Spirit Airlines Pet Policy: Everything You Need to Know Before Flying with Your Dog or Cat

Spirit Airlines operates flights throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Latin America.

Like many other airline companies across the United States, Spirit Airlines allows pets on its flight as long as they meet its requirements. 

So, let’s dive deeper into Spirit Airlines’ pet policy.

Spirit Airlines’ Pet Policy

As an airline company that strives to make flying with it as comfortable as possible for its passengers, Spirit Airlines allows you to take your fur baby with you on a plane. 

According to their pet policy, Spirit Airlines allows small domesticated pets in the guest cabin on all domestic flights, including Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. 

If you have an emotional support animal, you need to know that as of January 11th, 2021, it is required to travel as a pet per updated Department of Transportation requirements.

Pets allowed on Spirit Airlines aircraft

Spirit Airlines does accept small pets for in-cabin travel, but the airline does not accept animals for transport as cargo. The in-cabin pet travel is available for a service fee that you must pay when you make your reservation so that Spirit reserves the needed space in its inventory. 

Spirit Airlines does not accept exotic pets like spiders, reptiles, and rodents. Instead, it only accepts

• Domestic dogs.
• Domestic cats. 
• Small household birds (except to and from Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands). Birds like farm poultry, game birds, waterfowl, birds of prey, and flightless birds are not considered household birds. 
• Small domestic rabbits (except to and from Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands).

Spirit Airlines Pet Travel Guidelines

Spirit Airlines’ pet policy states that all pets traveling on one of their planes must be at least eight weeks old and fully weaned from their mother. Also, Spirit Airlines only accepts pets on domestic flights and does not allow them on international flights. 

On international flights, Spirit accepts only service animals. Additional guidelines for pet travel with Spirit Airlines include the following:

• Spirit Airlines allows six pets in-cabin per flight.
• You do not need to provide a health certificate for your pet when traveling with Spirit, except if you are flying to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• If you are traveling with your pet in the aircraft cabin to Puerto Rico, Spirit requires that you show a rabies vaccination certificate. 
• Birds are prohibited on Spirit when traveling to and from Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. 
• Your pet must be harmless, inoffensive, odorless, and require no attention for the duration of the flight. 
• If your pet becomes offensive or causes a disturbance before leaving the gate, Spirit Airlines will remove it from the flight. 
• Also, your pet cannot be violent, ill, or physically distressed. 
• You are allowed to sit wherever you want, except for the first row and emergency exit rows. 
• Spirit’s pet policy states no breeds are banned from flying with them. However, aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. 

Spirit Airlines pet carrier guidelines

Spirit Airlines allows one pet carrier per passenger, whose maximum size should be 18 “L x 14 “W x 9 “H (45.72cm x 35.56 cm x 22.86cm). Both soft-sided and hard-sided pet carriers are allowed, but if you choose a soft-sided one, you should measure its height when compressed. 

You must ensure your pet is comfortable in its carrier and has sufficient space to stand up and turn around in the carrier. The bottom of the pet carrier must be waterproof, and the carrier must have adequate ventilation.

Spirit counts your pet carrier as one-plus-one carry-on luggage, and according to its policy, it must be able to fit under the seat in front of you. The Spirit Airlines pet policy also allows two pets per carrier as long as there is sufficient space for both in the carrier and one pet carrier per paying adult customer. 

However, the two pets must be of the same species. For example, two small cats or dogs can travel in the same pet carrier. The combined weight of the pet and the carrier cannot exceed 40 pounds (18.14 kg.).

Booking Your Pet on a Spirit Flight

If you plan to travel with your pet on a Spirit flight, you should know that reservations are not required for the pet. However, the airline recommends that you notify them prior to your flight that you will be traveling with your pet.

Also, as Spirit allows only six pet carriers per flight, reserving a spot for your pet in advance is best. You can add your pet to your reservation by contacting Spirit Airlines directly. The pet fee Spirit charges are $125 one-way. 

Once you are at the airport and checking in with your pet, you must visit the ticket counter, as Spirit does not allow curbside or self-service check-in. When you arrive at the ticket counter, one of Spirit Airlines’ agents will inspect your pet and its carrier and approve them for the flight. 

Pets on international flights and cargo planes

Spirit Airlines does not allow in-cabin pet travel on international flights unless you are traveling with a certified service animal. 

Additionally, the airline does not transport live animals as checked baggage or cargo due to the extreme temperatures that may occur in cargo areas. 

Flying Spirit with a Service Animal

In compliance with Federal regulations Spirit Airlines and every other airline in the United States must let service animals accompany their owners on flights. Still, having all the necessary documentation available would be best to avoid any issues when traveling. 

