Frontier Airlines

We just flew Frontier for our October WDW trip. We’ve never had issues with Frontier as far as our bags. ( knock on wood). We normally use backpacks for our personal items. I’ve snapped my travel pillow to my back pack and it’s not been an issue. Now flight delays.... another story. 6 hour delay on our flight home this time. Total nightmare. They have ZERO customer service.

We had an almost 9 hr delay on Frontier earlier this year. There was NO ONE at the gate to ask what was going on and the customer service desk just kept saying they didn't know acting like it was no big deal. But the icing on the cake...we get on the plane and none of their flight attendants or pilots acknowledge that they have a plane full of people who have been sitting at the airport for like 11 hours by now. They just come up and down the aisles charging us for their drinks and snacks. Really? Can't even give people a free Coke?!? You are so right when you say ZERO customer service!
 
On my return trip from MCO to PHL if I take the 10:35pm the fare is $25 on Southwest. That includes checked bags. Never seen a fare that low PERIOD. Hell cant get a train ticket for that or bus.

My aunt is flying SW from Dallas to Denver (where we live) in a couple of weeks and her return fare is $25! That is so awesome that you are able to get that out of MCO.
 
One thing I didn't know about Frontier is that no one staffs their counters until exactly 2 hours before a flight. I had flown them before they became a low budget carrier and didn't know this had changed. We flew out of Philadelphia this summer on a morning when three Frontier flights were leaving within 20 minutes of each other. Because the first flights left before ours, there was already a huge line when we got to the airport. Since Frontier doesn't have curbside check in, there was no other option but to wait in line.

We got to the airport more than two hours in advance, but only made it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare due to the long lines. There's no way all of the people farther back in the line made it. They announced it was a full flight at the gate, but there were empty seats, so I'm assuming some people didn't make it.
 
We made the mistake of using frontier early this year.... I would never ever use them again...not unless it was a matter of life or death...honestly. Imagine sitting in a lawn chair one of those old ones with the weaving on them, no padding, no support, now cram your knee against the seat in front of you, no TV, no drinks or snacks, I did see them give some water to a man but did so grudgingly... the plane and restroom needed to be hosed down.

We paid for 2 carry on's and for seat assignments, I used my Vera Bradley overnight bag as my purse which was my personal item... DH brought his oversized backpack as his personal item... Make sure to bring lots of snacks I buy the individual snack size items so we have a variety I also bring a couple of large zip-locks and a chip clip to close up unused items, also some type of hand wipes, and buy drinks and large bottles of water for everyone once airside...Oh and bring something to wipe down the seat arms, and the tiny tray table which is about a third of the regular size ones most airlines have, you will want to use them when you go to the restroom... It was absolutely disgusting, when I told my DH he even took the wipes with him to use, there was no soap or paper towels... When another passenger told one of the members of the crew, she said not much I can do about it... But thanks for letting me know...
 


yes. frontier and spirit over 15 times and i never had that problem. i would often go shopping in the airport and they haven't said a word.

Some people seem to either get lucky with them or just seem to be much more tolerant of their 'antics'. My aunt flies out of Dallas to visit us here in Denver multiple times a year and she frequently will fly Frontier. I'm pretty sure she has never had a really bad experience. Meanwhile, we've flown them twice in the last 10 months and both experiences were cringe worthy.
 
Some people seem to either get lucky with them or just seem to be much more tolerant of their 'antics'. My aunt flies out of Dallas to visit us here in Denver multiple times a year and she frequently will fly Frontier. I'm pretty sure she has never had a really bad experience. Meanwhile, we've flown them twice in the last 10 months and both experiences were cringe worthy.


i think it also depends on airports, some are very lenient while some are strict.
 


The thing with Frontier, Spirit , and other low cost carriers is that they do not have inter line agreements with other carriers like the legacy airlines do. So, if for some reason their plane is unable to fly, they can’t put their passengers on Delta, United or American like the legacy carriers can.Normally, if your United flight is cancelled and they can’t put you on another United flight, they will put you on American or Delta or another legacy carrier to get you to your destination. Frontier and Spirit cannot do this which could be a huge inconvenience in the event of a flight delay or cancellation.

