Spirit Airlines WiFi

Do you want to stay connected the next time you fly? Maybe you want to stream your favorite series, listen to podcasts or catch up on work emails? If you’re flying Spirit Airlines, you can. The low-cost airline is one of many that’s offering passengers the option to log on while in the air. But not all Wi-Fi in the sky is created equal, so if you want to know what to expect before you hop on a Spirit Airlines flight, here’s what you need to know about Spirit Wi-Fi.

Does Spirit Airlines have Wi-Fi?

Yes, Wi-Fi does exist on Spirit Airlines, despite it being a budget airline. The company even claims its connectivity speeds are unmatched among U.S.-based carriers thanks to its new satellite service.

What’s more, Wi-Fi service is gate-to-gate, meaning you can connect to aircraft Wi-Fi as soon as you board and stay connected until you pull your carry-on out of the overhead bin and disembark the plane. Many other airlines only offer it from takeoff to touchdown.

But while Spirit’s website claims that Wi-Fi is offered on every Spirit aircraft and route, that doesn’t seem to be true. One flight search we conducted showed results that included one leg of the journey where Spirit Wi-Fi wasn’t available.

If you dig into the FAQs on Spirit’s website, the airline does say that not all of its planes are equipped yet — but that could change in the future. So if having Wi-Fi access in the air is important to you, you may want to check before you fly to make sure your route offers in-flight connectivity.

Learn more: The guide to Spirit Airlines seat selection

How much does Spirit Wi-Fi cost?

Spirit Wi-Fi, much like Wi-Fi on many other domestic airlines, isn’t free. The cost depends on which flight you’re on and what kind of internet speed you need.

Spirit advertises plans to browse the web, share to social media, check email and more for as little as $3.99. However, if you want to stream entertainment or play online games, you’ll need a faster connection, which starts at $6.99 — this plan will get you speeds of up to 10 Mbps.

Keep in mind that each leg of your journey requires a new plan. So if you’re flying from Atlanta to Boise with a connection in Las Vegas, you’d have to purchase a new plan for each individual aircraft you board.

Prices can vary widely depending on the flight. One route we searched cost $16.99 for browsing speeds on the outbound flight and only $7.99 on the return.

Once you board, you can purchase a plan with a credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or you can pre-purchase a plan during booking and checkout online. Just look for the Wi-Fi symbol, pick your plan and add it to your total.

It's worth noting that purchasing a Spirit Wi-Fi plan only gives you internet access for one device. The airline says they may offer the option to switch between devices in the future, but for now, you’ll have to stick with one device or purchase multiple plans for additional devices.

Learn more: Frontier vs. Spirit: The battle of the budget airlines

How to connect to Spirit Wi-Fi

Spirit makes it easy to purchase Wi-Fi and connect once you’re on board:

Turn on Airplane Mode on the device you want to connect.
Select Spirit_WiFi in your device’s Wi-Fi settings. There’s also a QR code on the back of your seat, as well as on the food and drink menu, that you can scan with your device’s camera to connect.
You’ll be directed to SpiritWiFi.com. If for some reason you aren’t, you can also open your browser and type it into the search bar.
Plan options will be displayed, and you can choose the one you want, enter payment info — or a voucher if you have one — and voila! You’re connected.

In our most recent analysis of the best onboard Wi-Fi services, we ranked the major U.S. airlines on various factors, including cost, availability and whether there were discounts for co-branded card holders or elite members. Here's how the results stacked up:

Learn more: The guide to Spirit Airlines elite status