Spirit Airlines allows only dogs as trained service or psychiatric service animals on board its flights. That is, a dog that has been specially trained to work for a person with a disability is known as a service animal.

However, you should know that emotional support animals do not fall under this definition. They usually have not gotten training for a specific purpose and, in most cases, serve as a source of comfort. 

On the other hand, certified service animals are highly intelligent and will remain calm and able to perform their duty at all times, especially under duress. Spirit Airlines welcomes emotional support animals as long as they comply with the airline’s pet policy. 

Service animal travel requirements

• In order to be able to travel with your service animal, you must fill out the DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation’s) Service Animal Air Transportation Form and submit the Form online at least 48 hours before your flight. 
• If you cannot submit the Form online before your flight, Spirit permits you to bring the completed DOT Form to the ticket counter or the gate on your travel day for the airline to review and approve it. 
• Spirit recommends allowing yourself additional time at the airport before departure so that its team has enough time to review and approve your DOT Form onsite. 
• If the team cannot approve your dog for travel as a service animal in time for departure, Spirit will offer you to be rebooked on the next available flight. This will give the team enough time to review and approve your Form.

DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form

Remember that the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form is a government document. Knowingly and willfully making materially false statements, entries, or representations on the Form is a Federal crime. 

If Spirit Airlines has any suspicion that your Form is fraudulent, it will forward it to the appropriate government body for review and action. 

• The DOT Form must be dated on or after the date you purchased your flight. 
• You must complete the DOT Form in its entirety. 
• The DOT Form must include updated rabies vaccinations. 
• You must submit one DOT Form for every new reservation and for each animal if you plan to travel with two service animals. 

Additional requirements 

• Spirit Airlines allows only two trained service dogs per passenger.
• If you plan to travel with three dogs, Spirit may allow you to bring the third dog as a pet as long as it meets their pet policy. 
• Spirit does not accept a service animal vest, harness, ID card, or registration as the only indication that your dog is a service animal. 
• Spirit staff can also verbally confirm that your dog is a service animal. They can ask two questions: “Is the dog a service dog required because of a disability?” or “What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?”

Service animal behavior on Spirit flights

Trained service dogs must be well-behaved at the airport and during the flight. If your dog shows signs that it will disrupt the cabin, Spirit will take it as a sign that the animal has not been trained to work as a service animal in a public setting and will not allow it to travel.

Some examples of disruptive and aggressive behavior include, but are not limited to:

• Growling
• Lunging
• Barking
• Biting
• Jumping on other passengers
• Relieving itself on board the plane or in the airport in areas that are not designated animal relief areas
• Emitting a strong odor.

Service animal seating requirements 

• The emergency escape row is off-limits to service animals.
• If you keep your service on your lap, it cannot be larger than a two-year-old child. 
• You cannot sit in any seat with an inflatable seatbelt for the service animal’s safety. Rows with inflatable seat belts are on planes: 319 (1, 4, 5 or D, E, F), 32A/32N (1, 3, 12,13), and 32B (1, 3).
• Your service dog must remain in your foot space and cannot extend into other passengers’ foot space or the aisle. 
• The dog cannot block an area that must remain clear for emergency evacuation.
• If your dog needs more space, you can purchase an additional seat or upgrade to Spirit’s Big Front Seats. However, remember that even if you purchase an extra seat, your service animal cannot sit on it, only in the foot space in front. 

Animal relief areas 

• All Spirit Airlines airports have designated pet relief areas. 
• For the location of the animal relief areas at the airport you are traveling from, check its website, or you can ask one of the agents when you arrive at the airport. 

Service Animals on International Spirit Flights

While Spirit Airlines does not accept pets on international flights, it does allow trained service animals to travel with their owners. However, you may need to provide additional documentation and meet more requirements.

You can ask the airline or your travel agent to help you find out what other documents and requirements you may need to fulfill for your travel destination. Once you find out what the additional requirements are, it is up to you to ensure that they are met.

If you plan to travel with your service animal to one of the following countries, visit the CDC website for the travel restrictions and requirements for returning to the United States.

• Colombia
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Peru

Therapy Animals and Service Animals in Training

• Spirit Airlines does not accept therapy animals as trained service animals as they are not trained to provide help to a person with a disability. Therapy animals only provide comfort to members of the public and can only travel as pets if they meet the Spirit Airlines pet policy.
• Also, the airline does not accept service animals still in training. However, like therapy animals, animals in training can also travel as pets as long as they meet the airline’s pet policy. 

Conclusion

That is all the information included in the Spirit Airlines pet policy. So, if you plan to travel with your pet on Spirit Airlines, make sure to read through all the requirements and avoid any issues during your trip. 

Also, if you are traveling with a service dog, ensure you have all the necessary documentation.