Spirit Flight Attendant Requirements: All You Need To Know

Being a flight attendant is one of the most rewarding, exciting, and exhausting careers out there.

To see if you have what it takes to be a Spirit Flight attendant, keep reading.

👉 These are the qualifications found on their website you’ll need if you’re thinking about becoming a Spirit Flight Attendant:

High School Diploma or GED required, College degree preferred.
At least two (2) years of experience in the Guest Service, Hospitality and/or Sales/Merchandising industry.
Required to attend and successfully complete a 4-week Initial Flight Attendant training.
Must be at least 21 years of age.
Must be at least 5’0 (without shoes).
Must be able to lift 50lbs from floor to above shoulder level, ability to reach aircraft overhead bins and storage areas.
Must be able to comply with our no visible tattoo policy.
Must be able to comply with our piercing policy. Flight Attendants are allowed two matching earrings in the earlobe only. No other visible piercings are allowed. Earlobe gauges and cuffs are not allowed.
Must be able to fasten a four point jump seat harness without the use of extension devices.
Must have a passport with at least six(6) months of validity that grants you the ability to travel in and out of the USA and to all cities/countries served by Spirit Airlines.
Must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Must be dependable, energetic, outgoing, a team player, and demonstrate leadership and exceptional interpersonal skills.
Ability to work flexible hours, days and holidays.
Ability to work in close quarters with service animals as well as all snack items, including but not limited to peanuts.
Ability to communicate effectively. Must be proficient in the English language; bilingual in Spanish is a plus.
Must maintain a polished, professional and conservative appearance at all times.
Driver’s license is preferred.

Now, let’s go through them all and examine what they mean and what is really expected.

High School Diploma/GED/College Education

The application will generally ask about your education, but it’s always good to have a copy of your high school diploma/GED/degree because you may need to show proof if you do get hired.
When applying, most airlines will say “college degree preferred”. But honestly, this isn’t the industry where having one really matters. However, kudos to those that did get a degree, and for those who didn’t, don’t worry about it. This job is going to require a lot more than just book smarts.

At least 2 years of experience in the Guest Service, Hospitality, and/or Sales/Merchandising Industry

You can still become a flight attendant without experience in any of these industries, but it’s definitely helpful because this job can be a little unpredictable, and having some background in resolving customer issues will be extremely beneficial.
It’s always a plus when someone knows how to take care of situations in a gracious and professional manner.

Required to attend and successfully complete a 4-week initial training

You must be willing to attend this training where you’ll learn all the technicalities in being a flight attendant, and you will be tested on them.
Some travel may be required, but Spirit will fly you out if necessary.
Training may take place in either Las Vegas, Orlando, or Fort Lauderdale. You don’t get to choose where you’d like to go.
Spirit will take care of any lodging and transportation.
It’s worth mentioning that even though you can be hired and go to training; there is no guarantee that you will pass. If you fail any drills or tests, you will be sent home.

Must be at least 21 years of age

21 is the minimum age, but there is no maximum age limit. So that’s good news to anyone who thinks it might be too late.

Must be at least 5’0 (without shoes)

This is a requirement because you need to be able to close the overhead bins and get anything out of the bins.

Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs from floor to above shoulder level

This is a safety requirement. In an emergency, you need to be able to move quickly and grab safety equipment. Some rafts are in the overhead bins and you’ll need to be able to pull them out. The overwing exits alone weigh about 35 lbs each, and it has to be thrown out of the plane in an emergency.
Also, contrary to popular belief, flight attendants are not required to lift any bags. You can really hurt yourself.
However, you are absolutely more than welcome to assist guests with luggage, but just be smart about it. You can always check the bag if necessary.

Must be able to comply with Spirit’s no visible tattoo policy

You are allowed to have tattoos. As long as they can be covered with uniform pieces in a compliant fashion, you’ll be fine.

Must be able to comply with Spirit’s piercing policy

Flight attendants are allowed two matching earrings in the earlobe only. No other visible piercings are allowed. Earlobe gauges and cuffs are not allowed

Spirit is pretty strict about this one. You will get written up if you violate this policy.
So, if you have any extra piercings other than the two earlobes, just take them out and put them back in on your off days or layovers. No reason to lose out on the job for something silly like that.

Must be able to fasten 4-point jumpseat harness without the use of extension devices

For those who don’t know, a jumpseat is where the flight attendants sit while working a flight.
Sometimes they may be shared with one other flight attendant.
Jumpseat seatbelts retract on their own and if any extension devices are used, they may become a tripping hazard during an evacuation.
Jumpseat seatbelts extend pretty far without the use of an extension device. If you’ve never had to ask for a seatbelt extension, you most likely don’t need to worry.
There is no official test, but they may take note during the 4-week training.

Must have a passport with at least 6 months of validity that grants you the ability to travel in and out of the USA and to all cities/countries served by Spirit Airlines

Spirit services flights all throughout the USA, to the Caribbean, to South and Central America.
The #1 reason people do this job is for the travel benefits. So, get your passport!

Must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship

Sponsorship refers to any visas one may need.
Spirit does not offer any visas, nor will they offer any kind of assistance in helping you get one.
Even if you have a legal and valid visa, you’re still more than welcome to apply, but just keep in mind that you may not be offered the job because they are looking for people who are more long-term and permanent.

Must be dependable, energetic, outgoing, a team player, and demonstrate leadership and exceptional interpersonal skills

This job will require A LOT of patience! The constant repetitive questions and lack of common sense will take a toll on you. So, if you lack patience, this may not be a fit for you.
I highly recommend having good morale. Spirit tends to have a certain reputation, and it is not for the weak.
I rarely ever have issues and have people leave my flights with pleasant experiences.

Ability to work flexible hours, days, and holidays

Starting out, you will most likely be placed on “Reserve” which is basically being on-call.
This is not a regular 9-5. You may work 1 day. You may work 6 days back to back.
You’ll most likely miss out on holidays and special events because you may not have enough seniority to get the days off you want yet, but you might get lucky! My first year as a flight attendant, I was given a layover at home. So I was able to spend time with my family and get paid for it!

Ability to work in close quarters with service animals, as well as all snack items, including, but not limited to peanuts

So in other words, don’t risk taking on this job if you have bad allergies.

Ability to communicate effectively. Must be proficient in the English language. Bilingual in Spanish a plus

English doesn’t have to be your first language, but you must speak it well enough to give and take direction. Especially in an emergency.

Must maintain a polished, professional, conservative appearance at all times

There is a guidebook that is given to all employees to make sure you’re always in compliance.
It’ll cover everything from what shoes to wear to how to appear in the airport.
Our uniform is very distinctive. Whenever you have your uniform on, you’re representing the company, and we actually get a lot of compliments on our uniform. People always say that we have good-looking and well-put-together crews.

Driver’s License preferred

It isn’t a requirement, so if you don’t have a license you can still apply.
However, having one is useful mostly because it’s always smart to have some sort of backup identification when traveling.
For example, if your passport is misplaced or lost, or stolen, you’ll need some type of identification to go through security.
Sometimes you may need to show 2 types of identification in addition to your flight attendant identification card.

Wrap up

Spirit Airlines is an amazing company to work for: dynamic, exciting, and growing. A great starter company if you’ve never worked in the aviation industry before.

Good luck and I hope to see you in the skies!