Spirit Airlines announces extra legroom seats will be available starting this summer
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Spirit Airlines comes out of bankruptcy protection
Spirit Airlines announced plans to rebrand as a premium airline after emerging from bankruptcy protection.
Cheddar
Spirit Airlines is introducing extra legroom seats with 32-inch pitch, available for purchase this month and rolling out on most flights by July 2025.
The updated Go Comfy fare will include extra legroom instead of a blocked middle seat, along with other perks like carry-on bag, priority boarding, and snacks.
Spirit's loyalty program is also getting revamped, with perks like complimentary upgrades to Go Comfy and Big Front Seats for elite members, based on availability.
Spirit Airlines unveiled plans for new extra legroom seats, which it expects to have available across most of its fleet by the middle of this summer.
"Spirit's new premium options offer travelers exceptional value, and we're creating even more opportunities for guests to experience them with our new extra-legroom seating option," Rana Ghosh, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Spirit Airlines, said in a statement. "We're also adding more value and perks for our loyalty members at a time when others are taking away benefits, giving our most loyal guests even more reasons to choose Spirit."
The new seats are on sale this month and will begin flying on some routes in June. Here's what travelers need to know.
Spirit Airlines' extra legroom seats
Spirit updated the way its Go Comfy fare bundle worked. Previously, that premium fare guaranteed a blocked middle seat in standard legroom rows, but now Go Comfy will come with extra legroom instead. Spirit Airlines typically has seats at 28-inch pitch, but Go Comfy rows will be arranged with 32-inch pitch instead.
"The new preferred seating will include seven rows near the front of the aircraft and more than 40 seats. The extra-legroom seating will be installed beginning June 2025 and roll out across the majority of the fleet by July 2025," the airline said in a statement.
As the extra legroom rows are introduced, Spirit will stop blocking middle seats for Go Comfy ticketholders. Go Comfy fares will still include a carry-on bag, no change or cancellation fees, priority boarding, reserved overhead bin space, a snack, and a non-alcoholic beverage.
The first flights with extra legroom rows will begin on July 9.
Spirit Airlines loyalty program updates
Spirit also announced updates to its loyalty program on Tuesday, including complimentary upgrades to Go Comfy and Big Front seats for elite status holders, based on availability.
The airline also expanded options for redeeming its loyalty points and announced a free checked bag perk with its co-branded MasterCard.
Full details of the loyalty program and seating updates are available on the airline's website.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
13 hours ago
- USA Today
Trump accounts are a 'backdoor for privatizing Social Security,' Treasury secretary says
"In a way, it is a backdoor way for privatizing Social Security," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said of new $1,000 accounts for newborns that passed in President Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill." WASHINGTON ― Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent touted new savings accounts for American babies included in President Donald Trump's recently approved megabill as a "backdoor for privatizing Social Security." Bessent, speaking July 30 at a policy event hosted by Breitbart, hailed so-called "Trump accounts" for American newborns that passed in Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" as an innovative way to get more Americans to take part in the financial system, increase financial literacy and build their retirement savings. Under the program, American children born this year through 2028 are eligible for a one-time $1,000 contribution from the federal government per toddler into a mutual fund or index fund that is tied to the performance of the stock market. "In a way, it is a backdoor way for privatizing Social Security," Bessent said. "Social Security is a defined benefit plan paid out ‒ that to the extent that if all of a sudden these accounts grow, and you have in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for your retirement, that's a game-changer." 'Trump accounts' for babies? Why the White House is pushing cash for kids Trump's megabill ‒ which the president signed into law on July 4 after it cleared Congress with only Republican support ‒ extended Trump's 2017 tax cuts, ended taxes on tips, allocated billions in border-wall funding and cut Medicaid and food stamp benefits, among other new policies including the "Trump accounts." The new law did not make changes to Social Security, which the president vowed to protect. Democrats have long accused Republicans of aiming to privatize Social Security, a New Deal era welfare program that provides benefits for seniors and Americans with disabilities. In 2005, President George W. Bush proposed a plan that would have allowed Americans to invest a portion of their Social Security tax payments into the stock market, but the overhaul failed to gain traction in Congress. The Trump baby accounts are expected to become available next July. Parents can also contribute up to $5,000 annually to the tax-deferred account to be invested in a diversified fund that tracks a U.S.