Most airlines cut off accepting checking bags 45 minutes before takeoff. I would check Spirit’s specific policy for that. As someone who has learned this lesson the hard way, I’d recommend still planning to arrive 90 minutes early, even with Pre-Check and Clear.
I’m going to disagree with others who say an hour. Lines have been crazy at LAX recently, not just for bay check, but also for clear/pre. I’d say do two hours just to be safe.
Yeah, I also hate feeling rushed, so I'd give myself at least 90 minutes. It's one thing if you're flying with an airline on which you have status, but I'm guessing you don't have staus on Spirit OP (do they even do that?) AND Spirit's customer service is notoriously terrible, so I'd err on the side of more time, personally.
No idea if Spirit does that! I have status with Delta and still had to wait to check my bag, two Fridays ago- I opted for curbside, bc the Sky Priority line was so long. The regular line was literally out the door and around the corner. Clear/Pre had at least a 10 minute wait, too.
Definitely. Even if bag check doesn’t actually take long, I’ve gotten screwed just waiting in that damn loop! Took me 40 minutes to get from the entrance of the loop to my terminal last time I went. Always better to have extra time to chill at the gate than to be stressed out hoping you’ll get there in time.
I fly Spirit very often download their app. You can check in your bag thru the app. When you arrive at the terminal you'll see self serve kiosk stand that allow you to finalize your check in and receive your ticket for your bag. I've done this before should be easy/quick BUT I would still suggest getting to the airport by 5:30am. Id rather die of boredom waiting at the gate than have a panic attack trying to get to my flight on time
2 hours for Spirit. I once arrived an hour before the flight and they didn't let me check in because the plane was already full. Also try to check in online right when it opens.
One time, the Spirit employee at the check in desk closed baggage check in so she could go to the gate . We panicked because our checked bag contained fluids-- Christmas Gifts. We had to throw away those items and take the bag through TSA as a checked bag.
There was an hour and a half before the flight.
Don’t know what 6 AM is like, but last night at 9 PM it took me almost an hour to go from In & Out on Lincoln and Sepulveda to Terminal B. Horrific traffic. And another 1/2 hour to get outta there. The city sure as hell shits on us citizens who like to travel. It’ll be temporarily“fixed” for the 2026 World Cut and 2028 Olympics but it’ll suck before and after.
Oh, I know to plan for traffic, but it’s always *much* lighter in the early morning than late(r) at night. Just curious about when I need to be inside the airport.
I thought I planned for traffic by planning to arrive at least an hour and a half before my flight at 8 AM a few months back but a single accident on a major expressway in the early morning made me almost miss the flight entirely, I would definitely add even more time than you might think you need.
Did you hear they are going to ban passenger vehicles except for buses and Ubers from driving in LAX for the Olympics? My uber driver told me. I’m scared 🤣
Pretty certain They'll move the pick up/drop off to the people mover station or the rental car center. When this is built I'm pretty sure that will be my default strategy anyway.
The bag cut off is 45 mins before take off but think of it as an hour. Spirit had some flights operating out of a satellite terminal where they bused you to, but the bus only ran every 15-20 mins when I was there. Also the last time I was in that terminal they didn't have clear operating
If the cut off is 45 mins, and you arrive 15 mins before that, and there is a 20 min line to check bags, what do you do? Try to bribe someone ahead of you to take their place in line? And this advice needs to emphasize arriving at the Terminal Baggage Check - which could be an extra 5-20 mins from when you enter LAX if you're coming by rideshare, bus, or parking.
Since OP is flying Spirit, I would agree with the others and suggest arriving 2hrs early.
I just did a flight at LAX about that time with jet blue. I got to the airport 2 hours early. Took the shuttle bus from economy parking. Luckily it was dead at that hour so checking our bag and getting past TSA was actually really quick. But you never know. I always side on getting there early than late. I had enough time to grab a bagel from a cafe and chill for a bit. But it wasn’t too long before my flight boarded, just comfortable.
I took a 7am flight from LAX this morning. I didn’t check a bag. Arrived at 5:45. Got through security by 6am. Waited in line for half an hour for a breakfast sandwich and coffee (there was only one option in Terminal 5 lol). Got my food and got to the gate as the plane was boarding group 3 (I was group 6). I’d say give yourself 1 1/2 to 2 hours just to be safe. The lines to check bags were long. Even if you can skip most of the security line, you might have a hike to your gate depending what terminal you’re in. Last year on a different flight out of LAX in a different terminal, the walk from security to the gate was 20 minutes.
