Frontier Airways World Mastercard vs. Free Spirit Journey Extra World Elite Mastercard: Which low-cost provider card is finest?

Alternatively, the Free Spirit Mastercard offers the same supply with a better spending requirement. New cardholders will earn 50,000 bonus factors plus a $100 companion flight voucher after making at the least $1,000 in purchases inside the first 90 days of account opening.

Frontier miles and Spirit factors are currencies which might be each value 1.1 cents, in response to TPG valuations. That makes the Frontier card’s welcome supply value $550 and Spirit’s value $650 (with the inclusion of the $100 companion flight voucher).

Winner: Spirit

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Frontier vs. Free Spirit card advantages

These playing cards share many similarities, so the variations lie inside the particulars of every profit provided.

Each playing cards supply the chance to earn elite qualifying miles out of your card spending. The Frontier card earns 1 qualifying mile per greenback spent, and so to earn Frontier’s lowest elite standing — Elite 20K — you will want 20,000 qualifying miles or 25 flight segments in a calendar yr. Theoretically, you may earn elite standing by spending $20,000 or extra in your Frontier card, unlocking unique advantages comparable to a free carry-on bag and seat project.

Equally, you may attain Free Spirit Silver or Gold elite standing with the Spirit card by incomes 1 Standing Qualifying Level (SQPs) for every $10 in purchases throughout a calendar yr. It is simpler to realize elite standing with the Spirit card, as you may attain Silver standing by getting 2,000 SQPs or Gold standing with 5,000 SQPs. So, with simply $2,000 or $5,000 in spending annually, you may get unique advantages comparable to free same-day standby flights and seat choice at check-in.

Moreover, each playing cards grant you entry to household pooling, which lets you share miles with household and pals.

With the Frontier card, you will additionally get an award redemption charge waiver, which begins at $5.60 for a one-way ticket. That is unlocked with the Spirit card on the Silver elite degree, requiring simply $2,000 in spend per yr. In the meantime, the Spirit card gives a 25% rebate on inflight purchases. Each playing cards supply perks comparable to Zone 2 precedence boarding and no overseas transaction charges.

Winner: Tie. These playing cards supply very related advantages.

Incomes rewards with the Frontier vs. Free Spirit card

Though Frontier and Spirit are low-cost carriers, their cobranded bank cards supply spectacular incomes charges.

Primarily based on TPG’s valuations, the Frontier card gives an efficient return of 5.5% on Frontier purchases, 3.3% at eating places, and 1.1% on all different purchases. In the meantime, the Free Spirit Mastercard gives a barely decrease return of three.3% on Spirit purchases, 2.2% on eating and grocery, and the same 1.1% on all different purchases.

Whereas the Frontier Mastercard gives a a lot greater fee on affiliated airline purchases, it solely gives one different bonus class (eating places). In the meantime, you may earn 2 miles per greenback on eating and grocery retailer purchases with the Free Spirit card.

Winner: Tie. Some individuals could discover having a better incomes fee for Frontier flight purchases helpful. In distinction, others will respect the Spirit Mastercard’s greater incomes potential on account of its extra complete vary of incomes classes.

Redeeming rewards with the Frontier vs. Free Spirit card

Frontier publishes an official award chart, citing {that a} one-way home flight begins at 10,000 miles. That is big since you may fly anyplace inside the U.S. and Puerto Rico for this value — even trans-continental flights. Along with your sign-up bonus, you may unlock two round-trip flights or as many as 5 one-way flights.

In the meantime, Spirit doesn’t have an official award chart for redemptions. Nevertheless, the provider has unimaginable potential for low-cost awards when utilizing the Free Spirit loyalty program. We have discovered that one-way flights value as little as 2,500 factors, stretching the worth of your sign-up bonus with a ton of reserving choices.

Associated: 5 issues you must find out about Spirit’s revamped bank card lineup

One necessary factor to recollect is that Spirit expenses a $50 redemption charge for flights booked inside 28 days — severely affecting the worth of utilizing your hard-earned factors. There is not any redemption charge for those who e book greater than 28 days prematurely. With the Frontier card, it can save you on redemption charges (which vary from $15 to $75) — including immense worth to this card.

Winner: The Frontier Mastercard. Because of its waived redemption charges and its clear, printed award chart.

Ought to I get the Frontier or Free Spirit card?

Backside line

Associated: Why Spirit provides Delta a run for its cash in our head-to-head comparability