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Spirit Airlines just increased the fee it charges almost all passengers for the privilege of booking a Spirit flight. As of May 21, 2025, Spirit raised its Passenger Usage Charge from a range of $3.99–$22.99 per segment to $8.99–$27.99 per segment.
The good news is that Spirit must still include all taxes and fees — including airline-imposed fees like this one — when it advertises its airfares. So, while the Passenger Usage Charge is increasing, the price you see should still reflect the total cost.
So why is Spirit increasing this fee — and what can you do to avoid it?
What is the Passenger Usage Charge?
The Spirit “Passenger Usage Charge” is an airline fee that Spirit adds to fares booked online (including Spirit's website and app), over the phone, and at international airport ticket counters. In other words, the vast majority of bookings.
Why does Spirit voluntarily tack on this fee instead of just raising airfare? It's because avoidable fees like this aren't subject to the 7.5% federal excise tax that applies to base airfare. That allows Spirit to keep its all-in prices competitive while quietly directing more of your payment to the airline instead of the government.
It’s a clever — and technically legal — way to make more money for the airline without raising fares.
How to Avoid Spirit's Passenger Usage Charge
There’s still one way to avoid paying this fee: book your Spirit flight in person at a U.S. airport.
To qualify as a non-taxable fee, Spirit must give travelers a way to avoid it. So, Spirit doesn’t charge this Passenger Usage Charge when you purchase your ticket directly at a domestic airport ticket counter. This workaround has been known to budget travelers for years, but the potential savings just got even bigger with this latest fee hike.
Here’s what to know:
- This only works at U.S. airports. Spirit’s website explicitly states that tickets purchased at international airports are still subject to the Passenger Usage Charge.
- The fee is charged per segment. So if your itinerary has a connection, you’re paying it twice each way — and avoiding it can save you $36–$111 round-trip for a family of four.
- Airport ticket counters may have limited hours. Spirit has no incentive to make it easy for travelers to avoid paying this fee. After all, this fee is pure profit for the airline. So, Spirit limits hours for its ticket counter, which can lead to long lines. Be sure to check the hours for your local airport before making the trip.
Final Thoughts
Spirit’s latest hike to the Passenger Usage Charge expands on a tactic it’s used for years. By adding a technically avoidable fee, it's able to pocket more of the total cost of your flight and avoid more of that going to the government. Fresh out of bankruptcy, Spirit is leaning on every trick it can to stay airborne.
For most travelers, paying Spirit's Passenger Usage Charge is practically unavoidable. But if you live near a U.S. airport and want to shave real money off your next booking, it may be worth the trip to the airport.
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