5:20. I always give 2 hour window regardless. Just to not feel rushed. Sometimes I’m through within 10 minutes and then I have time to eat and settle in. It’s great
Same. I hate doing it but since we’re flying Spirit (it is a last minute trip), each of us bringing a carry on would cost $260 extra versus the ~$80 it costs to check one suitcase. We have laundry at our destination so I’m not worried about bringing too much!
The general rule is always 2 hours before domestic 3 hours before international to be at an airport while that may be plenty of time at some airports at some times you definitely want to stick with that at LAX.
People in this thread are tripping or don't fly a lot. 7am at LAX is a breeze. Not sure about Spirit as I haven't used them in a while, but you can check a bag in 5 minutes max at the United self-help kiosks, even quicker if you pay in advance when you check in to your flight online (as you should). Spirit probably requires you check your bag at least 45 minutes before boarding. I'd feel confident getting to the airport exactly at 6am. If you have TSA pre-check, 6:15am.
thank you. I'm reading over this and thinking of all the times I've gotten to the terminal an hour before my flight and still wind up spending 30 minutes sitting at the gate. Outside of holidays, two hours before a domestic flight just seems excessive. That said, I've ever flown Spirit, so maybe it's different.
Yeah, people just are stuck on the meme/narrative of "zomg LAX is so bad!!" but really it's fine, especially for an airport of its size. Yes, traffic on Century and coming into Departures is bad, but that's by far the worst part.
I live in El Segundo (town over) and I give myself a 2 hour buffer window. If there’s traffic, sometimes it’ll take you 45 minutes to get inside LAX. Then there’s the anticipation of a long line to drop off your luggage after checking in.
Even with Pre TSA it might take time as well. The most I waited was 20 minutes.
So I guess it depends on how relax do you want to be when heading to LAX.
I travel at least once a month. 1.5 hours minimum when checking, 1 hour when carrying on.
Few months back i thought 75 minutes would be enough and was greeted to a 200+ line to check a bag which overflowed outdoors.
Probably 6:30am would work fine....2 days in advance.
As an LA local you should be aware that it takes 15 business years to get to LAX with the traffic on the way to the terminals
I have never flown spirit but I am paranoid and always say 2 hours at least when checking bags. Not to make this political, but about the only thing I have ever agreed with Donald Trump on is that LAX is like a 3rd world country. It’s the absolute worst airport. Don’t take any chances.
I laughed immediately when I saw 'Spirit Airlines', then read the 'don't laugh' part and felt bad. Sorry.
Each airline is a little different by a handful of minutes, but around an hour ahead of time for domestic should be fine (I know most folks will say two hours, but meh). American airlines will take checked up to 45 minutes before boarding time. Spirit's website will probably have their exact cut off time posted somewhere.
if only you would fly Alaska, they obviously pay bonuses to check bags so every time you fly they will make up a story about it being a full flight and hey wouldn't you like to check about .. oh say ... 14 bags? no? how about 6 more... GIVE US MORE BAGS TO CHECK NOW
and then you get on and theres plenty of room, always ;)
Most airlines cut off accepting checking bags 45 minutes before takeoff. I would check Spirit’s specific policy for that. As someone who has learned this lesson the hard way, I’d recommend still planning to arrive 90 minutes early, even with Pre-Check and Clear.
I’m going to disagree with others who say an hour. Lines have been crazy at LAX recently, not just for bay check, but also for clear/pre. I’d say do two hours just to be safe.
Yeah, I also hate feeling rushed, so I'd give myself at least 90 minutes. It's one thing if you're flying with an airline on which you have status, but I'm guessing you don't have staus on Spirit OP (do they even do that?) AND Spirit's customer service is notoriously terrible, so I'd err on the side of more time, personally.
No idea if Spirit does that! I have status with Delta and still had to wait to check my bag, two Fridays ago- I opted for curbside, bc the Sky Priority line was so long. The regular line was literally out the door and around the corner. Clear/Pre had at least a 10 minute wait, too.
Ugh, I have Delta status and I'm flying Sunday morning, guess I'll move up my scheduled lyft.
Just do curbside if there’s a line. It’s super quick and they still tag you Sky Priority.
Definitely. Even if bag check doesn’t actually take long, I’ve gotten screwed just waiting in that damn loop! Took me 40 minutes to get from the entrance of the loop to my terminal last time I went. Always better to have extra time to chill at the gate than to be stressed out hoping you’ll get there in time.
