Spirit Airlines Food & Drink Options: Dining on a Budget:


When flying Spirit Airlines, it’s important to know what food and drinks are included versus what you’ll pay extra for. As an ultra-low-cost carrier, Spirit has a limited selection of complimentary inflight menu items. However, you can purchase additional snacks, meals, and beverages on board.

In this post, we’ll provide an overview of Spirit Airlines’ dining options, both free and paid. You’ll see what types of foods and drinks are available, along with the associated costs. Read on for a breakdown of what you can expect regarding Spirit’s inflight menu offerings.

the yellow colored spirit airlines at the ramp

Key Details on Dining with Spirit Airlines:

  • As an ultra-low-cost carrier, Spirit has limited complimentary food and drinks
  • Buy-on-board menus let you purchase additional snacks, meals, and drinks
  • Complimentary items include Biscoff cookies, chips, and soft drinks on flights 250+ miles
  • For purchase are sandwiches, hotdogs, snack packs, beer, wine, liquor, and more
  • Food and beverages are ordered from flight attendant snack carts in-flight
  • Payment is by debit/credit card only – no cash or vouchers are accepted
  • Spirit’s a la carte model lets you pay just for what you want to eat and drink

Overview of Dining on Spirit Airlines

First, let’s look at some background on meals and refreshments when flying Spirit.

As part of their ultra low-cost model, Spirit has a buy-on-board program for any food and drinks beyond the complimentary offerings. So most snacks and all alcoholic beverages are an additional purchase.

However, Spirit does provide a selection of complimentary soft drinks and snacks on flights over 250 miles.

Flights under 250 miles do not include complimentary items. Beyond those free offerings, you’ll need to purchase anything else you want to eat or drink.

Now let’s explore exactly what’s included at no extra cost, and what menu items you can choose to buy on board.

Complimentary Food & Drinks on Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines provides the following complimentary inflight menu items on flights over 250 miles:

Snack Options

  • Biscoff Cookies – Carroll-brand European-style butter cookies.
  • Regular, BBQ, and Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips – Individual 1.25oz bags.

Beverage Options

  • Soft Drinks – Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Dr. Pepper products.
  • Coffee and Tea – Regular and decaffeinated coffee plus black tea.

That covers the limited free food and drink options. Everything beyond those basic offerings is available for purchase in-flight.

Buy on Board Menu Options for Purchase

To supplement the free items or to substitute altogether, Spirit offers a range of snacks, meals, alcoholic drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase. Here are the buy-on-board menu categories and prices:

Snacks & Light Meals

  • Peanut Butter and Jelly Uncrustable – Smucker’s sealed PB&J sandwich ($3)
  • Hummus Snack Pack – individual portion with pretzels ($3)
  • ** Wendy’s 4 Piece Chicken Nuggets** – with honey mustard sauce ($6)
  • Bistro Box – Cheeses, crackers, Oreo cookies ($8)

Entrees & Sandwiches

  • Big Franks Hotdog – Served with chips ($8)
  • Caesar Chicken Wrap – Chicken breast, lettuce, parmesan, Caesar dressing ($8)
  • Italian Caprese Sandwich – Mozarella, tomato, basil pesto, balsamic glaze ($8)

Snack Bundles

  • Spirit Snacker Pack – Uncrustable, Ritz Bits, Oreos, Twizzlers ($15)
  • Munchie Pack – Uncrustable, Twizzlers, Pringles, LifeSavers, Oreos ($15)
  • Taco Snack Pack – Beef jerky, Doritos, Salsa con queso dip ($15)

Adult Beverages

  • Beer – Budweiser, Miller Lite, or Coors Light ($6)
  • Wine – Chardonnay, Merlot, or Moscato ($6)
  • Liquor – Bacardi Rum, Jack Daniels Whiskey, Dewar’s Scotch, Tito’s Vodka, Tanqueray Gin ($8)
  • Cocktails – Margarita, Bloody Mary, or Mai Tai ($8)

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

  • Soft Drinks – Coca-Cola, 7UP, Dr. Pepper ($3)
  • Juice – Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, or Apple Juice ($3)
  • Bottled Water – Nestle Pure Life 16.9oz ($3)
  • Coffee – Freshly brewed regular or decaf ($3)

As you can see, Spirit’s buy-on-board menu provides diverse options to suit different preferences and budgets. Prices range from light $3 snacks to more filling $15 bundles. Now that you know what they offer, you can plan your inflight food and drinks accordingly.

The Dining Experience on Spirit Airlines

On board Spirit Airlines, flight attendants will come through the aisle with snack carts offering various food, liquor, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase. You can also request items between their scheduled service times.

Only debit/credit cards are accepted – no cash or Spirit vouchers. So have a payment card ready to make your selections. Complimentary items like soft drinks, water, and tea/coffee are served directly with cups and cans.

Seating space is tight in Spirit’s economy cabin. But tray tables allow you to comfortably enjoy your snacks and meals once purchased.

While dining options aren’t free, the ability to pay only for what you want makes Spirit’s approach favorable for many budget travelers. Just come prepared with a card to cover your onboard purchases.

Why Fly Spirit Airlines

Here’s a quick rundown of Spirit’s main advantages for fliers focused on low fares:

  • Ultra cheap base fares – No frills means lower ticket prices
  • Pay only for what you use – Optional purchases for food, seat selection, bags
  • A la carte model – Order just the snacks and drinks you want
  • Low-cost add-ons – Affordable extra services if needed
  • Ideal for short hops – Limited food service works on shorter flights

While Spirit offers minimal free inflight dining, their ultra-low fares justify the tradeoff for many. As long as you understand their pay-as-you-go system, you can have an affordable trip without surprises.

Dine Flexibly and Affordably at 35,000 Feet with Spirit

When you fly Spirit Airlines, expect to pay extra for food, drinks, and amenities beyond the complimentary basics. But with base fares a fraction of major airlines, Spirit can be a bargain if you pack snacks and travel light.

Understand their a la carte buy-on-board menu, and you can customize your experience by purchasing just what you want in flight. While not a luxury experience, Spirit provides an affordable way to reach your destination without breaking the bank.

Now that you know what to expect with their food and beverage service, you can strategically prepare for your next Spirit Airlines flight. Just arrive ready with a debit/credit card to cover your onboard dining and amenities.

Safe and economical travels!


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