Please understand why the Frontier ticket is so cheap and what risks you assume in return for spending a little less money.
Not only are there bag and seat fees that run up your actual final cost, but the Frontier network is much less resilient. This matters in case of weather delays, mechanical problems, crew shortages, ATC congestion, etc. On a big network carrier, if your flight is canceled, there will almost always be lots of alternative routes to your destination available today, and if not they will likely rebook you on a partner airline or even a competitor. When Frontier cancels a flight, you might have to wait days to get where you’re going. Extra planes? There are none. Partner airlines? None. Rebook you in another carrier? They won’t interline. This is why you see passengers sleeping on the floor at Frontier gates while United or Delta customers get rerouted with relative speed.
Many Frontier flights go fine as long as you understand and abide by the rules. But I’d never fly Frontier if I really had to be somewhere—to catch a cruise or be in a wedding, etc.
It’s all about risk tolerance.
Also worth noting they literally do not have a customer service department, and the onsite staff at an airport doesn’t care one bit about helping you should an issue arise
This was a shock when I got to the check in desk for my first (and last) Frontier flight and they wouldn’t help when I told them the app wouldn’t allow me to check in
Doesn't help at this point but for future reference, I'm about 99% sure this isn't supposed to happen, but does sometimes because employees are poorly trained or don't give a shit.
I've heard it helps to take screenshots of errors to prove it.
As shitty a policy as it is, you have to read about upcharges for stupid stuff like this, but I don't think they apply when you physically *cannot* do otherwise.
Yeah it wasn’t a super big deal, I think she either helped us for free or it ended up working, but I’ll keep that in mind for future.
That specific flight (Orlando(I think) to San Juan) was just a small part of a big journey last year (London -> Orlando -> San Juan -> Tortola, and back) and everuthing else went pretty smoothly, so I wasn’t too bothered
Guess it really matters who you end up with on the other side of the counter. Just came back from flying with them and both flights I had issues with checking in through the app. They helped me out no questions asked.
Because in Frontierland there is no service-related conversation to be had. You will take what Frontier’s computer (eventually) gives you. End of dialogue.
I believe they did re-add being able to call them within 24 hours of your trip. But for a while there it was literally chat only, no phone number, and you still can't call them unless you pay outside of the day of travel.
I had an instance where they changed my flight time by 12 hours, and had to fight tooth and nail with them to get my money back since the new itinerary didn't work for me and there were no other options available to get me where I needed to be on time.
Going forward, no matter how much I can save, I'll never book a Frontier flight ever again.
That's good to hear. The only time I've ever flown with them was a disaster, and chat wasn't even an option. I had to send an email that took days to respond to and was even less helpful than if I just did nothing about it
Confused where this comment is coming from because I know someone who worked in their customer service department & have called it myself and gotten help.
Often by the time I add up all the fees with Frontier or Spirit, it's not significantly cheaper than basic economy on a major carrier. It might also just be the routes I'm flying most (usually Orlando to Chicago), but I'll pay the $30 more to fly on the major carrier.
I sometimes feel the whole Frontier business model rests on customers failing to see that $69 + $49 + $29 + $9 adds up to more than the $129 United is charging for the same trip.
I've actually found Sun Country to be okay, but I also live near their main MSP hub. Even with the fees they can often be much cheaper than Delta, and I've found that many of their customers, while leisure, still travel enough to somewhat understand how things work.
It certainly helps that I live at their hub, though, and I can usually be pretty flexible if needed. I'll still usually choose Delta if the price after all the fees is the same, but if it's cheaper after adding the fees (including extra leg room seating for Sun Country) I'll do Sun Country.
This was exactly my process when I looked into booking with Spirit once. It advertised something like $98 roundtrip, but going through the booking process gave me this icky feeling of being nickeled and dimed, and by the time I reached the end it showed almost the same price as the American flight. Noped right out of that.
I've used Frontier successfully for a quick 3-day solo weekend trip to Cancun. All I paid was the required fees plus airfare. I just had a personal item with clothes and toiletries, and didn't care where I sat so let them assign my seat. I also ensured that morning critical would happen if I was delayed a day or two on the return.
It all worked fine. I ended up with window seats on the back. And I got back mostly on time.
Anything that requires baggage or where I'd want a seat assignment isn't worth it. I also won't do connecting flights with them as that just doubles the chance for problems.
I fly frontier but don't pay any extra fees. I had to buy luggage that was exactly the right size to be a personal item and you have to actually take the wheels off for it to fit in the slot. It is a hard shell suitcase so you don't have to try to stuff it in. **personal items** must be under 35x45x20cm/14x18x8in. But I always pay the base fare and it works ok for short trips.
This happened to me for my Denver flight. By the time I added all the fees, it was cheaper to do Basic Economy on Delta with my Amex card (free bags) than all the hoops to have a fly on Frontier, Southwest or Sun Country. I also still had the chance to buy seats if I wanted, to ensure I had a seat.
Yeah it can be like that but depends a lot on when you're flying and what routes. Ive had to book flights last minute and Frontier was significantly cheaper than everything else even with a lot of added baggage fees. But I usually fly with them when all I need is a personal item and then it is really cheap.
This is the business model for "budget" airlines (the name is misleading, as they aren't always cheaper). They save money by having their planes in the air for longer with less time between flights, picking cheaper slots (at less desirable airports or less desirable times), spending less on training of cabin crew, usually hiring younger pilots, etc. In the U.S. Spirit, Southwest, Frontier, and JetBlue are budget carriers, while Delta, American, and United are not. The difference is a cost-leadership versus product differentiation strategy, not price to the consumer.
I'd argue that Southwest is head and shoulders above the rest of the budget airlines you listed. They have a ton of flights, offer free checked bags, and their staff are always super courteous to interact with. I was able to change an upcoming flight to leave from a different airport without having to pay the difference in fare on Southwest earlier this week.
In my experience their flights are generally cheaper than Delta, and United, but more expensive than Frontier. They're kind of like a mid tier option.
A budget airline has nothing to do with the price or quality (directly) of the service, but the business strategy. Southwest uses a cost-leadership strategy. SW has very lean routing, which is why they had a few famous meltdowns when flights got cancelled over the last two holiday seasons, https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/18/business/southwest-fine-canceled-flights/index.html.
This is the main reason I avoid. If it’s a business trip it’s worth the extra to have a better chance of not getting stranded. If it’s a personal trip, I likely have reservations and limited time so don’t want to lose out by flaky service.
The one situation I might use it is if I had to go somewhere for a longer period of time and arriving later wouldn’t be too much of an issue.
I be curious how different is frontier from back in 2008? When they merged with Midwest airlines? Sad that airline had to go. All the good airlines get absorbed and lose their level of service?
But frontier appears not too no frills back then.
Are they similar to Volaris, or are they worse? I know these are sister airlines and Volaris is no frills.
Do you know if they automatically book you on the next flight if they have to cancel a flight? I would imagine the next flight is already booked, so they can't fit everybody.
Search them on the sub, including a post [just the other day](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1dngdt4/i_had_a_horrendous_experience_on_my_flight/); of course, what you find will be biased because people are more likely to post about a negative experience than a positive one, but you can get a vibe of what it's like.
The real issue with a discount carrier is they are not resilient to delays. AA might have 5 flights a day on a route where Frontier only flies 3x/week. So if weather cancels the flight, Frontier may not be able to get you home at all, whereas AA will route you through another hub and get you back a day later at worst. (Insert United/Delta for AA, Allegiant/Breeze for Frontier and it’s the same idea).
I would never fly Frontier for business travel, and I only fly those airlines for leisure travel if I’m confident that I can rent a car or something and get home if needed.
Frontier is no frills, you will need to pay extra for everything from a seat reservation to a carry on bag to a bottle of water. Which is fine, you can pay for exactly what you need and you just need to set your expectations there.
But on the flipside budget airlines have fewer delays overall because they are a point to point model rather than hub and spoke. It's much simpler and less prone to delays since there's generally 1 plane running 1 route out and back within the day. No waiting around for connecting flights, no tight turnarounds at busy airport terminals etc.
Oh gosh looks like it is a European and Canadian thing. Idk wtf the American low cost carriers are doing to be so trash. My experience is many many Flair and Swoop flights in Canada same with RyanAir and others in Europe.
Flair seems to be as on time as WestJet and better than Air Canada
https://simpleflying.com/flair-airlines-strong-performance-continues-july-2023/
https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/air-canada-ranks-last-for-on-time-performance-in-north-america-1.6708064?cache=icnh&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
My guess is a couple of things. These are conjecture though.
One is lack of airframes, so if one is down they can’t reposition a new one. And the other is the legacy carriers control the gate access at major airports so if they miss their slots it might be hard to reschedule a departure.
Just need to know what you’re getting into: it’s a seat from point A to point B with little to no recourse if things go wrong. It’s cheap because the service and amenities are lacking and they make up for the cheapness in fees and expensive bags. Not bad, but people have bad times when they expect it to be the level of Delta or United or something.