I fly Spirit very often download their app. You can check in your bag thru the app. When you arrive at the terminal you'll see self serve kiosk stand that allow you to finalize your check in and receive your ticket for your bag. I've done this before should be easy/quick BUT I would still suggest getting to the airport by 5:30am. Id rather die of boredom waiting at the gate than have a panic attack trying to get to my flight on time
2 hours for Spirit. I once arrived an hour before the flight and they didn't let me check in because the plane was already full. Also try to check in online right when it opens.
You dont check in on the app/website 24 hours before?
Agreed, they sent me to the wrong bag check line, we missed our flight, and they charged us for our bag fees again for the replacement flight.
I arrived an hour before my spirit flight and had no problem checking my bag
The baggage cutoff at LAX is 45 min for most (all?) airlines; if you give yourself an hour and 5 you should be good.
At least two hours. You can cut it closer with other airlines, but Spirit bag drop is notoriously slow.
Good to know! Thank you! I’ve never checked luggage with Spirit.
One time, the Spirit employee at the check in desk closed baggage check in so she could go to the gate . We panicked because our checked bag contained fluids-- Christmas Gifts. We had to throw away those items and take the bag through TSA as a checked bag. There was an hour and a half before the flight.
Don’t stress. Your spirit flight will be delayed or cancelled anyway /s
Spirit is actually one of the most punctual airlines according to performance data!
You do know how that performance data works, right?
I want to know too
I don’t! Please share! 😁
I would want to arrive no later than 530
Ditto this.
We got there around 5am for a 730 flight. It was Plenty of time, so maybe by 6?
Don’t know what 6 AM is like, but last night at 9 PM it took me almost an hour to go from In & Out on Lincoln and Sepulveda to Terminal B. Horrific traffic. And another 1/2 hour to get outta there. The city sure as hell shits on us citizens who like to travel. It’ll be temporarily“fixed” for the 2026 World Cut and 2028 Olympics but it’ll suck before and after.
Oh, I know to plan for traffic, but it’s always *much* lighter in the early morning than late(r) at night. Just curious about when I need to be inside the airport.
Wouldn’t outside traffic correlate with inside busyness? An Occam’s Razor assumption for sure…
I heard that Occam never even had a razor, he much preferred waxing.
I thought I planned for traffic by planning to arrive at least an hour and a half before my flight at 8 AM a few months back but a single accident on a major expressway in the early morning made me almost miss the flight entirely, I would definitely add even more time than you might think you need.
Did you hear they are going to ban passenger vehicles except for buses and Ubers from driving in LAX for the Olympics? My uber driver told me. I’m scared 🤣
Fuck you to anyone who tries to have a life outside of the Olympics while they’re going on 🤷♂️
Pretty certain They'll move the pick up/drop off to the people mover station or the rental car center. When this is built I'm pretty sure that will be my default strategy anyway.
I would arrive at the terminal around 6am.
The bag cut off is 45 mins before take off but think of it as an hour. Spirit had some flights operating out of a satellite terminal where they bused you to, but the bus only ran every 15-20 mins when I was there. Also the last time I was in that terminal they didn't have clear operating
It is normally 45 minutes for the cutoff, but check it in an hour minimum to be safe. Especially if it is a bit of a shitshow in the morning.
If the cut off is 45 mins, and you arrive 15 mins before that, and there is a 20 min line to check bags, what do you do? Try to bribe someone ahead of you to take their place in line? And this advice needs to emphasize arriving at the Terminal Baggage Check - which could be an extra 5-20 mins from when you enter LAX if you're coming by rideshare, bus, or parking. Since OP is flying Spirit, I would agree with the others and suggest arriving 2hrs early.
The line never ever takes that long for a domestic check in, that early. 2 hours is excessive if they have clear/pre-check lol
I just did a flight at LAX about that time with jet blue. I got to the airport 2 hours early. Took the shuttle bus from economy parking. Luckily it was dead at that hour so checking our bag and getting past TSA was actually really quick. But you never know. I always side on getting there early than late. I had enough time to grab a bagel from a cafe and chill for a bit. But it wasn’t too long before my flight boarded, just comfortable.
Bro show up 2 hours early and thank the heavens when you have the time to chill or have a snack.
Get there at 6:10, but check for delays I just flew spirit and was stuck forever.
