Southwest Airlines vs Spirit Airlines

Side-by-side comparison of Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines: cabin and checked baggage allowances, fees, online check-in deadlines, alliances, hubs and contacts.

Southwest AirlinesSpirit Airlines
Country United StatesUnited States
Founded 19711980
Type Low-cost carrierLow-cost carrier
Main hubs Dallas/Fort Worth International AirportFort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Atlantic City International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Aircraft types 15
Cabin bag size -56 × 46 × 25 cm (22 × 18 × 10 in)
Checked bag (Economy) 1 piece · 22.7 kg (50 lb)not included
First checked bag fee from 45 USD-
Extra bag fee from 55 USD-
Online check-in opens 24 h24 h
Online check-in closes 30 min1 h
Airport check-in fee freefrom 25 USD
Customer service phone +1 214 792 40 00855-728-3555

Key differences

  • Southwest Airlines lets you check in online closer to departure (30 min vs 1 h).

Other comparisons

Allowances shown are for the basic Economy fare on most routes. Fees are the lowest published prices and change often - confirm on the official websites before booking.