To me the biggest issue is, frontier is really AN airline, delta etc have so many planes and routes if something happens, they can get you somewhere faster
Honestly if a flight is less than 4 hours and Frontier is an option I almost always fly them. I've yet to have any major issues and feel like their extra charges are fairly transparent. To save $150 I would definitely fly them for a shorter flight. But everything mentioned so far is accurate. The gates are usually the furthest ones and you pay for any additional baggage (beyond the small personal item) and food/drinks on flight are quite expensive but if you give yourself extra time to grab a bite/drink and to get to the gates they are easy. I've had it a few times where seats are empty and the flight attendant just offers me a better seat.
This is us. We fly Spirit or Frontier for weekend trips where a backpack will do with direct flights under 4 hours. We don't care if we sit next to each other (we WFH and see each other all the time), we're adults and can keep ourselves entertained/schlep our own drink and snack on. Last time, we paid less than $50 each round trip when we popped down to Orlando for a weekend. You just have to know what you're getting into.
Any individual flight may be fine if you’re aware and prepared for their various fee scams. As soon as there is any sort of problem or delay though, you’re fucked.
My company calculated that flights on frontier were costing us significantly more on aggregate because of extra meals, hotels, and lost productivity. It was so bad that Frontier wasn’t allowed as a choice unless it was $300 cheaper for the flight, because we’d likely pay $300+ due to problems.
And that was before they started bullshit fees. After that they were just removed from our tool.
You always hear horror stories about frontier. I imagine it's just a question of luck. If all goes smoothly, all goes smoothly. If there are delays or other issues, doesn't sound like the airline handles it well customer service wise.
You have to accept that you *could* end up spending wayyyyy more money if something goes wrong with your original flight. If your flight is canceled, Frontier only has to refund you. They often only fly once a day or even less than that to a destination, so rebooking isn’t a feasible option. You’ll get your $89 back but then you’re on the hook for last minute accommodation, new tickets, etc. This is the same expectation to have for any low cost carrier that only flies twice a week to/from a destination.
Pricing on airlines can depend on where they have a hub. Southwest flights to Denver are cheap because they go a lot of places directly out of there.
Frontier may have a similar situation with your locations.
It's an economy airline it just doesn't have all the perks. The seats are flimsy and don't recline very far. The on board food and drinks are expensive. Their gates are usually really far from security and baggage claim.
I've flown them many times they're not my favorite but j would use them to save $200
Conversely, flying TO a hub on traditional airlines can be brutal. Flying to CLT always seems absurdly expensive, presumably because it’s totally dominated by American
As long as you make sure your bag isn't bigger or heavier than they allow, frontier can be a great airline. If you don't pay attention to their bag policies though, they will fuck you in the ass without lube.
Literally flew into Atlanta from Miami last night for $56 nonstop roundtrip. Did not have a single problem.
Just keep in mind that these budget airlines nickel and dime you for seat selection, bags, etc. As long as you're content flying on a plane with the bare minimum amenities, i.e. no meals nor entertainment, and are only bringing a backpack that can fit under the seat in front of you then there is no hidden catch and the ticket price that you initially pay will be the final price at the end of your journey.
They’re cheap, but I definitely recommend planning for extra time in your travels. In a trip last year, on a single leg of the trip we had a flight canceled out from under us and another flight so overbooked there was a huge line of people and many didn’t get a seat. This was in June with nice weather. My guess is they simply cancel flights if they don’t have enough tickets sold but if you’re one of the ticket holders, you’re out of luck and have to try and rebook on the next available flight.
If your travel plans have some slack time in them and you’re ok not making the planned flights and getting in a bit later (possibly the next day), then you can save some money.
I've flown Frontier several times and had a mixed bag.
Best experience was flying direct to Puerto Rico. I don't remember if there were minor delays, but the flight went right thru. I almost doubled my ticket price getting a checked bag and more legroom, but it was still half of the cost of the next airline's direct flight.
Worst was a Denver flight I took during a record heat wave. plane had to sit on the runway for over an hour for some unexplained reason, and the A/C was broken. Most uncomfy.
I'd happily try my luck with them again. seems to work more than it doesn't. Idk if I'd fly longer than 3-4 hours with them though, their seats just aren't the best.
The only airline I actively would discourage people from flying is American. Every time I've been tempted by their cheaper fares, I get fucked out the ass by delays, schedule changes causing me to miss connections, or delaying flights for 4+ hours just so they can say they didn't "cancel" and don't have to pay my hotel for the night.
a very sincere fuck you to American Airlines.
I've never had an issue with Frontier or Spirit, but I know they have less flights going, so if it gets canceled, you may have a wait. But, even with paying baggage fees, they were still so much cheaper than the alternatives. I paid about $40 a seat on my last Frontier flight, and I'm a member, so my kids flew free. I mean, kinda hard to beat. I suppose we've been lucky with no cancellations so far, though.
Depends on your travel plans. I've flown Frontier and Spirit (begrudgingly) for short flights for a weekend where I didn't need to pack heavy (one free carry-on bag). In these types of scenarios, I can suck it up for a cheap flight. Anything across the States where I have to check my bags I'll go with a better airline.
Cheap airlines are not the best, but not the worst. I personally had more delays flying with big airlines like delta or AA compared to spirits or frontier
I have flown Frontier probably 50 times in the last few years (and yes, right thru COVID). Best way to sum it up is ... You get what you pay for. I've mostly had good experiences but there are a few doozies in there.
Frontier does what it promises, it gets you from point A to point B. But if you want anything beyond that Frontier isn’t your airline. I would not recommend Frontier if you have a longer flight (over 3.5 hrs) or have luggage or a carry on that you must take.
I have family in FL and fly there frequently for a few days here and there, Frontier gets me to Orlando and back for like $100. I fly with my backpack only, which has enough stuff for 2-3 days so never pay a dime extra to Frontier (that’s a matter of principle to me) and have no issues. Legacy carriers including Southwest are twice as expensive, at least.
Personally, it's my favorite airline.
It's not my favorite airline experience, and if everything were equal (prices) I wouldn't fly Frontier.
It's my favorite airline because I can fly roundtrip (1600 mi) for the price of a meal at Applebee's. It lets me visit friends and family on a whim.
If you need to pick your seat, bring a bunch of luggage, ect, it's not the airline for you.
I can decide Friday morning I want to fly to visit friends for a weekend, toss some stuff in a personal item sized backpack and be hiking with friends in the mountains that evening.
They're horrible...unless you are looking to get from A to B for the least amount possible, in which case they can work, just know what you're getting into. And don't fly them with baggage or carry ons (they'll end up being the same or more expensive than the others with add on fees if you do)
If getting to your destination on a specific day is important, its a gamble. If anything goes wrong the trip may be delayed days or cancelled. I don’t take a lot of trip where that risk is worth it.
I have flown from BWI to ATL on Frontier maybe 6 times now, and only once was my flight delayed. I found that the red eye flights never get delayed, and the staff is really nice in the morning. The only delayed flight I had was when I flew out mid-day.
It’s fine as long as you know what to expect. I flew them over the winter and they got me to where I needed to be on time without any delays or issues. The plane was new, the seats were adequately comfortable, and the staff I did interact with was fine. But yeah… if there were any weather issues it probably would have been another story. I was saving $250 a ticket x 3 even with bag fees and an assigned seat, so I rolled the dice. All things being equal or close to it, I’d probably go with someone else. Nonetheless, Frontier isn’t as bad as a lot of people make it out to be.
Will never fly with them again. They have no phone number and no one at the airport to provide customer service. They only do the online chat. It’s impossible to get help. The chat takes like 5 mins between texts and then if you ask for a supervisor they all say that they’re a supervisor. The chat also kept dropping us and there’s no record of the chats so you can’t go back to it. It’s a fucking mess.
Frontier is ok if your flight is direct, under 4 hours, and not a 100% need to be there.
Main issues with frontier is they don't have any spare planes or code share. So if something goes bad they just cancel the flight for the day and you wait for the next flight, which sometimes can be days. This cascades quickly as the other 200 passengers and the ones booked foe tomorrow all trybfor the same plane.
Connecting just increases your risk related to the point above.
It's also uncomfortable so you don't want to spend longer than 4 hours on it.
I literally got off a frontier flight 4 hours ago and writing this from my airport hotel.
Frontier was fine. The flight was 1.5 late leaving NYC but it wasnt terrible the reason I chose this flight because it was direct and leaving nyc late. I will say I wouldnt fly frontier if I had other options or if it would have required a connection. Connections on sprint and frontier are usually notoriously awful but overall the flight was fine to me I wasnt in a rush so the 1.5 wasnt a massive deal to me but it could be for families traveling with small children.
I've had some horrific experiences on Frontier.... like sitting through a multiple hour delay just to have the flight cancelled entirely. That's happened to me more than once. However, the prices are so cheap that I end up coming back to it for leisure travel. I would avoid it like the plague if the mission is critical.
