Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® Review: Decent Perks for Spirit Fans

The Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® is designed for frequent Spirit Airlines fliers. It offers 3X points on Spirit purchases, priority boarding and a 50,000-point welcome bonus. The card also lets you earn a $100 companion voucher every year after meeting a spending requirement, which can offset the $79 annual fee after the first year.

However, the card lacks free checked bags or some of the travel perks you’d expect from airline cards. Plus, Spirit points have a lower redemption value and can’t be transferred to other programs, limiting how you can use them. If you only fly Spirit occasionally, you might find better value with another airline card.

Spirit Airlines is known for its low-cost, no-frills approach, which might not be for everyone. But if you only fly Spirit, the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Card could offer good value. With 3X points on Spirit purchases, a generous welcome bonus and priority boarding, this card can make your Spirit flights more rewarding. The annual fee is $79 after the first year, but you can offset this cost with a $100 yearly companion voucher if you meet the spending requirements.

Beyond flights, you earn 2X points on groceries and dining and 1X on all other purchases. The card also provides a 25% discount on in-flight food and beverages and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

However, the card's benefits don't include free checked bags, a perk often found with other airline cards in this price range. Redemption options are limited to Spirit flights and a few retail partners, and Spirit points don’t stretch as far as those from other airlines.

The Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Card lets you earn Free Spirit points from the following categories:

• Three points per dollar on eligible Spirit Airlines purchases
• Two points per dollar on eligible grocery store and dining purchases
• One point per dollar on all other purchases

Note that wholesale clubs and superstores are excluded from earning the 2X points for grocery stores.

You can redeem points for Spirit flights and purchases from Spirit retail partners. The points do not expire as long as your account remains active. However, you’re not able to transfer your Spirit points to other loyalty programs, and you can get the best value by redeeming Spirit points for flights.

Due to dynamic pricing, the value of Spirit points fluctuates from 0.8 to 1.1 cents per point. This point valuation is notably low relative to other airline loyalty programs.

The Free Spirit Travel More World Elite earns Status Qualifying Points (SQP) towards Free Spirit’s elite status. Specifically, you earn one SQP for every $10 you spend on the card. These SQPs help you move closer to achieving Free Spirit Silver or Gold status, which requires 2,000 SQPs and 5,000 SQPs, respectively.

Reaching elite status offers several benefits, including increased point-earning rates, free seat selection at booking and complimentary checked and carry-on bags. By spending $20,000 annually on the card, you can automatically earn Silver status, while $50,000 in spending will earn you Gold status.

The Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Card offers several valuable benefits for frequent Spirit Airlines flyers:

Welcome bonus: You earn 50,000 bonus points and a $100 companion voucher by spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. The bonus points can be worth $500 if redeemed for flights, and the companion voucher is a nice perk to have if you’re traveling with someone.

High rewards: Using the card, you can earn 3X points on Spirit purchases and 2X points on dining and grocery stores. All other purchases earn 1X points. This means you can also earn points from everyday purchases, which can help you accumulate points faster.

Companion voucher: The card lets you earn a $100 companion flight voucher each year if you make at least $5,000 in purchases within the prior year. This benefit can offset the card's $79 annual fee if you’re able to use it.

Priority boarding: Enjoy Zone 2 shortcut boarding on all flights, which can help ensure you have space for your carry-on luggage and a more relaxed boarding experience.

No redemption fees: The card waives the $50 redemption fee typically charged when Free Spirit members redeem award flights.

The Free Spirit Travel More World Elite can work well if you frequently fly with Spirit Airlines, but there are multiple drawbacks to consider before getting the card:

Annual fee: The card comes with no annual fee for the first year, but it becomes $79 after that. It’s a modest fee for airline cards, but it might be a dealbreaker if you don’t fly enough on Spirit to get the value. Although the companion voucher can help offset the fee, if you can't use it, you'll need to earn enough points to cover the fee before benefiting from any real savings.

Limited redemption options: Points earned with this card can only be redeemed for Spirit flights and a handful of other purchases with Spirit retail partners. Points are not transferable to other programs and, when redeemed, are not worth as much as points from other airlines. If you’re looking for a more flexible card, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Small airline network: Spirit Airlines is a budget carrier with a more limited network than major airlines such as American, Delta or United. It doesn’t operate flights to every airport or offer service to all destinations. If you’re not based near a Spirit hub or plan to travel to destinations like Europe, the card may not provide much value for your needs.

No free checked bags: Airline cards at this price point usually offer free checked bags. It’s a nice perk that can typically offset the annual fee. However, this card doesn’t have this benefit.

We compare the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite to other travel cards to help you make an informed decision.

Although the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite offers high travel rewards, it doesn’t do the same with everyday categories. We recommend this pairing:

We assessed the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite by comparing it to 20 other airline cards, with a focus on key features. Our scoring is based on the following criteria:

• Expected Value for Travelers (40%): Measures rewards and perks minus annual fees.
• Airline Scope (20%): Rates the number of destinations the airline flies to.
• Offer ROI (15%): Assesses the return on investment from introductory bonus offers.
• Airline Rewards Rate (10%): Evaluates rewards earned on airline expenditures.
• Foreign Transaction Fees (5%): Rates the presence of foreign transaction fees.
• Issuer Satisfaction (5%): Based on J.D. Power's issuer satisfaction study.
• Recommended Credit (5%): Availability to various credit scores.

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