Spirit Airlines Denied You Boarding? Here’s What You Need to Know

Joanna Teljeur

By:  Joanna Teljeur

Last Updated:  12 November 2025

You have a confirmed reservation, you checked-in and arrived at the airport early, and then suddenly, you’re bumped from your Spirit Airlines flight because it was overbooked. Has this happened to you?

If it has, it’s important to understand that you are protected by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s rules and regulations for denied boarding. In this guide, we’ll explain what this means, what you’re owed, and what to do when you’re bumped from a Spirit flight.

Spirit Overbooked My Flight! Now What?

Spirit overbooks flights to ensure that every flight operates at capacity to maximize profits. So, as soon as Spirit agents realize that a flight has been overbooked, here’s what will happen.

Before bumping any passengers against their will, gate agents will first look for volunteers willing to surrender their seats. Sometimes, you might receive a request to volunteer during the check-in process or even earlier as you book your flight.

Volunteers will receive an alternative flight and compensation. You might be offered travel vouchers, credits, or other incentives, but the closer you get to departure, the higher the compensation offer is likely to be.

If they can’t get enough willing volunteers, Spirit will have to involuntarily deny boarding to certain passengers.

Pro Tip: To avoid being bumped, always check in and arrive at the airport as early as possible.

How Much Compensation are You Owed for Denied Boarding

If you were involuntarily bumped from your flight because of overbooking, you are legally entitled to as much as $2,150 in cash compensation, depending on your arrival time, as you can see in the following table. You must be given your compensation immediately at the airport or within 24 hours.

Don’t be surprised if Spirit offers you vouchers in place of cash, but remember; you have a right to cash, so don’t be afraid to demand it from the airline. It might help to mention to the agents that the US DOT states that compensation must be paid in cash if the passenger does not want to accept vouchers.

In recent TripAdvisor reviews several passengers wrote reviews describing how they were never compensated for being bumped.

Jill S. wrote: “The agents at the gate asked for volunteers to take a later flight because they were overbooked. My bf and I volunteered and were promised a voucher which we never received.”

If you’ve been bumped from a Spirit flight, and you’re not sure you’re owed compensation, enter your flight details in the link below to check your eligibility.Check Your Flight

What Will Spirit Do if You’re Bumped?

Anyone denied boarding a flight because of overbooking is protected, thanks to their rights as a U.S. passenger. Because of this, you are entitled to:

• An official document stating exactly why you were bumped, your compensation estimate, and your passenger rights, 
• A seat on the next available flight to your destination, or
• A full ticket refund, issued within 7 days for flights purchased with a credit card, and 20 days if you paid for your ticket another way.

What to Do if Spirit Bumps You

1. Ask for written confirmation of why you were denied boarding if you weren’t given this already.
2. Ask for a replacement flight or a refund
3. Collect supporting evidence of your experience, including any communication with Spirit, screenshots of notifications in the mobile app, boarding passes, and anything else that can prove you were bumped.

You should receive your cash payout within 24 hours, but if you don’t, you will have ample proof to submit a compensation claim.

When Denied Boarding Compensation Doesn’t Apply

Passengers can be prevented from boarding their flight for many different reasons, but not all of them are eligible for compensation. If you’ve been bumped for any of the following reasons, you will not be compensated:

• Engaging in unruly behavior towards the crew and other passengers. 
• Intoxication or acting under the influence of illegal drugs
• Presenting communicable illness 
• Failure to have the correct travel documents
• Posing a security or safety concern
• Interfering with the duties of the flight crew

How to File a Compensation Claim with Spirit

If you were bumped from an overbooked Spirit flight, you should be compensated immediately, or at most, within 24 hours, but if this doesn’t happen, you'll have to submit a compensation claim. Here’s what to do:

1. Go to Spirit’s official website and look for the claims submission tab. You can also look for Spirit’s contact information.
2. Next, draft a letter to the airline describing what happened, including all the details of your trip. You should also mention that you are asking for denied boarding compensation as per US DOT rules. You can use this letter template as a guide.
3. Attach copies of the document given to you when you were denied boarding as well as boarding passes and as much supporting evidence as you can provide. Remember, you have to show Spirit what happened and why you are owed compensation. 

Need Help with a Claim?

If you’ve been bumped from a flight and need help getting compensated, AirAdvisor is happy to assist. We’ve been protecting air passengers’ rights since 2017, and our legal team has a 98% win rate for airline compensation claims. See if your flight is eligible by entering your basic flight details into our free compensation checker.

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Author:

Joanna Teljeur

Job/Position: Senior Editor & Content Lead

Joanna Teljeur is a senior editor and writer with 15+ years of experience in editorial leadership, journalism, and content development with a focus on consumer rights, aviation law, and public-interest reporting. Her work centers on transforming complex regulatory and legal topics into clear, accurate, and accessible content for international audiences.

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