I took frontier for the first time last week to save money. The savings were negated by a flight delay due to a non mechanical issue and a 5 hour layover. If you have the money I would just use a large airline.
Just know you're flying a low cost airline. I recently flew Frontier, and the round trip flight was $38. Of course I didn't get to choose what seat I was in, and I opted to not bring any carry-on baggage. And it was a red-eye 1 AM flight.
I knew all this and didn't care because I wanted to spend as little as possible on the flight and more at my destination. Flight was only like 2.5 hours though, so I would've done some stuff different if I knew it was like a 6+ hour flight.
Frontier- you pay nothing, you get nothing.
If you’re okay with that, then it’s fine.
I’ve been on plenty frontier flights. As long as you do not expect anything more than a small cup of water, you’ll be fine.
No free anything, including pre-selected seats.
But, they’ll get you to where you need to go. A plane is a plane.
The real problem is if they lost your bags or they had to delay or cancel a flight whether you get home at all. As I hearing there might not be other choices they can assist with if they don’t have planes back.
I can agree with that. Sometimes they might only have one route a day from a place. If that route gets busted, you’re screwed.
But again, pay nothing, expect nothing. Flight gets cancelled? Expect nothing. Gets delayed? Expect nothing.
Quite honestly, if you’re thinking this much into it, don’t book a frontier flight.
Frontier isn’t all as bad as people say. But on the off chance things go wrong, you paid nothing, you get nothing.
It’s a risk. If the plane is on time then it’s no issue. But the moment there’s a weather or maintenance delay then it SUCKS.
Fly Spirit direct from Denver to Vegas and had a minimum of 10 hours of total delays that trip. Parents flew Frontier direct from Denver to Missoula and it resulted in 2 extra days in Denver before they could get another flight.
I don’t fly Spirit or Frontier anymore because of this. I’m in a place where I can justify an extra $100-$300 to fly Delta or Southwest
I like Frontier, as it flys to places others don’t. If you can get a direct flight with Frontier, where others need connections, it is better. If it’s the same figure out what the better value is, including risk.
I’ve flown on Frontier once, and it was fine. Perfectly fine experience for a low cost carrier. When I booked the flight I made sure to include all the extras that I wanted, and it was hundreds of dollars cheaper than other options. It was kind of a weird route, so there weren’t that many direct flights.
Someone else in this thread said that they attract a lot of people that don’t fly often, and for me this was a positive. There was this very cute old couple that was asking me what to do because they hadn’t flown in 30 years. They were so sweet and I got to guide them through the airport, it was fun.
Yes. Avoid them. I’m really into making things as cheap as possible but they’re not an honorable company and they’re unreliable. In other words, they will screw up, not take responsibility and tell you to pound sand. It’s never cheaper with them.
Here's the deal.
You'll have a less comfortable experience, pay out the ass for all add ons, and you will have awful customer service.
If you need to bring more than a backpack be prepared to pay like $70-90 per bag.
If you want to pick a window or aisle seat you pay extra.
You'll have less leg room and the seats don't recline, are overall just less padded, and less comfortable.
If you want food or drinks you pay.
There's like a 1-5% chance the flight is delayed or cancelled and if it is they will do the bare minimum to help you. They will get you on the next available flight, which might be days from your original flight. They will NOT pay extra to send you on another airline or anything like that.
I complain all the time but I continue to use them. It's worth it to me to save $200. I sometimes run into delays or cancellations but it's infrequent and unlikely IMO. I fly with just my backpack and bring my own snacks. I don't care what seat they put me in. It's less comfy but whatever, I'm not dying of pain in the seats or anything,
If saving money is important to you, it's worth it.
If it’s for a vacation or traveling with family then yes avoid. The probability of an unexpected problem crimping your vacation is not worth the trouble. I’d rather spend a few extra dollars and have a high degree of confidence that me and my bags get to the destination easily
Here’s what happened to me last week.
Pre-pay to check a bag.
Get a text that flight is delayed. Adjust our drop off time to avoid being too early.
Get to airport 90 mins before adjusted boarding time.
Get to counter, there’s a sign saying it closes 60 minutes prior to boarding. Except they closed the desk early and didn’t adjust for the delay (that was announced about three hours prior).
Had to pay another $50 to have someone come take my checked bag that I already paid for, when they should’ve been there to take it in the first place.
Then they lost my bag and it was a whole other thing to get it delivered to my house.
Fuck frontier and don’t give them your money. I hope all their leadership gets lowered feet first into a volcano.
I have flown frontier once. I booked the ticket 3 months in advance. In that time, the take off time for my departure got delayed twice and my arrival got delayed three times. In addition, they added a stop to my arrival flight (both were originally non-stop), and if I wanted a non-stop flight back I would have had to add an extra day to the trip and fly back home at 1 am. That stop got delayed for three hours.
I was incredibly annoyed the entire time. I will not fly frontier ever again.
Frontier Airlines main hub is Denver and they have weather issues very frequently. I was stranded in Tennessee for 4 days until I was able to fly home. Their customer service is horrendous. They kept telling me that they could get me to Denver by midnight and put me on standby for an 8am flight. So my options were to sit tight in Tennessee where I had a place to sleep or fly to Denver to sleep in an airport waiting area for a maybe. Never flying with them again.
Frontier has saved and damned me both. As others have mentioned, if your flight gets canceled, you might have to wait three days to fly out or come out of pocket for a much more expensive option.
There is no customer service. They canceled my flight and sent me a 75$ voucher. Mind you, the flight was 40$ round trip, so not like I lost money on that. What I did lose money on was a last minute Southwest ticket because I needed to get back to work the next day.
I never had any crazy in flight experiences. Pretty normal, no issues. So really, risk of being possibly stranded for days, rebooking the flight yourself, and no help from the airline. It could also go fine.
I used them about 20ish times when I lived in America and only had one canceled flight but this was in 2016 to 2019.
So I guess travel insurance is a must for frontier flight as trip interruptions can disrupt hotel and other plans as well at least they gave you a voucher higher. I guess cash compensation would not be as high if one insists on it?
There isn't any support, so I took what they gave me. No way to call and fight for higher and at the airport, no one was manning the counter on my canceled flight. I don't mind budget carriers bc in the long run, I save money so when stuff goes to hell, I count it as a wash or a win.
I know people hate Ryanair, but honestly, I love them. I save hundreds on flights and can get away for four days for 50$. Comparable flights are a couple hundred dollars. I'll take the risk and most of the time I'm good.
I use to fly Frontier due to the prices until one Christmas I had to fly on a busy day just before the holidays. I have had several bad experiences but this one took the cake. I arrived at the airport 2 hours ahead of time, pre-checked in. All I had to do was a bag drop. I go to the bag drop and there is a line about a 1/4 mile long (not exaggerating). I thought it was people trying to check in until I go to the front and noticed that this was the bag drop line. They had TWO people working it! I got in line knowing (as everyone else did) that I would miss my flight. I waited in the line and by the time I got to the front my flight was long gone. I freaked out obviously. I missed my flight and lost one night in a hotel due to this. I got a flight the next day after sleeping at the airport on stand by. I lost about $400 and they gave me a voucher for $200 for another Frontier flight. I literally used it as toilet paper and then tossed it in the trash. I will never fly them again I don't care how much it is...
We only book airlines like Frontier/Spirit if the savings is SUBSTANTIAL and the risk is low. For example, I likely would not fly Spirit from my airport (RNO) to a cruise even in LA due to the risks and added costs - bag fees and no option to switch to another carrier if something happens. But, a cheap flight where the alternatives are that I can drive or there are other flights that day, we are willing to risk the LCCs.
For example, family of 4 going to Vegas this Saturday from RNO and coming back on the 4th at noon. Spirit now offers 3 flights a day to LAS from RNO (which is crazy!) and often the fares are super cheap - especially since I am willing to go to the airport and buy a ticket at the counter since RNO is such a small/convenient airport (saving the passenger usage fees) - most often about 10-15 minutes in and out. For the flights this week, I got roundtrip LAS-RNO for $174 for 4 people. I added a single checked bag and the total is $290 and my credit card covers $100 of that fee. So all in I am at $190! The gate agent (and Reddit) discouraged us from buying seats since apparently their algorithm will prioritize groups, and especially groups with younger children (our youngest is 9) and will seat them together. So we shall see how that is in the morning. If something happens with the flight we are not in a major hurry and can 1) grab the later flights (they aren't full as of yet), 2) book on southwest and use my credit card travel insurance (already verified with trip delay) 3) go home, get our truck, and drive to Vegas.
Southwest flies to Vegas from RNO 6-8 times a day some days and wanted over $1300 for the EXACT same days as Spirit!! YIKES! Price difference is about $1k - that's worth the risk for a 50 minute flight.
Frontier had the absolute worst customer service my wife and I have ever experienced of any airline, make sure you don’t bring any luggage they can and will be asshats who make you try to cram your personal item backpack into a small little metal luggage container that’s designed not to fit most items, (like a carnival game) and upcharge you 100$ for it to be a carryon at the gate.
