an upgraded seat as a courtesy for this inconvenience, but Spirit doesn’t guarantee that.
Question 9 of 9:

What happens If I don’t make my standby flight?

About This Article

Madeleine Flamiano
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Madeleine Flamiano. Madeleine Flamiano is an Editing Fellow at wikiHow based in Berkeley, California, as well as a Team Organizer, Copy Editor, and Movie Critic for Incluvie. Madeleine has 12 years of experience in literacy advocacy and the creative arts that span tutoring, teaching, writing, public relations, and non-profit support. She has penned seven novels under a pseudonym and loves all escapist genres, from cozy fantasies to hard-boiled sci-fi. Her professional path started at NaNoWriMo, where she scripted and hosted a series on worldbuilding. Madeleine graduated from Mills College with a B.A. in English with a concentration in Literature and a Minor in Philosophy. This article has been viewed 13,611 times.
6 votes - 83%
Co-authors: 5
Updated: January 26, 2023
Views: 13,611
Categories: Buying Air Travel
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