-stock index. Qualified withdrawals, including for education expenses or credentials, a down payment on a first home or as capital to start a small business, are taxed at the long-term capital-gains rate. Big Beautiful Bill 101: What you need to know about the new law There are no income requirements and everyone is eligible, as long as the child is a U.S. citizen, and both parents have Social Security numbers. Money from "Trump accounts" can't be withdrawn until the beneficiaries turn 18 years old. Bessent recounted recently talking to construction workers at a gas station who were purcashing $20 lottery tickets. "I was sitting there thinking ‒ and I tell them ‒ the best thing you could do is save that $20. Now with these (Trump) accounts, they can be part of the system," Bessent said. "What if they had put that money in the S&P or in Bitcoin, or anything? We are making people part of the system. We are increasing financial literacy." Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Newsweek
20 hours ago
- Newsweek
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Might Backfire, Says IMF
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' might backfire, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. According to the international financial institution's July 2025 World Economic Outlook Update, while the Trump-backed legislation has helped lift short-term U.S. growth, it could create other economic problems down the track. Newsweek contacted the White House by email to comment on this story. Why It Matters Earlier this month, Congress passed the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" (OBBA) after months of internal GOP divisions and last-minute negotiations. President Donald Trump attends an penning ceremony for the Trump International Golf Links golf course, near Aberdeen, Scotland, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. President Donald Trump attends an penning ceremony for the Trump International Golf Links golf course, near Aberdeen, Scotland, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin The wide-ranging legislation, among other things, extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, and boosts funding for immigration enforcement and defense. The bill will also reduce the Department of Health and Human Services budget by $880 billion over 10 years. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill will add $2.4 trillion to the U.S. national debt. It also stated that the legislation reduces taxes by $3.75 trillion. Before it was passed, the IMF said that the bill was against IMF recommendations to reduce fiscal deficits in the medium term. What To Know In the update, the IMF said that while the bill had "brought clarity to the near-term path of U.S. fiscal policy, it has added to uncertainty about longer-term fiscal sustainability." The report added that it will increase the fiscal deficit by about 1.5 percentage points of GDP in 2026 and that tariff revenues will offset around half these increases. However, it also said the legislation could also raise U.S. output by around 0.5 percent on average through to 2030. The IMF has also upgraded its global growth forecast and upgraded its projection of U.S. growth, showing global economic resilience, despite Trump's tariffs policies. What People Are Saying Speaking to Newsweek, John Diamond, an adjunct professor of economics at Rice University, said: "The OBBA does increase short-term growth and it also increases long-term growth even after accounting for the additional debt to finance the tax cuts. So OBBA increases short- and long-run growth. Especially the permanent investment incentives in the bill. "The benefits of permanent tax policy are another positive as permanent policies allow for better decision making by businesses and consumers. In addition, for the past two decades much of U.S. tax policy was temporary, this created a deficit increasing fiscal situation as Republicans wanted to extend the tax cuts and Democrats wanted to increase spending. The standard compromise was both tax cuts and spending increases which led to increasing deficits. That dynamic is now less likely to play out. "I don't think there are significant additional risks of inflation from the tax cuts (the Fed should account for the additional fiscal stimulus in its monetary policy decisions) or that the cuts will cause global financial uncertainty (they are just not big enough and they don't accrue fast enough and offsetting policies can be adopted over time). Granted, tariff and trade uncertainty could lead to an increase in the price level and more financial market volatility depending on how the deal making works out over time." IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said earlier this month in a press briefing: "From the IMF side, we have been consistent in saying that the U.S. will need to reduce its fiscal deficit over time to put public debt-to-GDP on a decisive downward path. Of course, the sooner that process starts to reduce the deficit, the more gradual the deficit reduction can be over time." What Happens Next The full consequences of the legislation will become clearer as its provisions are implemented. Some of the changes it makes will not take place until 2028, meaning it will take a while for its full economic impact to be known.
