Spirit Travel More Mastercard review: Decent perks for Spirit frequent flyers

spirit-travel-more-mastercard-review:-decent-perks-for-spirit-frequent-flyers

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® overview

The Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® is the premium card option for earning Spirit points. It offers priority boarding, a companion voucher, a waived annual fee for the first year and many significant perks for frequent Spirit flyers but falls short of the perks you’ll find on many other airline cards, such as a free checked bag. Card rating*: ⭐⭐½

* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The information for the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. 


Spirit Airlines is a budget airline known for affordable fares, and it adopts a no-frills approach to its flights. However, its loyalty program — Free Spirit — underwent a major overhaul in early 2021, including some notable enhancements.

More recently, Spirit has announced that it is filing for bankruptcy but plans to continue operations as normal. 

Spirit Airlines offers two credit cards: the Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® and the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard, both issued by Bank of America. (There is also a third Spirit credit card that is invite-only.) The Spirit Travel More card is the carrier’s more premium option with higher earning rates, a larger sign-up bonus and an annual fee of $79 (which is waived for the first year).

Unlike many other cobranded airline cards, the Travel More card does not offer perks such as free checked (or carry-on) bags, nor does it get you free seat reservations. Even when factoring in Spirit’s budget travel mentality, the Travel More card can seem lackluster.

But with limited spots in your wallet and Spirit Airlines’ unclear future, it might be best to hold off on adding this card to your wallet for now.

Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard pros and cons

Pros Cons
  • Companion voucher
  • Priority boarding
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Discount on inflight purchases
  • Uncertain airline future
  • Annual fee after year one
  • Lackluster earning rates
  • No free checked bag
  • No seat assignments

 

Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard welcome offer

The Spirit Travel More Mastercard currently offers new cardmembers a sign-up offer of 50,000 bonus points plus a $100 companion flight voucher after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

THE POINTS GUY

TPG’s November 2024 valuations peg Spirit points at 1.1 cents each, making this welcome bonus worth roughly $550. And if we take the companion voucher at face value, the total sign-up offer is worth up to $650.

Related: Why having the Spirit Airlines credit card isn’t crazy

Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard benefits

Unlike most airline cards, the Travel More card does not offer a free checked (or carry-on) bag.

SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY

However, it does include benefits like:

  • $100 companion flight voucher: When you make $5,000 in purchases within the prior anniversary year, you’ll receive a $100 companion flight voucher upon renewal of your card. This voucher can be used as a discount on companion airfare (excluding taxes and fees).
  • Points pooling: As the primary cardholder, Spirit lets you combine Free Spirit points with up to eight friends and family members.
  • Spending toward Free Spirit elite status: Spirit awards 1 Status Qualifying Point per dollar spent on fares or many ancillary purchases, but Travel More cardholders can earn 1 SQP for every $10 spent on everyday purchases. Silver status can be earned at 2,000 SQPs, and Gold status is earned at 5,000 SQPs. This means that you could reach Silver by spending $20,000 on the card or Gold by spending $50,000 on the card.
  • 25% rebate on inflight purchases
  • Group 2 boarding: On all flights, you’ll board in Group 2 — only behind passengers who have purchased a carry-on.
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Waived annual fee for the first year: The card’s $79 annual fee is waived for the first year.

Related: Why I (sometimes) choose to fly a budget airline over a full-service carrier

Earning points on the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard

With the Travel More card, you can earn Free Spirit points on purchases as follows:

  • 3 points per dollar spent on Spirit flights and inflight purchases
  • 2 points per dollar spent on eligible dining and grocery store purchases
  • 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
A Spirit Airlines aircraft at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Based on TPG’s November 2024 valuations, this means that you can get an effective return of 3.3% on eligible Spirit flights and inflight purchases, 2.2% on dining and grocery store purchases, and 1.1% on all other purchases.

Free Spirit points also do not expire as long as your card account is active.

These earning rates are acceptable for those looking to bank Spirit points, but they don’t hold a candle to what you could earn with our other favorite travel rewards cards and many other airline cards.

Related: Spirit Airlines elite status: What it is and how to earn it

Redeeming points on the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard

The best way to redeem Free Spirit points is to book award flights on Spirit Airlines. Spirit has no airline partners, so your points can only be redeemed on Spirit flights. Since Spirit uses a dynamic award pricing system, redemption rates can vary but typically start at 2,500 Free Spirit points. Taxes and fees for award flights start at $5.60 one-way.

Since Spirit Airlines has limited routes and frequencies, flyers from the carrier’s major airports — including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Orlando International Airport (MCO), Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — are more likely to find nonstop flights. However, the point-to-point network means that there may be routings that work for you.

Spirit Flight LAX-Cabo
SPIRIT AIRLINES

In one example, a flight from Los Angeles to Los Cabos, Mexico, can be bought for 5,000 Free Spirit points and $164.44 in fees ($50 of which is the redemption fee since this flight is less than 28 days away).

Related: How to fly without bag fees on Spirit Airlines using the free personal item

Which cards compete with the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard?

If you are not a Spirit Airlines loyalist, there are travel credit cards that may be a better fit for your wallet than the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard.

  • If you prefer no annual fee: The Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® has no annual fee and earns 2 points per dollar on all Spirit purchases and 1 point on everything else. It also comes with 5,000 bonus miles every account anniversary if you spend $10,000 or more the year prior.
  • If you prefer Chase: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a $95 annual fee and earns 5 points per dollar on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ and on Lyft rides (through March 2025), 3 points per dollar on dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services and takeout, select streaming services and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through Chase Travel℠ and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. These points can be transferred to Chase’s 14 partners for outsize value. To learn more, information, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
  • If you prefer Capital One: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has an $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) and earns 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases. These points can be transferred to Capital One’s 15-plus transfer partners for excellent value. To learn more, read our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

For additional options, check our list of the best airline cards.

Is the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard worth it?

For travelers wanting a little more freedom with their flights and points or those who rarely fly Spirit Airlines, the card likely will not be a good fit. Most of the Spirit Travel More credit card’s perks are tailored for frequent Spirit flyers. So, if Spirit is your airline of choice, the Travel More card certainly offers attractive perks and benefits, but if not, you might be better suited for another card.

Related: Should you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture — or both?

Bottom line

The Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard is Spirit’s higher-end credit card, and while it may be a great option for frequent Spirit flyers, it is not a good fit for most. Free Spirit points are not transferable, and despite being a cobranded airline card, the Travel More card does not offer flyers a free checked (or carry-on) bag for cardholders.

And considering Spirit Airlines’ uncertain future, most will want to hold off on adding this card to their wallets.

Related: How to choose the best credit card for you

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