Flying Spirit Airlines with Kids: Infant Policy, Stroller Check & UM Service

Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, lap infants under 24 months at the time of travel fly without a base fare on all Spirit-operated routes — this includes US domestic flights as well as international destinations such as the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. A 7-day minimum age applies for newborns. Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, unlike US legacy carriers such as Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, which charge approximately 10% of the adult fare plus taxes on international infant tickets, the airline does not apply an international infant surcharge. The only cost considerations are the paid carry-on fee (USD 26–79) for the accompanying adult and any seat-selection fees if adjacency is needed. Always verify the current policy directly at spirit.com before booking.

Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, children under 24 months may travel as lap infants without a purchased seat. A separate seat is required only if the parent chooses to use an FAA-approved child restraint system (car seat) in-cabin during the flight — in that case, the seat is purchased at the full adult fare, as no infant or child discount exists. The FAA strongly recommends that children under 2 travel in their own restraint for safety reasons, even when the airline does not require it. Parents flying alone with multiple infants must purchase additional seats if they have more infants than adults in the travel party. Verify current terms at spirit.com before booking.

Per Spirit Airlines' published information, bassinets are not available on any Spirit-operated aircraft. The carrier's entire fleet consists of Airbus A319, A320, and A321 narrow-body aircraft, which do not have the bulkhead mounting points required for airline bassinets. This is a fleet-wide structural limitation identical to Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air, as all three operate all-narrow-body fleets. Parents of infants on Spirit should plan to hold the infant for the duration of the flight or bring a soft carrier or ergonomic wrap for in-arm support. For routes where bassinet availability matters, carriers such as Emirates or Singapore Airlines operate wide-body aircraft with reservable bassinets, though at significantly higher fare levels.

Per Spirit Airlines' published fee schedule, Spirit operates an unbundled fare model where carry-on bags are paid add-ons ranging from USD 26 to USD 79 depending on the route and booking timing. Lap infants do not receive any personal carry-on or checked bag allowance; their only free entitlements are a stroller and car seat checked as child gear. The diaper bag is treated as the traveling parent's personal item — it does not qualify as a free additional allowance as it does on Allegiant. Children 2 and older pay the full adult fare and the same carry-on fees as adults. There is no child or infant discount on baggage fees. Always verify the baggage fee calculator at spirit.com before purchasing.

Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, unaccompanied minor service is available for children ages 5–14 at a fee of USD 150 each way. The service is mandatory for all children in this age range who travel without an accompanying adult, and it is available on non-stop flights only — Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, spirit does not accept unaccompanied minors on connecting itineraries. Children under 5 cannot fly alone under any circumstances. Passengers 15 and older may travel without UM service and are treated as standard adult passengers. Booking must be completed by contacting Spirit Airlines reservations directly, as online UM booking is not supported. The drop-off guardian must remain at the airport until the aircraft departs, and the receiving adult must present valid government-issued ID at the destination before the child is released. Verify current terms at spirit.com.

Per the US Department of Transportation's published Family Seating Dashboard (transportation.gov/airconsumer/family-seating-dashboard), Spirit Airlines has committed to seating children 14 years and younger adjacent to an accompanying adult at no additional charge. This commitment applies to Standard and Bundle fare tickets. Passengers who purchase Bare Fare tickets are not covered by this commitment and may need to pay for seat selection separately to guarantee the family sits together. Spirit is one of the few US ultra-low-cost carriers listed on the DOT dashboard — Allegiant Air, Avelo Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines are not on the commitment list. Always confirm fare type eligibility before booking and verify the current dashboard status at transportation.gov.

Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, one stroller per fare-paying passenger is checked free of charge, either at the ticket counter or at the boarding gate. The carrier's uniform A319/A320/A321 fleet supports jet-bridge stroller return at most major airports, meaning the stroller is returned at the aircraft door rather than at baggage claim. Standard and umbrella strollers are accepted for gate check; double strollers and jogging strollers must be checked at the ticket counter due to size. The stroller tag is applied by counter or gate agents and the item is loaded into the cargo hold. No size or weight limit is published for standard strollers, but unusually oversized items may require special handling. Always verify with the gate agent at check-in.

Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, lap infants under 24 months travel free on all international routes Spirit operates, including destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Unlike US legacy carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines — which charge approximately 10% of the adult fare plus applicable taxes on most international infant tickets — Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, spirit does not apply an infant surcharge on its international network. Parents should note that the lap-infant addition is phone-only (online add is not supported) and that the free stroller and car seat gate check applies on international flights as well. Always confirm the current policy for specific international routes at spirit.com before booking.

Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2024 and emerged as Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc. in early 2025. According to Spirit Airlines' published information, flight operations continued without interruption throughout the restructuring process and existing tickets were honored. The carrier's family policies — including the free lap-infant fare, UM service for ages 5–14, free stroller and car seat check, and DOT Family-Seating Dashboard commitment — were preserved through and after the restructuring. The post-emergence entity reduced some routes but maintained its core leisure and family travel network. As with any airline, parents should verify current route availability and policies directly at spirit.com before booking, as network and operational details may continue to evolve.

Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, families traveling with children under 2 years of age are invited to board ahead of the general boarding zones — this pre-boarding privilege applies specifically to traveling parties with an infant under 2. Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, for families with older children, the DOT Family-Seating Dashboard commitment covers seat adjacency for children 14 and under on Standard and Bundle fares, but the airline does not designate a separate formal family-boarding group for children over 2 comparable to Southwest Airlines' between-A-and-B family boarding group. Parents of toddlers and older children who want early boarding should purchase boarding priority upgrades at booking or at check-in. Always verify boarding procedures for your specific flight at spirit.com.

Per Spirit Airlines' published information, adding a lap infant to an existing booking cannot be completed online through 'Manage Travel.' Parents must contact Spirit Airlines reservations by phone after completing the adult ticket purchase. Have the following ready before calling: the adult booking confirmation number, the infant's full legal name as it appears on the birth certificate, and the infant's date of birth. The lap-infant fare is USD 0 on all Spirit routes. After the phone call, an updated confirmation email listing both the adult and infant passenger is issued. Do not wait until close to departure — backend processing cutoffs may prevent additions within 24 hours of flight time. Verify the phone contact channel and current process at spirit.com.

Per Spirit Airlines' published policy, one car seat per fare-paying passenger is checked free of charge, either at the ticket counter or at the boarding gate. If the car seat will be used in-cabin on a purchased seat, the FAA-approval sticker must be affixed to the seat — Spirit agents strictly enforce this requirement. For gate or counter check only (not in-cabin use), no certification sticker is required. Car seats checked at the gate are stowed in the cargo hold and returned at the jet bridge on arrival at most Spirit-served airports. Booster seats are also accepted under the same free-check allowance, but traditional booster seats without a built-in harness are not FAA-approved for in-flight use. Verify car seat policy at spirit.com before traveling.