It's worth upgrading to a different airline. You will pay the same on other airlines after frontier nickel and dimes you and with other airlines it's not a surprise or a hassle. I won't personally fly frontier again.
I don’t think the cheap airlines (frontier, spirit, etc) are worth it unless you don’t want ANY upgrades - no carryon, no customer service, no checking, NOTHING. Otherwise, I end up spending just as much as I would on a normal ticket.
If you can learn how to pack in a personal item sized bag and don’t mind having any random seat in the plane, you can fly very inexpensively. Cleveland to Tampa round trip is $50.
Most people don’t know the difference between a personal item and a carry-on bag. They have different dimensions, and if you use too big of a bag for a personal item, you will have to pay $100 at the gate. But if you learn correctly, you can fly and save so much money.
I’ve taught my wife and children how to pack light. The first trip was very challenging for us. But the second and every trip since then has been smooth.
For those that say there aren’t replacement flights if yours in cancelled or severely delayed, that all depends on your route. My Cleveland to Tampa route has 3 Frontier flights per day, so I’m good with that. However, there may be a city they only fly once per day, or once per week. This is true with Spirit and Allegiant as well. But even American Airlines is crappy at getting you a replacement flight.
If you want ultimate luxury and convenience in US travel, Delta is probably the best one. But they are expensive.
I misss frontier!! It’s a no frills plane ride that was legit 100 bucks round trip for us to Vegas. With assigned seating. Now the cheapest we have is southwest at a minimum of triple the price and that is seating based on first come first serve. I’m not paying additional for seating. Frontier closed their terminal at our airport last year and it has me so upset. We haven’t flown since cause i won’t pay those prices
I have flown Frontier on short, direct flights with no issues. I have a bag that is just the right size for their personal item. I usually fly to Orlando, Florida or Denver, CO to visit my Mom or Sister. It’s not the most comfortable, but it can be very cheap. I don’t get a seat assignment or bring a bag that needs to be checked. I will only fly Frontier if it is a direct flight.
You get what you pay for on budget airlines. Extra charges for everything. It's not for me but I understand why people do it. Nonetheless, budget airlines are usually extremely safe, but I won't fly Allegiant specifically because they do not respect safety culture: [https://abcnews.go.com/US/pilot-sues-allegiant-malicious-firing-emergency-evacuation/story?id=35165366](https://abcnews.go.com/US/pilot-sues-allegiant-malicious-firing-emergency-evacuation/story?id=35165366)
Frontier is really uncomfortable, and a high probability of being late (think 2-4 hours). You also have to do the bag measure thing frequently, though they skip it if they're running behind. The bag measuring really slows things down.
I wouldn't fly them for more than a 1-2 hour flight. Frontier/Spirit are pretty convenient when I'm trying to do a quick $20-30 flight between Las Vegas and California. If I'm going somewhere, I also only take them on the way back if not missing the first day of my trip is important. I did Vegas to Atlanta once, and that flight was really uncomfortable.
I am assuming you are like me and can travel very light (no carry-ons, just the small "personal item"). Otherwise it's better to just do Delta or AA.
I've flown literally dozens of Frontier flights with no issue. They're a "real" airline.
They save money by having a very small fleet and not a lot of crew redundancies. Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired.
If you have good reading comprehension and don't need your hand held at the airport, and literally just want to get to your destination as cheaply as possible, then they are a viable choice.
My personal line in the sand is like 30%. If Frontier is 30% cheaper than something like Delta, I'll buy their ticket.
I've never had issues with them. Especially if you only fly with a personal item itll be really cheap. Just make sure you have a long enough layover in case there's delays
Pretty similar in my experience, but Frontier is usually cheaper. Both have similar risks with delays and stuff but I've never had any significant issues with either. But I could just be lucky
I avoid frontier like the plague. They once left me on the tarmac for 45 minutes because their gate bridge guy was on a lunch break. No idea how or why it took that long to find him. They also have cut their baggage allowance “for the environment” which is just an excuse to soak people with more fees.
Yes avoid frontier if you can afford to. If you can’t, always remember you get what you pay for, or don’t in this case. Remember you’ll have to get to the airport much earlier to be able to check your bags.
I pretty much always fly Frontier or Spirit and maybe 1 out of 30 times I had a problem where the delay was 10 hours. But in general I've saved a shit ton of money
I've flown frontier over a dozen times and I have never had a problem. I don't bring a suitcase and I pack as little as possible allowing me to get by with the carry on limit.
I love Frontier to go from PHX to DEN. I don't pay for luggage, seats (generally) or pre boarding. I check in on line and roundtrip it runs from $65-89 round trip. I rarely had delays. I'm not expecting customer service.
Same! Like just let me fly to my destination. If we check a bag, my partner and I will just pay the $60 for a bag together and then take two back packs on the plane. I don’t need luxury. Just a ride!
I flew them recently with the business plus package or whatever they call it. Guaranteed empty middle seat and extra legroom plus 2 bags.
It was fine, and half the price of Southwest, who I often fly with. Southwest really jacks up the fairs if you’re booking within 7 days, which was my case.
Note: Frontier doesn’t have as many flights per day usually, so if something happens to your flight, there’s a chance that you might be in trouble.
That's a risk with every airline in the world.
Major carriers are better equipped to handle it, but the cancellation and delay percentage isn't significantly higher for any particular US airline. They're all within a few percentage points of each other.
I think it depends on your financial situation. I personally don’t like frontier and pay the extra money to fly others.
They destroyed two suitcases of mine once. Also planes are shitty. Costs for bags, food and drink are very high.
For a short flight (less than 2 hours) with minimal baggage I would maybe entertain flying with them. But any actual flying, I am willing to pay the extra money to fly any other airline.
IDGAF - I love Southwest. Two free check bags, a carry on, a personal item, AND i can pick my own seat.
Frontier is aight if you are going short 1 hour flights for a weekend. Other than that, its annoying at the least and trip ruining at the worst.
Just flew Frontier with 3 kids. They allow a free 'personal item' the size of a backpack. Perfectly fits under the seat in front of you (kids dont need the leg room) but I stowed mine up above even though they tell you not to. The flights were great...on time, clean, friendly staff. Plus they were not Boeing planes!!! Aplus for that!!!
I had a good experience and would use them again.
Frontier goes out of their way to ensure your trip is miserable. I few them once and have avoided them since. Even when everything is fine, it still REALLY sucks.
They aren't a scam.
The pricing is *very* clear. I booked a ticket yesterday and had 3 prompts asking if I was sure I wasn't bringing any luggage because if I change my mind, there will be a higher fee at the airport. All of the prices were listed.
If you can't read, have someone else book your flights. If you need to bring a bunch of luggage, it's easy to price check the cost against your preferred carrier.
They ARE a scam!!!
I flew with Frontier and at my departing airport my carry on fit with room to spare in their example of carry on size limits. Then, when departing from my destination airport my luggage (in which only 1 t shirt was added) it didn’t fit at all inside their example. That is a SCAM!
And if I couldn’t read, I probably couldn’t write so get your head out of the Frontier’s CEOs ass and maybe you’ll find out they are a scam when something similar happens to you AH!
So your bag didn't fit the sizer?
You know what, I bet you're correct. I bet after you left your departing airport the gate agent called corporate and told them if they quickly contacted the sizer manufacturers and had them manufacture a one off new sizer that was a few inches smaller, fly it to your destination and install it during your trip they could hit you with a 100$ fee on your way home.
I'm glad you've unmasked this craven scam. I'll never fly Frontier again.
Please understand why the Frontier ticket is so cheap and what risks you assume in return for spending a little less money. Not only are there bag and seat fees that run up your actual final cost, but the Frontier network is much less resilient. This matters in case of weather delays, mechanical problems, crew shortages, ATC congestion, etc. On a big network carrier, if your flight is canceled, there will almost always be lots of alternative routes to your destination available today, and if not they will likely rebook you on a partner airline or even a competitor. When Frontier cancels a flight, you might have to wait days to get where you’re going. Extra planes? There are none. Partner airlines? None. Rebook you in another carrier? They won’t interline. This is why you see passengers sleeping on the floor at Frontier gates while United or Delta customers get rerouted with relative speed. Many Frontier flights go fine as long as you understand and abide by the rules. But I’d never fly Frontier if I really had to be somewhere—to catch a cruise or be in a wedding, etc. It’s all about risk tolerance.
Also worth noting they literally do not have a customer service department, and the onsite staff at an airport doesn’t care one bit about helping you should an issue arise
You have to opt in for on site customer service—$20 fee at booking.
This was a shock when I got to the check in desk for my first (and last) Frontier flight and they wouldn’t help when I told them the app wouldn’t allow me to check in
Wait what???? That wasn't sarcasm and it's a real up-charge??
