Spirit takes on Southwest with surprising baggage perk | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

For more than 50 years since Southwest Airlines (LUV) began flying in 1971, the low-cost airline has been associated with a two-bags-fly-free policy that it stuck to even as competitors periodically raised the cost of baggage and turned the fact that travelers will generally not fly without it into a separate revenue stream.

This changed when, in May 2025, Southwest finally scrapped the longstanding policy amid pressure from new investors to get out of unprofitable quarters. The Dallas-based airline now charges all but its highest-fare passengers for any bags they need to check and, in choosing to make this change, both drew the anger of longtime passengers who stuck with it precisely for this policy and got rid of one of the few features that made it stand out from competitors.

Want two free checked bags with Spirit? Here is what you need to do

While Spirit Airlines (SAVE) is facing its own uncertain future after filing for Chapter 11 protection twice in the last nine months, the Florida-based low-cost carrier is choosing to tap into the opportunity of disgruntled Southwest travelers.

On Sept. 23, the airline announced that holders of its Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard will be able to get two checked bags of up to 50 pounds each on any flight they book using the signature credit card.

“Our most loyal Guests know they get the greatest value when they choose Spirit, and now the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard makes flying with us even more rewarding,” Spirit’s Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Rana Ghosh said in a statement. “With two free checked bags, primary cardholders can enjoy more of what they love, including excellent value, great perks and an elevated travel experience.”

Prior to this addition, the card offered holders priority check-in and boarding, a 25% discount on in-flight food and drink purchases as well as upgrades to higher fare classes where space is available. After the first year during which the annual fee is waived, the Spirit credit card costs $79 and is accessible to U.S. residents who are above the age of 18 and have a credit rating of 700 or greater.

Spirit Airlines is now giving holders of its signature credit card two free checked bags.

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Is the Spirit credit card worth it? For those with a lot of baggage, it may be

The card launched in 2021 and, like all airline signature credit cards, allows holders to earn loyalty points on the purchases they make with it.

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With most airlines giving travelers on international flights in economy with no more than one free checked bag of up to 50 pounds, a credit card that allows two could prove to be worth it for those who currently travel frequently with Spirit even as the airline’s future remains uncertain.

At the Skift Global travel forum earlier in the month, Frontier Airlines (ULCC) CEO Barry Biffle questioned the cost of checked bags as having the potential to influence whether passengers take a given airline. The airline similarly tried to win over disgruntled Southwest Airlines with a free bag offer back in April and, according to Biffle, did not see a noticeable difference in travelers.

“I think on the margin, there was a handful of people who moved over but at the end of the day it just goes to show Southwest should have been charging for bags 20 years ago,” Biffle said to the audience at the forum.