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
How to know and what to do if you have to gate check your bag on a flight
Cruising Altitude is a weekly column about air travel. Have a suggestion for a future topic? Fill out the form or email me at the address at the bottom of this page. As an avgeek and frequent traveler, I usually have a pretty good sense of when my carry-on bag isn't going to make it with me onto my flight. I can often tell just by knowing what kind of plane I'm flying on, or what my boarding position is, if I'm going to have to gate check my rollaboard. But on a recent personal trip, I was reminded that this dynamic can be a lot more opaque to other travelers. I've seen many fellow flyers get caught off-guard when they reach the boarding door, only to be told their bag won't fit for whatever reason and it's going to have to be put in the hold instead. So, why does this happen? How can travelers anticipate if they're going to need to gate check their bag, and what's the best way to prepare? Here's what to know to help your next trip go smoothly. Why do airlines make passengers gate check luggage? It all comes down to space. The two main reasons airlines make people gate check their luggage is because the overhead bins are already full by the time they board, or because it's a small plane that can't fit some larger rollaboard bags that would have space in the cabin of a larger jet. That's why it's a good idea to know what kind of plane you're flying on and how far along in the airline's boarding process you're going to get on the plane. If you're traveling on a regional jet, like a CRJ or an Embraer, or a turboprop like the Q400, you're more likely to have to gate check your bag. Similarly, if you're boarding late in the process, even on a full-size jet, the bins may already be full and you could have to check your luggage at the boarding door. 'Every airline knows how many bags will fit in an overhead bin,' Raychel Armstrong, vice president of Transportation Workers Union Local 577, Allegiant Air Flight Attendants, told me. 'Sometimes they may allow too many and sometimes they may have to check those.' Armstrong said she's flown on many different airlines and while it's less likely for bins to be full on ultra-low cost carriers that charge for carry-on baggage, it can still happen. If you don't think your bag will fit, having to gate check at the last minute can slow the boarding process down for everyone, so it's usually a good idea to get it tagged for gate checking before the flight actually begins to board. What are the rules for gate checked luggage? When you gate check your luggage, it goes into the baggage hold with other checked items, so it's important to treat your carry-on like a checked bag at that point. 'Lithium (ion batteries are) a big thing because there's always a possibility where in the past there's been aircraft incidents or accidents because of lithium,' Armstrong said. 'Medications, car keys, I wouldn't be putting my passport in a checked bag.' While airlines are generally very reliable about returning gate-checked luggage, there's always an outside possibility that your stuff will be misplaced once it's out of your sight, and you don't want to lose access to any essentials. Last week's Cruising Altitude: Flight attendants say this is the nastiest thing travelers do. It's a good idea to take any medications, keys and other such items out of a bag that's going to be gate checked and put them in whatever is still coming with you in the cabin. I once gate checked a bag and realized after the boarding door closed that my passport was in it. Fortunately, my suitcase didn't get left on the tarmac in Yellowknife, but I did spend most of the flight panicking that it would. It's also crucial to leave battery-powered devices out of the cargo hold, because they can pose a fire hazard. Similarly, Armstrong said, gate checked luggage can be handled roughly sometimes, so proceed with caution. 'Don't put anything glass or something that's fragile that you care about that could get destroyed,' she said. Where can you get your bags back once they've been gate checked? Different airlines handle gate checked bags differently, but the two most common options are: 1) they'll be returned to you on the tarmac or the jet bridge when you leave the flight on which you checked the bag, or 2) they'll go to the baggage carousel at your final destination. Make sure to listen to your flight crew and other airline employees when they tell you where your luggage will end up. Is it free to gate check a bag? It depends on the airline, but many carriers will gate check bags for free. Some even encourage passengers to preemptively gate check their luggage to help speed the boarding process along, and offer extra perks like earlier boarding to those who do. Still, some airlines may charge a fee to gate check your bag, especially ultra-low cost carriers, which may penalize passengers if their luggage is too big for the bag sizers or if they didn't pay for a carry-on bag in advance. In general, if you're not sure about your airline's policy, you can check their website or speak to the gate agent to find out exactly how to proceed with your luggage.