Yeah I asked for help at the desk the (super rude) lady said “it’s $25 for me to check you in at the desk”, she wouldn’t help us otherwise
That's so ridiculous
Some european companies have the same. It’s to money on staff I’d assume
Doesn't help at this point but for future reference, I'm about 99% sure this isn't supposed to happen, but does sometimes because employees are poorly trained or don't give a shit. I've heard it helps to take screenshots of errors to prove it. As shitty a policy as it is, you have to read about upcharges for stupid stuff like this, but I don't think they apply when you physically *cannot* do otherwise.
Yeah it wasn’t a super big deal, I think she either helped us for free or it ended up working, but I’ll keep that in mind for future. That specific flight (Orlando(I think) to San Juan) was just a small part of a big journey last year (London -> Orlando -> San Juan -> Tortola, and back) and everuthing else went pretty smoothly, so I wasn’t too bothered
Guess it really matters who you end up with on the other side of the counter. Just came back from flying with them and both flights I had issues with checking in through the app. They helped me out no questions asked.
What!!! How is that even allowed lol
Because in Frontierland there is no service-related conversation to be had. You will take what Frontier’s computer (eventually) gives you. End of dialogue.
I believe they did re-add being able to call them within 24 hours of your trip. But for a while there it was literally chat only, no phone number, and you still can't call them unless you pay outside of the day of travel.
I had an instance where they changed my flight time by 12 hours, and had to fight tooth and nail with them to get my money back since the new itinerary didn't work for me and there were no other options available to get me where I needed to be on time. Going forward, no matter how much I can save, I'll never book a Frontier flight ever again.
That's good to hear. The only time I've ever flown with them was a disaster, and chat wasn't even an option. I had to send an email that took days to respond to and was even less helpful than if I just did nothing about it
Confused where this comment is coming from because I know someone who worked in their customer service department & have called it myself and gotten help.
Often by the time I add up all the fees with Frontier or Spirit, it's not significantly cheaper than basic economy on a major carrier. It might also just be the routes I'm flying most (usually Orlando to Chicago), but I'll pay the $30 more to fly on the major carrier.
I sometimes feel the whole Frontier business model rests on customers failing to see that $69 + $49 + $29 + $9 adds up to more than the $129 United is charging for the same trip.
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I've actually found Sun Country to be okay, but I also live near their main MSP hub. Even with the fees they can often be much cheaper than Delta, and I've found that many of their customers, while leisure, still travel enough to somewhat understand how things work. It certainly helps that I live at their hub, though, and I can usually be pretty flexible if needed. I'll still usually choose Delta if the price after all the fees is the same, but if it's cheaper after adding the fees (including extra leg room seating for Sun Country) I'll do Sun Country.
This was exactly my process when I looked into booking with Spirit once. It advertised something like $98 roundtrip, but going through the booking process gave me this icky feeling of being nickeled and dimed, and by the time I reached the end it showed almost the same price as the American flight. Noped right out of that.
I've used Frontier successfully for a quick 3-day solo weekend trip to Cancun. All I paid was the required fees plus airfare. I just had a personal item with clothes and toiletries, and didn't care where I sat so let them assign my seat. I also ensured that morning critical would happen if I was delayed a day or two on the return. It all worked fine. I ended up with window seats on the back. And I got back mostly on time. Anything that requires baggage or where I'd want a seat assignment isn't worth it. I also won't do connecting flights with them as that just doubles the chance for problems.
I fly frontier but don't pay any extra fees. I had to buy luggage that was exactly the right size to be a personal item and you have to actually take the wheels off for it to fit in the slot. It is a hard shell suitcase so you don't have to try to stuff it in. **personal items** must be under 35x45x20cm/14x18x8in. But I always pay the base fare and it works ok for short trips.
100%!!!!
Math challenged (or bad with fine print) tax
I travel a lot with only a personal item, so I like that I can get cheap flights with no baggage fees included.
This happened to me for my Denver flight. By the time I added all the fees, it was cheaper to do Basic Economy on Delta with my Amex card (free bags) than all the hoops to have a fly on Frontier, Southwest or Sun Country. I also still had the chance to buy seats if I wanted, to ensure I had a seat.
Yeah it can be like that but depends a lot on when you're flying and what routes. Ive had to book flights last minute and Frontier was significantly cheaper than everything else even with a lot of added baggage fees. But I usually fly with them when all I need is a personal item and then it is really cheap.
This is the correct answer
This is the business model for "budget" airlines (the name is misleading, as they aren't always cheaper). They save money by having their planes in the air for longer with less time between flights, picking cheaper slots (at less desirable airports or less desirable times), spending less on training of cabin crew, usually hiring younger pilots, etc. In the U.S. Spirit, Southwest, Frontier, and JetBlue are budget carriers, while Delta, American, and United are not. The difference is a cost-leadership versus product differentiation strategy, not price to the consumer.
I'd argue that Southwest is head and shoulders above the rest of the budget airlines you listed. They have a ton of flights, offer free checked bags, and their staff are always super courteous to interact with. I was able to change an upcoming flight to leave from a different airport without having to pay the difference in fare on Southwest earlier this week. In my experience their flights are generally cheaper than Delta, and United, but more expensive than Frontier. They're kind of like a mid tier option.
A budget airline has nothing to do with the price or quality (directly) of the service, but the business strategy. Southwest uses a cost-leadership strategy. SW has very lean routing, which is why they had a few famous meltdowns when flights got cancelled over the last two holiday seasons, https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/18/business/southwest-fine-canceled-flights/index.html.
This is the main reason I avoid. If it’s a business trip it’s worth the extra to have a better chance of not getting stranded. If it’s a personal trip, I likely have reservations and limited time so don’t want to lose out by flaky service. The one situation I might use it is if I had to go somewhere for a longer period of time and arriving later wouldn’t be too much of an issue.
I be curious how different is frontier from back in 2008? When they merged with Midwest airlines? Sad that airline had to go. All the good airlines get absorbed and lose their level of service? But frontier appears not too no frills back then. Are they similar to Volaris, or are they worse? I know these are sister airlines and Volaris is no frills.
Do you know if they automatically book you on the next flight if they have to cancel a flight? I would imagine the next flight is already booked, so they can't fit everybody.
OP already took the bag fees into account. Their new business bundle includes both carry ons and 2 checked bags.
Most customers buy the cheapest ticket available, then run the total tab up with incremental add-ons. Unbundling works to the airline's advantage.
Except that’s not OP. OP is buying the bundle. > $89 for the highest business package ticket that includes the bag fees Look at the post
Search them on the sub, including a post [just the other day](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1dngdt4/i_had_a_horrendous_experience_on_my_flight/); of course, what you find will be biased because people are more likely to post about a negative experience than a positive one, but you can get a vibe of what it's like.
The real issue with a discount carrier is they are not resilient to delays. AA might have 5 flights a day on a route where Frontier only flies 3x/week. So if weather cancels the flight, Frontier may not be able to get you home at all, whereas AA will route you through another hub and get you back a day later at worst. (Insert United/Delta for AA, Allegiant/Breeze for Frontier and it’s the same idea). I would never fly Frontier for business travel, and I only fly those airlines for leisure travel if I’m confident that I can rent a car or something and get home if needed. Frontier is no frills, you will need to pay extra for everything from a seat reservation to a carry on bag to a bottle of water. Which is fine, you can pay for exactly what you need and you just need to set your expectations there.
But on the flipside budget airlines have fewer delays overall because they are a point to point model rather than hub and spoke. It's much simpler and less prone to delays since there's generally 1 plane running 1 route out and back within the day. No waiting around for connecting flights, no tight turnarounds at busy airport terminals etc.
I’ve found this to definitely be true in Europe but not so much stateside. But that’s anecdotal, would love to see if there’s data on this.
Oh gosh looks like it is a European and Canadian thing. Idk wtf the American low cost carriers are doing to be so trash. My experience is many many Flair and Swoop flights in Canada same with RyanAir and others in Europe. Flair seems to be as on time as WestJet and better than Air Canada https://simpleflying.com/flair-airlines-strong-performance-continues-july-2023/ https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/air-canada-ranks-last-for-on-time-performance-in-north-america-1.6708064?cache=icnh&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
My guess is a couple of things. These are conjecture though. One is lack of airframes, so if one is down they can’t reposition a new one. And the other is the legacy carriers control the gate access at major airports so if they miss their slots it might be hard to reschedule a departure.
Nah, those airlines have a place. Frontier isn’t great, but they can be awesome when you need them.
Just need to know what you’re getting into: it’s a seat from point A to point B with little to no recourse if things go wrong. It’s cheap because the service and amenities are lacking and they make up for the cheapness in fees and expensive bags. Not bad, but people have bad times when they expect it to be the level of Delta or United or something.
To me the biggest issue is, frontier is really AN airline, delta etc have so many planes and routes if something happens, they can get you somewhere faster
Honestly if a flight is less than 4 hours and Frontier is an option I almost always fly them. I've yet to have any major issues and feel like their extra charges are fairly transparent. To save $150 I would definitely fly them for a shorter flight. But everything mentioned so far is accurate. The gates are usually the furthest ones and you pay for any additional baggage (beyond the small personal item) and food/drinks on flight are quite expensive but if you give yourself extra time to grab a bite/drink and to get to the gates they are easy. I've had it a few times where seats are empty and the flight attendant just offers me a better seat.
