For many travelers, it’s about the destination, not how you get there. If you tend to be budget-conscious and don’t mind flying ultra-low-cost carriers such as Frontier Airlines or Spirit Airlines, you may have considered either of these cobranded credit card options.
You have the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard with Frontier and the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard with Spirit. While these cards (and their loyalty programs) are often overlooked, they may be surprisingly decent options to add to your credit card portfolio based on their benefits.
With similar annual fees, we’ll help you decide which airline card is best for you.
Related: Which low-cost carrier should you fly? Comparing Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines
The information for the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard and the Free Spirit Travel More World Elite 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.
Frontier vs. Free Spirit card comparison
| Frontier Airlines World Mastercard | Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $89 | $0 for the first year, then $79 |
| Sign-up bonus | Earn 50,000 bonus miles and a $100 flight voucher after spending $500 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full within the first 90 days of account opening | Earn 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 |
| Bonus categories | 5 miles per dollar on eligible Frontier purchases
3 miles per dollar on restaurant purchases 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases |
3 points per dollar on eligible Spirit purchases
2 points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery store purchases 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
| Benefits | $100 flight voucher each card anniversary after spending $2,500 or more on the card each year
Zone 2 priority boarding Earn 1 Elite Qualifying Mile per $1 spent on your card Family pooling Award redemption fee waiver No foreign transaction fees |
$100 companion flight voucher each card anniversary after spending $5,000 or more on card each year
Zone 2 priority boarding 25% rebate on inflight purchases World Elite Mastercard benefits No foreign transaction fees |
Frontier vs. Free Spirit card welcome offer
The Frontier Mastercard lets you earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $500 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full within the first 90 days.
On the other hand, the Free Spirit Mastercard provides a similar offer with a higher spending requirement. New cardholders will earn 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.
Frontier miles and Spirit points are currencies that are both worth 1.1 cents, according to TPG valuations. That makes the Frontier card’s welcome offer worth $550 and Spirit’s worth $650 (with the inclusion of the $100 companion flight voucher).
Winner: Spirit
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Frontier vs. Free Spirit card benefits
These cards share many similarities, so the differences lie within the details of each benefit offered.
First, both cards offer the opportunity to earn a $100 flight voucher each year. This great incentive can cover the cost of the respective annual fees. However, the Frontier card’s annual voucher is a better offering since you’ll only have to spend $2,500 or more on your card to receive it. Meanwhile, you’ll need to spend $5,000 or more with the Spirit card. Plus, you can use the Frontier voucher for your own flight and fewer limitations, while the Spirit voucher requires you to use it on a companion ticket (in conjunction with booking your own ticket).
Both cards offer the opportunity to earn elite qualifying miles from your card spending. The Frontier card earns 1 qualifying mile per dollar spent, and so to earn Frontier’s lowest elite status — Elite 20K — you’ll need 20,000 qualifying miles or 25 flight segments in a calendar year. Theoretically, you can earn elite status by spending $20,000 or more on your Frontier card, unlocking exclusive benefits such as a free carry-on bag and seat assignment.
Similarly, you can reach Free Spirit Silver or Gold elite status with the Spirit card by earning 1 Status Qualifying Point (SQPs) for each $10 in purchases during a calendar year. It’s easier to achieve elite status with the Spirit card, as you can reach Silver status by getting 2,000 SQPs or Gold status with 5,000 SQPs. So, with just $2,000 or $5,000 in spending each year, you can get exclusive benefits such as free same-day standby flights and seat selection at check-in.
Furthermore, both cards grant you access to family pooling, which allows you to share miles with family and friends.
With the Frontier card, you’ll also get an award redemption fee waiver, which starts at $5.60 for a one-way ticket. This is unlocked with the Spirit card at the Silver elite level, requiring just $2,000 in spend per year. Meanwhile, the Spirit card offers a 25% rebate on inflight purchases. Both cards offer perks such as Zone 2 priority boarding and no foreign transaction fees.
Winner: Tie. These cards offer very similar benefits.
Earning rewards with the Frontier vs. Free Spirit card
Although Frontier and Spirit are low-cost carriers, their cobranded credit cards offer impressive earning rates.
The Frontier card offers 5 miles per dollar on eligible Frontier purchases, 3 miles per dollar on restaurant purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. In contrast, the Free Spirit Mastercard offers slightly lower earning rates, with 3 points per dollar on eligible Spirit purchases, 2 points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery store purchases, and 1 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Based on TPG’s valuations, the Frontier card offers an effective return of 5.5% on Frontier purchases, 3.3% at restaurants, and 1.1% on all other purchases. Meanwhile, the Free Spirit Mastercard offers a slightly lower return of 3.3% on Spirit purchases, 2.2% on dining and grocery, and a similar 1.1% on all other purchases.
While the Frontier Mastercard offers a much higher rate on affiliated airline purchases, it only offers one other bonus category (restaurants). Meanwhile, you can earn 2 miles per dollar on dining and grocery store purchases with the Free Spirit card.
Winner: Tie. Some people may find having a higher earning rate for Frontier flight purchases useful. In contrast, others will appreciate the Spirit Mastercard’s higher earning potential due to its more comprehensive range of earning categories.
Redeeming rewards with the Frontier vs. Free Spirit card
TPG values both airline currencies at 1.1 cents each, so we’ll pare down the redemption options to see which loyalty program offers a more user-friendly experience.
Frontier publishes an official award chart, citing that a one-way domestic flight starts at 10,000 miles. This is huge since you can fly anywhere within the U.S. and Puerto Rico for this price — even trans-continental flights. With your sign-up bonus, you can unlock two round-trip flights or as many as five one-way flights.
Meanwhile, Spirit does not have an official award chart for redemptions. However, the carrier has incredible potential for low-cost awards when using the Free Spirit loyalty program. We’ve found that one-way flights cost as low as 2,500 points, stretching the value of your sign-up bonus with a ton of booking options.
Related: Five things you should know about Spirit’s revamped credit card lineup
One important thing to remember is that Spirit charges a $50 redemption fee for flights booked within 28 days — severely affecting the value of using your hard-earned points. There’s no redemption fee if you book more than 28 days in advance. With the Frontier card, you can save on redemption fees (which range from $15 to $75) — adding immense value to this card.
Winner: The Frontier Mastercard. Thanks to its waived redemption fees and its clear, published award chart.
Should I get the Frontier or Free Spirit card?
If you live near a Spirit or Frontier hub, pick the card that best benefits your travel patterns. The Frontier Mastercard has a slight edge over the Spirit Mastercard in earning and redeeming rewards. However, your choice should be guided by which airline you fly more frequently.
Bottom line
Most people apply for airline cards to get perks, such as free checked bags on every flight. However, this isn’t the case with the Frontier or the Spirit cards. Although both have low annual fees, you won’t get a pass for your carry-on or checked baggage. With the opportunity to earn a flight voucher each year and priority boarding, you can enhance the experience of flying these ultra-low-cost carriers just by owning these cards.
Related: Why Spirit gives Delta a run for its money in our head-to-head comparison