Frontier and Spirit also don’t operate as many daily flights as the other airlines so if one flight is cancelled and there are no other flights that day, you’re screwed.
Normally the legacy carriers like United, Delta, American etc have several flights a day on various routes which can be a godsend if there is an issue with a particular plane.

Personally I’d stick to the legacy carriers for this reason alone, or in the alternative, pay a little bit more for SW or JetBlue.
 
I haven't had a problem yet with having my personal item (my purse) and whatever items I buy at the airport in a shopping bag. Usually a few snacks and a couple soda's. So I guess you could put it in a plastic bag like others have suggested.
 
We've flown Frontier twice from our hometown airport to MCO. Both times were fine. It was a direct flight and plane left on time. The price was so much cheaper than Delta and to go on Southwest we'd have to connect so we gave it try and were happy. Only issue which was tolerable was both times we waited a really long time for baggage to come off the plane. It seemed several of their planes came in at the same time and all the luggage went to one area. I'd fly them again for the price they charge and direct flight option.
 
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, now that I am COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY TERRIFIED, has anybody flown in or out of the San Diego airport? (Just wondering, are they better or worse at LAX? I think it is a nightmare no matter who you use there...) What were your experiences?

My husband flew Frontier once out of CLE, and his experience was fine. So it bolstered me in trying this flight. I guess I shouldn't have trusted him....plus, he's 6'5" so he always complains about the seats... nobody usually gives him a hard time--funny because he is total pushover--but he only had his computer bag. He will not be with us on the first leg...just the kids and I.


The last time we flew Frontier (this past July/August), I made the mistake of booking our luggage as "carry ons" rather than "checked bags". It was the same price online. I just clicked the wrong one. I called immediately after I got the confirmation and realized my mistake. Well...they cannot change that for free and now I have to pay a fee for the bags to be changed...so they charged me an additional $15 per piece (there and back) and we were checking 3 bags. So, $90 extra.

We had flown them several months before that and also had major issues. They absolutely will try to lay the extra fees on you. I won't say that I will never fly them again but I'm pretty hesitant. They are my 'hometown airline' also and we used to fly them all the time but since they have changed their pricing model, I'm less than impressed.

My brother used to live in Denver--he swore by them--and they had a non-stop to Newport News, that my mom flew on many times with great success. BUT, that was before they became the MegaBus of the Sky.

I almost clicked on carry ons, too. It was $10 MORE expensive than a checked bag for me. I think it was $25/$35 or $30/$40!
It was confusing. I sorry you got a bad deal. Since they say they have a 24-hour free cancelation, you'd think that they would not charge you a change fee...

I fly Frontier several times a year, including to Mexico. That is a 4 hour flight and I also need a pillow! I have a neck pillow that I have around my neck while boarding along with my personal item, usually a backpack OR I've hooked the neck pillow around the strap of my backpack (pillow has a small loop with a snap) and never had any issues.

Good to know. May I ask, where do you usually leave from?

A Frontier flight we took last May made us put even our neck pillows inside our bags, or they were going to charge us. It was ridiculous. We also paid to select our seats and get the ones that recline at the front since it was a red eye. Even though we checked-in and confirmed our seats, they still reassigned our seats so we were sitting in different rows according to their system when we went to board, so we had to fight to get them to fix that. The employee even had the audacity to roll his eyes at me and let out a giant huff when I politely pointed out to him that we paid extra to have the nice seats and select them. I'm never flying Frontier again.

When you fly Frontier, basically be prepared for zero customer service and for them to look for any excuse or opportunity to make more money off of you. Even if you already paid extra for a particular service or amenity.

Ugh! Which airport did they hassle you about the neck pillows? It seems insane...

Wow, that's awful! What city was that? We always fly out of Cleveland and have had good experiences, but of course then have to fly home from other destinations. I know they're no frills, but I've never experienced that kind of rudeness.

:)

Yes they allow one personal item to fit under the seat in front of you free of charge, and thing else comes with a price tag. And if you are shopping at the airport and have to pay at the gate for the extra bag the price is higher at the gate.

Good grief!

Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant all nickle and dime you.

Best bet if it flies near you is SOUTHWEST.