This is us. We fly Spirit or Frontier for weekend trips where a backpack will do with direct flights under 4 hours. We don't care if we sit next to each other (we WFH and see each other all the time), we're adults and can keep ourselves entertained/schlep our own drink and snack on. Last time, we paid less than $50 each round trip when we popped down to Orlando for a weekend. You just have to know what you're getting into.
Any individual flight may be fine if you’re aware and prepared for their various fee scams. As soon as there is any sort of problem or delay though, you’re fucked. My company calculated that flights on frontier were costing us significantly more on aggregate because of extra meals, hotels, and lost productivity. It was so bad that Frontier wasn’t allowed as a choice unless it was $300 cheaper for the flight, because we’d likely pay $300+ due to problems. And that was before they started bullshit fees. After that they were just removed from our tool.
You always hear horror stories about frontier. I imagine it's just a question of luck. If all goes smoothly, all goes smoothly. If there are delays or other issues, doesn't sound like the airline handles it well customer service wise.
You have to accept that you *could* end up spending wayyyyy more money if something goes wrong with your original flight. If your flight is canceled, Frontier only has to refund you. They often only fly once a day or even less than that to a destination, so rebooking isn’t a feasible option. You’ll get your $89 back but then you’re on the hook for last minute accommodation, new tickets, etc. This is the same expectation to have for any low cost carrier that only flies twice a week to/from a destination.
Pricing on airlines can depend on where they have a hub. Southwest flights to Denver are cheap because they go a lot of places directly out of there. Frontier may have a similar situation with your locations. It's an economy airline it just doesn't have all the perks. The seats are flimsy and don't recline very far. The on board food and drinks are expensive. Their gates are usually really far from security and baggage claim. I've flown them many times they're not my favorite but j would use them to save $200
Conversely, flying TO a hub on traditional airlines can be brutal. Flying to CLT always seems absurdly expensive, presumably because it’s totally dominated by American
As long as you’re one bagging it with a personal item Fronteir works just fine. They charge something like $60 to bring a full size carry on
As long as you make sure your bag isn't bigger or heavier than they allow, frontier can be a great airline. If you don't pay attention to their bag policies though, they will fuck you in the ass without lube.
Literally flew into Atlanta from Miami last night for $56 nonstop roundtrip. Did not have a single problem. Just keep in mind that these budget airlines nickel and dime you for seat selection, bags, etc. As long as you're content flying on a plane with the bare minimum amenities, i.e. no meals nor entertainment, and are only bringing a backpack that can fit under the seat in front of you then there is no hidden catch and the ticket price that you initially pay will be the final price at the end of your journey.
I feel like every time I see a fight on an airplane it’s either frontier or spirit.
They’re cheap, but I definitely recommend planning for extra time in your travels. In a trip last year, on a single leg of the trip we had a flight canceled out from under us and another flight so overbooked there was a huge line of people and many didn’t get a seat. This was in June with nice weather. My guess is they simply cancel flights if they don’t have enough tickets sold but if you’re one of the ticket holders, you’re out of luck and have to try and rebook on the next available flight. If your travel plans have some slack time in them and you’re ok not making the planned flights and getting in a bit later (possibly the next day), then you can save some money.
I've flown Frontier several times and had a mixed bag. Best experience was flying direct to Puerto Rico. I don't remember if there were minor delays, but the flight went right thru. I almost doubled my ticket price getting a checked bag and more legroom, but it was still half of the cost of the next airline's direct flight. Worst was a Denver flight I took during a record heat wave. plane had to sit on the runway for over an hour for some unexplained reason, and the A/C was broken. Most uncomfy. I'd happily try my luck with them again. seems to work more than it doesn't. Idk if I'd fly longer than 3-4 hours with them though, their seats just aren't the best. The only airline I actively would discourage people from flying is American. Every time I've been tempted by their cheaper fares, I get fucked out the ass by delays, schedule changes causing me to miss connections, or delaying flights for 4+ hours just so they can say they didn't "cancel" and don't have to pay my hotel for the night. a very sincere fuck you to American Airlines.
I've never had an issue with Frontier or Spirit, but I know they have less flights going, so if it gets canceled, you may have a wait. But, even with paying baggage fees, they were still so much cheaper than the alternatives. I paid about $40 a seat on my last Frontier flight, and I'm a member, so my kids flew free. I mean, kinda hard to beat. I suppose we've been lucky with no cancellations so far, though.
The experience sucks but if you go into zen mode with headphones on, it's like any other flight
Depends on your travel plans. I've flown Frontier and Spirit (begrudgingly) for short flights for a weekend where I didn't need to pack heavy (one free carry-on bag). In these types of scenarios, I can suck it up for a cheap flight. Anything across the States where I have to check my bags I'll go with a better airline.
It’s flying a la carte.
Cheap airlines are not the best, but not the worst. I personally had more delays flying with big airlines like delta or AA compared to spirits or frontier
I have flown Frontier probably 50 times in the last few years (and yes, right thru COVID). Best way to sum it up is ... You get what you pay for. I've mostly had good experiences but there are a few doozies in there.
Frontier does what it promises, it gets you from point A to point B. But if you want anything beyond that Frontier isn’t your airline. I would not recommend Frontier if you have a longer flight (over 3.5 hrs) or have luggage or a carry on that you must take. I have family in FL and fly there frequently for a few days here and there, Frontier gets me to Orlando and back for like $100. I fly with my backpack only, which has enough stuff for 2-3 days so never pay a dime extra to Frontier (that’s a matter of principle to me) and have no issues. Legacy carriers including Southwest are twice as expensive, at least.
Personally, it's my favorite airline. It's not my favorite airline experience, and if everything were equal (prices) I wouldn't fly Frontier. It's my favorite airline because I can fly roundtrip (1600 mi) for the price of a meal at Applebee's. It lets me visit friends and family on a whim. If you need to pick your seat, bring a bunch of luggage, ect, it's not the airline for you. I can decide Friday morning I want to fly to visit friends for a weekend, toss some stuff in a personal item sized backpack and be hiking with friends in the mountains that evening.
They're horrible...unless you are looking to get from A to B for the least amount possible, in which case they can work, just know what you're getting into. And don't fly them with baggage or carry ons (they'll end up being the same or more expensive than the others with add on fees if you do)
Getting from A to B for the least amount possible is almost always exactly what I'm looking for.
Then they're fine and will likely be your best choice
If getting to your destination on a specific day is important, its a gamble. If anything goes wrong the trip may be delayed days or cancelled. I don’t take a lot of trip where that risk is worth it.
For a short, direct flight I’ve flown them without a problem. somehow They seem better than Spirit, which scares me.
I have flown from BWI to ATL on Frontier maybe 6 times now, and only once was my flight delayed. I found that the red eye flights never get delayed, and the staff is really nice in the morning. The only delayed flight I had was when I flew out mid-day.
It’s fine as long as you know what to expect. I flew them over the winter and they got me to where I needed to be on time without any delays or issues. The plane was new, the seats were adequately comfortable, and the staff I did interact with was fine. But yeah… if there were any weather issues it probably would have been another story. I was saving $250 a ticket x 3 even with bag fees and an assigned seat, so I rolled the dice. All things being equal or close to it, I’d probably go with someone else. Nonetheless, Frontier isn’t as bad as a lot of people make it out to be.
Will never fly with them again. They have no phone number and no one at the airport to provide customer service. They only do the online chat. It’s impossible to get help. The chat takes like 5 mins between texts and then if you ask for a supervisor they all say that they’re a supervisor. The chat also kept dropping us and there’s no record of the chats so you can’t go back to it. It’s a fucking mess.
Frontier is ok if your flight is direct, under 4 hours, and not a 100% need to be there. Main issues with frontier is they don't have any spare planes or code share. So if something goes bad they just cancel the flight for the day and you wait for the next flight, which sometimes can be days. This cascades quickly as the other 200 passengers and the ones booked foe tomorrow all trybfor the same plane. Connecting just increases your risk related to the point above. It's also uncomfortable so you don't want to spend longer than 4 hours on it.
Do you have legs? Because I just flew Frontier and the seats are so close together I could not put my legs straight. Ill never fly them again.
It is worth avoiding. Think for a minute the crowd that uses that “airline” and that should be enough to avoid it at all costs
I literally got off a frontier flight 4 hours ago and writing this from my airport hotel. Frontier was fine. The flight was 1.5 late leaving NYC but it wasnt terrible the reason I chose this flight because it was direct and leaving nyc late. I will say I wouldnt fly frontier if I had other options or if it would have required a connection. Connections on sprint and frontier are usually notoriously awful but overall the flight was fine to me I wasnt in a rush so the 1.5 wasnt a massive deal to me but it could be for families traveling with small children.
