To save the most money on your Spirit flight, only bring a bag on board that’s 18x14x8 or smaller. Called a “personal item”, it’s the only bag you can fly with for free. Here’s how I packed my personal item for Spirit airlines for a recent 3 day weekend trip.
What frugal person doesn’t respect Spirit airlines? I love their ultra low airfares and in my experience, their employees are friendly and fun (dare I say … spirited?). Their planes are new and clean too.
Most of the time, I book flights on Delta using my SkyMiles card so I can get points. But sometimes, Spirit flights are so cheap I can’t pass them up!
Personally, I don’t mind Spirit’s no-frills, a la carte business model. It’s silly to me that food and beverages are served on short flights. I can eat a proper meal (like a French girl would) before or after my flight. If I must have a drink or food, I can always purchase something on the plane. I’m grateful that airlines like Spirit can help me travel more frugally.
I’ve always been a minimalist packer and never check a bag, but Spirit makes me challenge myself even more!
How to pack a personal item for Spirit airlines
I went to Spirit’s website and learned that the personal item has to be 18x14x8 or smaller. Most adult backpacks are bigger than this, and the bag I typically use as a carry on when I fly Delta is too big.
So my first challenge was to find a bag that size. Turns out, I had one, pictured above. Et voila!
First I plan my outfit(s) carefully.
I plan to wear my pants twice – on the flight coming and going. This way, I only have to pack one other pair, and I chose shorts since it’s summer. Nearly any destination I go to will have access to laundry facilities, so it’s no big deal if something I plan on wearing twice gets dirty.
No matter the season, I’m always freezing on a plane, and wearing my jacket (the bulkiest item of clothing) keeps it out of my bag.
If I’m traveling in cool weather I pack a large, thin scarf like this one. It can keep me warm with very little bulk. I can also use it as an accessory to make an outfit spiffier.
Plus, it’s tres French.
Packed in my Spirit “personal item”:
Top row:
- Undies, extra bra, tank top and PJ shorts to sleep in
- 2 shirts
- Walking shoes – I normally pack my minimalist shoes. They’re my favorites, and they fold up like ballet slippers, but I brought Chucks this time because they’re cuter. I regretted it! I got blisters. I wear Birkenstocks on the plane because they’re easy to remove for security, plus they’re comfy and go with everything I own.
Bottom row:
- Small purse emptied of everything except wallet and lip gloss
- Bullet Journal (I don’t go anywhere without it), a book to read. I also download a movie or a few shows to my phone in case I feel too tired to read. Spirit doesn’t offer free inflight movies.
- Snacks: granola bar, zipper bag of trail mix, glass water bottle (because airport food is ridiculously expensive)
- Phone charger, wireless earbuds
- Small makeup bag with essentials: brown eyeshadow, mascara, lip color
- Quart size zipper bag with: travel size toothpaste (I save the ones the dentist gives me for this purpose), travel toothbrush (I use an electric brush at home but this one stays in my purse all the time), sample pack of facial cleanser, moisturizer, SPF and tinted moisturizer. I fill these tiny reusable pots with products I don’t have samples of. Deodorant, eyelash curler, brow brush.
TL;DR: How to pack a personal item for Spirit airlines. Plan outfits carefully using coordinating items that you can wear more than once. Wear bulkier items on the plane. Pack only what you truly need. Use sample/trial sizes for toiletry items. Transfer any liquids and creams into tiny reusable jars.
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