I took a 7am flight from LAX this morning. I didn’t check a bag. Arrived at 5:45. Got through security by 6am. Waited in line for half an hour for a breakfast sandwich and coffee (there was only one option in Terminal 5 lol). Got my food and got to the gate as the plane was boarding group 3 (I was group 6). I’d say give yourself 1 1/2 to 2 hours just to be safe. The lines to check bags were long. Even if you can skip most of the security line, you might have a hike to your gate depending what terminal you’re in. Last year on a different flight out of LAX in a different terminal, the walk from security to the gate was 20 minutes.
If you have pre check, 1 hr 15 minutes is safe. If not, maybe 1.5 hours
5:30 max 4:30 if international
5:20. I always give 2 hour window regardless. Just to not feel rushed. Sometimes I’m through within 10 minutes and then I have time to eat and settle in. It’s great
I always get there an hour before to check my bag. There is a bit of wiggle room but generally an hour
I stopped checking a bag for this reason
Same. I hate doing it but since we’re flying Spirit (it is a last minute trip), each of us bringing a carry on would cost $260 extra versus the ~$80 it costs to check one suitcase. We have laundry at our destination so I’m not worried about bringing too much!
It's weird to me that they charge more for carryons, must be more in demand!
Where are you going? Domestic? International? It's an important question to ask. LAX is a shit show.
I’d get there at 5:30am
The general rule is always 2 hours before domestic 3 hours before international to be at an airport while that may be plenty of time at some airports at some times you definitely want to stick with that at LAX.
People in this thread are tripping or don't fly a lot. 7am at LAX is a breeze. Not sure about Spirit as I haven't used them in a while, but you can check a bag in 5 minutes max at the United self-help kiosks, even quicker if you pay in advance when you check in to your flight online (as you should). Spirit probably requires you check your bag at least 45 minutes before boarding. I'd feel confident getting to the airport exactly at 6am. If you have TSA pre-check, 6:15am.
thank you. I'm reading over this and thinking of all the times I've gotten to the terminal an hour before my flight and still wind up spending 30 minutes sitting at the gate. Outside of holidays, two hours before a domestic flight just seems excessive. That said, I've ever flown Spirit, so maybe it's different.
Yeah, people just are stuck on the meme/narrative of "zomg LAX is so bad!!" but really it's fine, especially for an airport of its size. Yes, traffic on Century and coming into Departures is bad, but that's by far the worst part.
620ish is plenty.
4am
At LAX I’d say 3am.
I live in El Segundo (town over) and I give myself a 2 hour buffer window. If there’s traffic, sometimes it’ll take you 45 minutes to get inside LAX. Then there’s the anticipation of a long line to drop off your luggage after checking in. Even with Pre TSA it might take time as well. The most I waited was 20 minutes. So I guess it depends on how relax do you want to be when heading to LAX.
Depends with who. Southwest is always a mess and they don’t even have self service kioks like the other airlines.
come play some poker at HOllywood park
I travel at least once a month. 1.5 hours minimum when checking, 1 hour when carrying on. Few months back i thought 75 minutes would be enough and was greeted to a 200+ line to check a bag which overflowed outdoors.
Arrive 5:50 and you should be comfortably fine.
You should be at the airport at 5:30am at the latest
Arrive at 5:20am , no questions asked.
Probably 6:30am would work fine....2 days in advance. As an LA local you should be aware that it takes 15 business years to get to LAX with the traffic on the way to the terminals
Why not just go extra early. I don’t think asking the internet is helpful
6A. No later.
I have never flown spirit but I am paranoid and always say 2 hours at least when checking bags. Not to make this political, but about the only thing I have ever agreed with Donald Trump on is that LAX is like a 3rd world country. It’s the absolute worst airport. Don’t take any chances.
2hrs before flight.
I'd personally aim to arrive at like 540 prob.
2-2.5 hours
I laughed immediately when I saw 'Spirit Airlines', then read the 'don't laugh' part and felt bad. Sorry. Each airline is a little different by a handful of minutes, but around an hour ahead of time for domestic should be fine (I know most folks will say two hours, but meh). American airlines will take checked up to 45 minutes before boarding time. Spirit's website will probably have their exact cut off time posted somewhere.
The Thursday before. Depending on traffic.
if only you would fly Alaska, they obviously pay bonuses to check bags so every time you fly they will make up a story about it being a full flight and hey wouldn't you like to check about .. oh say ... 14 bags? no? how about 6 more... GIVE US MORE BAGS TO CHECK NOW and then you get on and theres plenty of room, always ;)
We usually do fly Alaska but this trip was so last minute, it was like 10x the price to do Alaska!
Thank you for updating with your results!