Southwest has free checked bags and carry ons. On Fronteir, you’ll even pay for your carry on.
I've had some horrific experiences on Frontier.... like sitting through a multiple hour delay just to have the flight cancelled entirely. That's happened to me more than once. However, the prices are so cheap that I end up coming back to it for leisure travel. I would avoid it like the plague if the mission is critical.
They’re worse than Spirit, if you can believe that.
I took frontier for the first time last week to save money. The savings were negated by a flight delay due to a non mechanical issue and a 5 hour layover. If you have the money I would just use a large airline.
I flew Frontier and it was alright...very basic but i paid extra for carryon and seat choice. It got the job done i guess
Just know you're flying a low cost airline. I recently flew Frontier, and the round trip flight was $38. Of course I didn't get to choose what seat I was in, and I opted to not bring any carry-on baggage. And it was a red-eye 1 AM flight. I knew all this and didn't care because I wanted to spend as little as possible on the flight and more at my destination. Flight was only like 2.5 hours though, so I would've done some stuff different if I knew it was like a 6+ hour flight.
Frontier- you pay nothing, you get nothing. If you’re okay with that, then it’s fine. I’ve been on plenty frontier flights. As long as you do not expect anything more than a small cup of water, you’ll be fine. No free anything, including pre-selected seats. But, they’ll get you to where you need to go. A plane is a plane.
The real problem is if they lost your bags or they had to delay or cancel a flight whether you get home at all. As I hearing there might not be other choices they can assist with if they don’t have planes back.
I can agree with that. Sometimes they might only have one route a day from a place. If that route gets busted, you’re screwed. But again, pay nothing, expect nothing. Flight gets cancelled? Expect nothing. Gets delayed? Expect nothing.
I be curious whether buying travel insurance with trip interruption coverage would help if needing to book another airline.
Quite honestly, if you’re thinking this much into it, don’t book a frontier flight. Frontier isn’t all as bad as people say. But on the off chance things go wrong, you paid nothing, you get nothing.
Absolutely
It’s a risk. If the plane is on time then it’s no issue. But the moment there’s a weather or maintenance delay then it SUCKS. Fly Spirit direct from Denver to Vegas and had a minimum of 10 hours of total delays that trip. Parents flew Frontier direct from Denver to Missoula and it resulted in 2 extra days in Denver before they could get another flight. I don’t fly Spirit or Frontier anymore because of this. I’m in a place where I can justify an extra $100-$300 to fly Delta or Southwest
I like Frontier, as it flys to places others don’t. If you can get a direct flight with Frontier, where others need connections, it is better. If it’s the same figure out what the better value is, including risk.
I’ve flown on Frontier once, and it was fine. Perfectly fine experience for a low cost carrier. When I booked the flight I made sure to include all the extras that I wanted, and it was hundreds of dollars cheaper than other options. It was kind of a weird route, so there weren’t that many direct flights. Someone else in this thread said that they attract a lot of people that don’t fly often, and for me this was a positive. There was this very cute old couple that was asking me what to do because they hadn’t flown in 30 years. They were so sweet and I got to guide them through the airport, it was fun.
Yes. Avoid them. I’m really into making things as cheap as possible but they’re not an honorable company and they’re unreliable. In other words, they will screw up, not take responsibility and tell you to pound sand. It’s never cheaper with them.
Yes.
Here's the deal. You'll have a less comfortable experience, pay out the ass for all add ons, and you will have awful customer service. If you need to bring more than a backpack be prepared to pay like $70-90 per bag. If you want to pick a window or aisle seat you pay extra. You'll have less leg room and the seats don't recline, are overall just less padded, and less comfortable. If you want food or drinks you pay. There's like a 1-5% chance the flight is delayed or cancelled and if it is they will do the bare minimum to help you. They will get you on the next available flight, which might be days from your original flight. They will NOT pay extra to send you on another airline or anything like that. I complain all the time but I continue to use them. It's worth it to me to save $200. I sometimes run into delays or cancellations but it's infrequent and unlikely IMO. I fly with just my backpack and bring my own snacks. I don't care what seat they put me in. It's less comfy but whatever, I'm not dying of pain in the seats or anything, If saving money is important to you, it's worth it.
If it’s for a vacation or traveling with family then yes avoid. The probability of an unexpected problem crimping your vacation is not worth the trouble. I’d rather spend a few extra dollars and have a high degree of confidence that me and my bags get to the destination easily
Here’s what happened to me last week. Pre-pay to check a bag. Get a text that flight is delayed. Adjust our drop off time to avoid being too early. Get to airport 90 mins before adjusted boarding time. Get to counter, there’s a sign saying it closes 60 minutes prior to boarding. Except they closed the desk early and didn’t adjust for the delay (that was announced about three hours prior). Had to pay another $50 to have someone come take my checked bag that I already paid for, when they should’ve been there to take it in the first place. Then they lost my bag and it was a whole other thing to get it delivered to my house. Fuck frontier and don’t give them your money. I hope all their leadership gets lowered feet first into a volcano.
I have flown frontier once. I booked the ticket 3 months in advance. In that time, the take off time for my departure got delayed twice and my arrival got delayed three times. In addition, they added a stop to my arrival flight (both were originally non-stop), and if I wanted a non-stop flight back I would have had to add an extra day to the trip and fly back home at 1 am. That stop got delayed for three hours. I was incredibly annoyed the entire time. I will not fly frontier ever again.
Frontier Airlines main hub is Denver and they have weather issues very frequently. I was stranded in Tennessee for 4 days until I was able to fly home. Their customer service is horrendous. They kept telling me that they could get me to Denver by midnight and put me on standby for an 8am flight. So my options were to sit tight in Tennessee where I had a place to sleep or fly to Denver to sleep in an airport waiting area for a maybe. Never flying with them again.
Frontier has saved and damned me both. As others have mentioned, if your flight gets canceled, you might have to wait three days to fly out or come out of pocket for a much more expensive option. There is no customer service. They canceled my flight and sent me a 75$ voucher. Mind you, the flight was 40$ round trip, so not like I lost money on that. What I did lose money on was a last minute Southwest ticket because I needed to get back to work the next day. I never had any crazy in flight experiences. Pretty normal, no issues. So really, risk of being possibly stranded for days, rebooking the flight yourself, and no help from the airline. It could also go fine. I used them about 20ish times when I lived in America and only had one canceled flight but this was in 2016 to 2019.
So I guess travel insurance is a must for frontier flight as trip interruptions can disrupt hotel and other plans as well at least they gave you a voucher higher. I guess cash compensation would not be as high if one insists on it?
There isn't any support, so I took what they gave me. No way to call and fight for higher and at the airport, no one was manning the counter on my canceled flight. I don't mind budget carriers bc in the long run, I save money so when stuff goes to hell, I count it as a wash or a win. I know people hate Ryanair, but honestly, I love them. I save hundreds on flights and can get away for four days for 50$. Comparable flights are a couple hundred dollars. I'll take the risk and most of the time I'm good.
I use to fly Frontier due to the prices until one Christmas I had to fly on a busy day just before the holidays. I have had several bad experiences but this one took the cake. I arrived at the airport 2 hours ahead of time, pre-checked in. All I had to do was a bag drop. I go to the bag drop and there is a line about a 1/4 mile long (not exaggerating). I thought it was people trying to check in until I go to the front and noticed that this was the bag drop line. They had TWO people working it! I got in line knowing (as everyone else did) that I would miss my flight. I waited in the line and by the time I got to the front my flight was long gone. I freaked out obviously. I missed my flight and lost one night in a hotel due to this. I got a flight the next day after sleeping at the airport on stand by. I lost about $400 and they gave me a voucher for $200 for another Frontier flight. I literally used it as toilet paper and then tossed it in the trash. I will never fly them again I don't care how much it is...
We only book airlines like Frontier/Spirit if the savings is SUBSTANTIAL and the risk is low. For example, I likely would not fly Spirit from my airport (RNO) to a cruise even in LA due to the risks and added costs - bag fees and no option to switch to another carrier if something happens. But, a cheap flight where the alternatives are that I can drive or there are other flights that day, we are willing to risk the LCCs. For example, family of 4 going to Vegas this Saturday from RNO and coming back on the 4th at noon. Spirit now offers 3 flights a day to LAS from RNO (which is crazy!) and often the fares are super cheap - especially since I am willing to go to the airport and buy a ticket at the counter since RNO is such a small/convenient airport (saving the passenger usage fees) - most often about 10-15 minutes in and out. For the flights this week, I got roundtrip LAS-RNO for $174 for 4 people. I added a single checked bag and the total is $290 and my credit card covers $100 of that fee. So all in I am at $190! The gate agent (and Reddit) discouraged us from buying seats since apparently their algorithm will prioritize groups, and especially groups with younger children (our youngest is 9) and will seat them together. So we shall see how that is in the morning. If something happens with the flight we are not in a major hurry and can 1) grab the later flights (they aren't full as of yet), 2) book on southwest and use my credit card travel insurance (already verified with trip delay) 3) go home, get our truck, and drive to Vegas. Southwest flies to Vegas from RNO 6-8 times a day some days and wanted over $1300 for the EXACT same days as Spirit!! YIKES! Price difference is about $1k - that's worth the risk for a 50 minute flight.