I TRIED, I just could not get anything reasonable--and almost nothing on a non-stop--out of LAX, SAN, Palm Springs, SNA, or ONT...they were almost $300 more expensive than anybody...United, Delta, AA, etc.

Or JetBlue.

My second-oldest daughter just flew on them from Longbeach to San Francisco...it was a super short flight, but she hasn't stopped talking about how great it was and how much leg room she had...which, of course, she doesn't even need at 5'2"! LOL.
Honestly, I have never flown on them as I remember all too vividly the pics their plane crashing in the everglades when I was a teen-ager...

Have you flown Frontier?

lol!


We just flew Frontier for our October WDW trip. We’ve never had issues with Frontier as far as our bags. ( knock on wood). We normally use backpacks for our personal items. I’ve snapped my travel pillow to my back pack and it’s not been an issue. Now flight delays.... another story. 6 hour delay on our flight home this time. Total nightmare. They have ZERO customer service.

You ALMOST gave me hope....

On my return trip from MCO to PHL if I take the 10:35pm the fare is $25 on Southwest. That includes checked bags. Never seen a fare that low PERIOD. Hell cant get a train ticket for that or bus.

That is freaking amazing!! Congrats...it is almost as good as winning the lottery.

I saw a similar fare mco to Phl for a January flight. Praying I see fares like that when August schedule is released. Shucks, I thought $100 fares were excellent.

Good luck!

We had an almost 9 hr delay on Frontier earlier this year. There was NO ONE at the gate to ask what was going on and the customer service desk just kept saying they didn't know acting like it was no big deal. But the icing on the cake...we get on the plane and none of their flight attendants or pilots acknowledge that they have a plane full of people who have been sitting at the airport for like 11 hours by now. They just come up and down the aisles charging us for their drinks and snacks. Really? Can't even give people a free Coke?!? You are so right when you say ZERO customer service!

OMG...I might not be sleeping for the next 25 nights thinking about this...I hope we have enough time to buy drinks after we check our bags!! Thanks for the tip!

My aunt is flying SW from Dallas to Denver (where we live) in a couple of weeks and her return fare is $25! That is so awesome that you are able to get that out of MCO.

I wonder if that happens often? I have never seen any SW fares that low anywhere...I guess I am looking in the wrong places! Congrats for your aunt.

One thing I didn't know about Frontier is that no one staffs their counters until exactly 2 hours before a flight. I had flown them before they became a low budget carrier and didn't know this had changed. We flew out of Philadelphia this summer on a morning when three Frontier flights were leaving within 20 minutes of each other. Because the first flights left before ours, there was already a huge line when we got to the airport. Since Frontier doesn't have curbside check in, there was no other option but to wait in line.

We got to the airport more than two hours in advance, but only made it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare due to the long lines. There's no way all of the people farther back in the line made it. They announced it was a full flight at the gate, but there were empty seats, so I'm assuming some people didn't make it.

UGH!!! Good to know. No need to arrive super early. But that is so scary..
What about the poor folks taking DME that have to get picked up FOUR HOURS before their flight now? I think I would lie about my departure time.

We made the mistake of using frontier early this year.... I would never ever use them again...not unless it was a matter of life or death...honestly. Imagine sitting in a lawn chair one of those old ones with the weaving on them, no padding, no support, now cram your knee against the seat in front of you, no TV, no drinks or snacks, I did see them give some water to a man but did so grudgingly... the plane and restroom needed to be hosed down.

We paid for 2 carry on's and for seat assignments, I used my Vera Bradley overnight bag as my purse which was my personal item... DH brought his oversized backpack as his personal item... Make sure to bring lots of snacks I buy the individual snack size items so we have a variety I also bring a couple of large zip-locks and a chip clip to close up unused items, also some type of hand wipes, and buy drinks and large bottles of water for everyone once airside...Oh and bring something to wipe down the seat arms, and the tiny tray table which is about a third of the regular size ones most airlines have, you will want to use them when you go to the restroom... It was absolutely disgusting, when I told my DH he even took the wipes with him to use, there was no soap or paper towels... When another passenger told one of the members of the crew, she said not much I can do about it... But thanks for letting me know...

I don't even know what to say...you have just written my worst nightmare. I won't have to worry about getting through the line to buy drinks before boarding. No one is drinking. I HATE CLEAN airplane bathrooms.
After four kids, there is NO WAY I can hold it 5.5 hours...I know, TMI!

yes. frontier and spirit over 15 times and i never had that problem. i would often go shopping in the airport and they haven't said a word.

Wow...glad to hear a positive report!

Some people seem to either get lucky with them or just seem to be much more tolerant of their 'antics'. My aunt flies out of Dallas to visit us here in Denver multiple times a year and she frequently will fly Frontier. I'm pretty sure she has never had a really bad experience. Meanwhile, we've flown them twice in the last 10 months and both experiences were cringe worthy.

YIKES! I wonder if they fired all their old staff when became El Cheapo Air?


i think it also depends on airports, some are very lenient while some are strict.

I wonder which are the "good" airports? Or if it is just certain people...

The thing with Frontier, Spirit , and other low cost carriers is that they do not have inter line agreements with other carriers like the legacy airlines do. So, if for some reason their plane is unable to fly, they can’t put their passengers on Delta, United or American like the legacy carriers can.Normally, if your United flight is cancelled and they can’t put you on another United flight, they will put you on American or Delta or another legacy carrier to get you to your destination. Frontier and Spirit cannot do this which could be a huge inconvenience in the event of a flight delay or cancellation.

Frontier and Spirit also don’t operate as many daily flights as the other airlines so if one flight is cancelled and there are no other flights that day, you’re screwed.
Normally the legacy carriers like United, Delta, American etc have several flights a day on various routes which can be a godsend if there is an issue with a particular plane.

Personally I’d stick to the legacy carriers for this reason alone, or in the alternative, pay a little bit more for SW or JetBlue.

I know, you get what you pay for...

I haven't had a problem yet with having my personal item (my purse) and whatever items I buy at the airport in a shopping bag. Usually a few snacks and a couple soda's. So I guess you could put it in a plastic bag like others have suggested.

Here's to hoping that we have the same experience. Thanks for posting!

We've flown Frontier twice from our hometown airport to MCO. Both times were fine. It was a direct flight and plane left on time. The price was so much cheaper than Delta and to go on Southwest we'd have to connect so we gave it try and were happy. Only issue which was tolerable was both times we waited a really long time for baggage to come off the plane. It seemed several of their planes came in at the same time and all the luggage went to one area. I'd fly them again for the price they charge and direct flight option.

THIS is why I decided to try them...I rarely try anything new. Honestly. Now, I am terrified...
 
We've flown Frontier 3 or 4 times from CLT to MCO. No issues at all. They are short 90min flights so the seats didn't bother me. I usually will grab a drink at the airport anyway so not getting a drink on the plane isn't a big deal. DH and I have flown multiple times for less than $150 roundtrip for both of us to MCO and that was including paying for 1 checked bag both ways. We each had a backpack as our personal item. Our flights have always been on time too. With the prices we can go see DD (and Mickey) more often.

DD is taking them flying home next week. Hopefully she won't run into any issues.
 
I wonder which are the "good" airports? Or if it is just certain people...

Orlando, Houston, Denver, phoenix and new york were chill. LAX was insane. they kept announcing how they will charge extra fees and to not try to sneak anything onto the plane.
 
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, now that I am COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY TERRIFIED, has anybody flown in or out of the San Diego airport? (Just wondering, are they better or worse at LAX? I think it is a nightmare no matter who you use there...) What were your experiences?

My husband flew Frontier once out of CLE, and his experience was fine. So it bolstered me in trying this flight. I guess I shouldn't have trusted him....plus, he's 6'5" so he always complains about the seats... nobody usually gives him a hard time--funny because he is total pushover--but he only had his computer bag. He will not be with us on the first leg...just the kids and I.




My brother used to live in Denver--he swore by them--and they had a non-stop to Newport News, that my mom flew on many times with great success. BUT, that was before they became the MegaBus of the Sky.

I almost clicked on carry ons, too. It was $10 MORE expensive than a checked bag for me. I think it was $25/$35 or $30/$40!
It was confusing. I sorry you got a bad deal. Since they say they have a 24-hour free cancelation, you'd think that they would not charge you a change fee...



Good to know. May I ask, where do you usually leave from?



Ugh! