Spirit Airlines Launches New Status Match Program: Is It Worth It?

Airline status match programs can help you get your elite status from one carrier matched by the next, but they usually come with plenty of fine print. For example, your newly "matched" status typically only lasts a few months and lapses if you don't meet a specific flight requirement with the airline.

Spirit Airlines just launched a new status match program that is slightly different than many other ones. Essentially, this new status match deal lets you get your elite status matched using elite status from 16 different frequent flyer programs and 16 different hotel brands. Your newly matched status will also last a full 12 months without any flight requirements, which makes the program even more alluring.

Of course, there's a catch. The airline's "Free Spirit" status match is a paid program, and it’ll set you back either $49 or $99 depending on the new tier of status you hope to get.

With this in mind, you may be wondering if this program is worth the trouble or the cost. Read on to find out more about Spirit's new status match deal, how it works and reasons to consider it.

How Spirit Airlines new status match program works

Spirit Airlines offers two different tiers of elite status you can work toward — Free Spirit Silver and Free Spirit Gold. Both tiers of elite status from Spirit are attainable through the status match program, although different requirements apply to qualify for either one.

For example, lower tier elite status with participating airlines and hotels (like Alaska MVP, American Gold and Delta Silver) lets you match to Free Spirit Silver, whereas mid-tier and higher elite status tiers with other airlines and hotels (like American Platinum or higher, JetBlue Mosaic and Delta Gold or higher) will match to Free Spirit Gold.

The good news is that a large number of airline and hotel programs will work with this deal, enabling most Spirit frequent flyers with status in another program to take advantage of it:

If you succeed at getting your status matched by Spirit, you'll get the following perks that vary by tier:

However, there are a few fine print details you should know about with this program. For example, the status match deal only provides benefits for flights you book after your new status is approved. This means you won't get any new elite status perks for Spirit flights you booked previously but haven't flown yet. In addition, people who applied for a Spirit status match in the last two years are ineligible for this promotion.

Is the Spirit status match worth it?

Quite a few factors help the Spirit Airlines status match program stand out, including the fact it lets you match elite status with other major airlines, but also with hotel loyalty programs. Not only that, but you get to enjoy your new elite status perks for 12 full months, and there are no flight requirements to keep up with during that time.

As mentioned, you'll have to pay a $49 fee for Silver status or a $99 fee for Gold status, which may leave you wondering if the investment is truly worth it. It seems likely that Spirit flyers will get good value from the program if they fly with Spirit at least a few times in the next 12 months, and they can qualify for Gold status. That's because Gold status comes with the most money-saving benefits.

Free Spirit Gold offers free carry-on and checked luggage and a seat selection benefit when you purchase a flight. The airline charges $1 to $200 for seat assignments requested in advance depending on the specifics of your flight. Carry-on bags and checked baggage can easily cost $60 or more per leg of your flight as well, depending on your itinerary. Gold status could easily get you more than $99 in savings on these charges with just a few flights.

The bottom line

While getting elite status with Spirit Airlines may not be as rewarding as achieving similar status with a major U.S. carrier, it's easy to see why you would want it if you actually fly with this discount airline. Having early boarding is always nice, and Free Spirit Gold status lets you avoid having to pay extra for carry-on bags, checked bags and a seat assignment.

Then again, Spirit Airlines does offer a co-branded airline credit card that earns points toward elite status. You could use it as an alternative for working toward status with the airline if you don't want to pay for status match.