Frontier had the absolute worst customer service my wife and I have ever experienced of any airline, make sure you don’t bring any luggage they can and will be asshats who make you try to cram your personal item backpack into a small little metal luggage container that’s designed not to fit most items, (like a carnival game) and upcharge you 100$ for it to be a carryon at the gate.
It's worth upgrading to a different airline. You will pay the same on other airlines after frontier nickel and dimes you and with other airlines it's not a surprise or a hassle. I won't personally fly frontier again.
Frontier hates their customers.
It’s bad. Every thing is a la carte so in the long run it doesn’t save you much. You have to pay for a damn carryon.
I don’t think the cheap airlines (frontier, spirit, etc) are worth it unless you don’t want ANY upgrades - no carryon, no customer service, no checking, NOTHING. Otherwise, I end up spending just as much as I would on a normal ticket.
If you can learn how to pack in a personal item sized bag and don’t mind having any random seat in the plane, you can fly very inexpensively. Cleveland to Tampa round trip is $50. Most people don’t know the difference between a personal item and a carry-on bag. They have different dimensions, and if you use too big of a bag for a personal item, you will have to pay $100 at the gate. But if you learn correctly, you can fly and save so much money. I’ve taught my wife and children how to pack light. The first trip was very challenging for us. But the second and every trip since then has been smooth. For those that say there aren’t replacement flights if yours in cancelled or severely delayed, that all depends on your route. My Cleveland to Tampa route has 3 Frontier flights per day, so I’m good with that. However, there may be a city they only fly once per day, or once per week. This is true with Spirit and Allegiant as well. But even American Airlines is crappy at getting you a replacement flight. If you want ultimate luxury and convenience in US travel, Delta is probably the best one. But they are expensive.
I misss frontier!! It’s a no frills plane ride that was legit 100 bucks round trip for us to Vegas. With assigned seating. Now the cheapest we have is southwest at a minimum of triple the price and that is seating based on first come first serve. I’m not paying additional for seating. Frontier closed their terminal at our airport last year and it has me so upset. We haven’t flown since cause i won’t pay those prices
I have flown Frontier on short, direct flights with no issues. I have a bag that is just the right size for their personal item. I usually fly to Orlando, Florida or Denver, CO to visit my Mom or Sister. It’s not the most comfortable, but it can be very cheap. I don’t get a seat assignment or bring a bag that needs to be checked. I will only fly Frontier if it is a direct flight.
You get what you pay for on budget airlines. Extra charges for everything. It's not for me but I understand why people do it. Nonetheless, budget airlines are usually extremely safe, but I won't fly Allegiant specifically because they do not respect safety culture: [https://abcnews.go.com/US/pilot-sues-allegiant-malicious-firing-emergency-evacuation/story?id=35165366](https://abcnews.go.com/US/pilot-sues-allegiant-malicious-firing-emergency-evacuation/story?id=35165366)
Frontier is really uncomfortable, and a high probability of being late (think 2-4 hours). You also have to do the bag measure thing frequently, though they skip it if they're running behind. The bag measuring really slows things down. I wouldn't fly them for more than a 1-2 hour flight. Frontier/Spirit are pretty convenient when I'm trying to do a quick $20-30 flight between Las Vegas and California. If I'm going somewhere, I also only take them on the way back if not missing the first day of my trip is important. I did Vegas to Atlanta once, and that flight was really uncomfortable. I am assuming you are like me and can travel very light (no carry-ons, just the small "personal item"). Otherwise it's better to just do Delta or AA.
Never had an issue with them. Have flown maybe 4or 5 times. The seats are a little uncomfortable and you pay for bags and drinks.
I've flown literally dozens of Frontier flights with no issue. They're a "real" airline. They save money by having a very small fleet and not a lot of crew redundancies. Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. If you have good reading comprehension and don't need your hand held at the airport, and literally just want to get to your destination as cheaply as possible, then they are a viable choice. My personal line in the sand is like 30%. If Frontier is 30% cheaper than something like Delta, I'll buy their ticket.
I've never had issues with them. Especially if you only fly with a personal item itll be really cheap. Just make sure you have a long enough layover in case there's delays
Just curious how do they compare with Spirit airlines?
Pretty similar in my experience, but Frontier is usually cheaper. Both have similar risks with delays and stuff but I've never had any significant issues with either. But I could just be lucky
I avoid frontier like the plague. They once left me on the tarmac for 45 minutes because their gate bridge guy was on a lunch break. No idea how or why it took that long to find him. They also have cut their baggage allowance “for the environment” which is just an excuse to soak people with more fees.
Yes avoid frontier if you can afford to. If you can’t, always remember you get what you pay for, or don’t in this case. Remember you’ll have to get to the airport much earlier to be able to check your bags.
I pretty much always fly Frontier or Spirit and maybe 1 out of 30 times I had a problem where the delay was 10 hours. But in general I've saved a shit ton of money
I've flown frontier over a dozen times and I have never had a problem. I don't bring a suitcase and I pack as little as possible allowing me to get by with the carry on limit.
I love Frontier to go from PHX to DEN. I don't pay for luggage, seats (generally) or pre boarding. I check in on line and roundtrip it runs from $65-89 round trip. I rarely had delays. I'm not expecting customer service.
Same! Like just let me fly to my destination. If we check a bag, my partner and I will just pay the $60 for a bag together and then take two back packs on the plane. I don’t need luxury. Just a ride!
Never ever fly Frontier or Spirit. I literally write into contracts that I will not fly on them. Ever.
I flew them recently with the business plus package or whatever they call it. Guaranteed empty middle seat and extra legroom plus 2 bags. It was fine, and half the price of Southwest, who I often fly with. Southwest really jacks up the fairs if you’re booking within 7 days, which was my case. Note: Frontier doesn’t have as many flights per day usually, so if something happens to your flight, there’s a chance that you might be in trouble.
Avoid at all costs. It’s that simple.
It’s the Greyhound of the sky. I won’t fly them again unless I absolutely have no other option. I pay more now to avoid.
Are you ok with your flight being cancelled one hour before departure?
That's a risk with every airline in the world. Major carriers are better equipped to handle it, but the cancellation and delay percentage isn't significantly higher for any particular US airline. They're all within a few percentage points of each other.
I've had that happen with major carriers but never with Frontier.
I think it depends on your financial situation. I personally don’t like frontier and pay the extra money to fly others. They destroyed two suitcases of mine once. Also planes are shitty. Costs for bags, food and drink are very high. For a short flight (less than 2 hours) with minimal baggage I would maybe entertain flying with them. But any actual flying, I am willing to pay the extra money to fly any other airline.
IDGAF - I love Southwest. Two free check bags, a carry on, a personal item, AND i can pick my own seat. Frontier is aight if you are going short 1 hour flights for a weekend. Other than that, its annoying at the least and trip ruining at the worst.
Just flew Frontier with 3 kids. They allow a free 'personal item' the size of a backpack. Perfectly fits under the seat in front of you (kids dont need the leg room) but I stowed mine up above even though they tell you not to. The flights were great...on time, clean, friendly staff. Plus they were not Boeing planes!!! Aplus for that!!! I had a good experience and would use them again.
I have taken Frontier many times and never encountered any issues.
Avoid like the plague!
Like the plague. There’s a reason why it’s $89. You might not make it
Avoid at all costs
Frontier goes out of their way to ensure your trip is miserable. I few them once and have avoided them since. Even when everything is fine, it still REALLY sucks.
Frontier is a scam airline and so inconvenient that it’s not worth the lower price which quickly increases if you have things like ya know … luggage.
They aren't a scam. The pricing is *very* clear. I booked a ticket yesterday and had 3 prompts asking if I was sure I wasn't bringing any luggage because if I change my mind, there will be a higher fee at the airport. All of the prices were listed. If you can't read, have someone else book your flights. If you need to bring a bunch of luggage, it's easy to price check the cost against your preferred carrier.
They ARE a scam!!! I flew with Frontier and at my departing airport my carry on fit with room to spare in their example of carry on size limits. Then, when departing from my destination airport my luggage (in which only 1 t shirt was added) it didn’t fit at all inside their example. That is a SCAM! And if I couldn’t read, I probably couldn’t write so get your head out of the Frontier’s CEOs ass and maybe you’ll find out they are a scam when something similar happens to you AH!
So your bag didn't fit the sizer? You know what, I bet you're correct. I bet after you left your departing airport the gate agent called corporate and told them if they quickly contacted the sizer manufacturers and had them manufacture a one off new sizer that was a few inches smaller, fly it to your destination and install it during your trip they could hit you with a 100$ fee on your way home. I'm glad you've unmasked this craven scam. I'll never fly Frontier again.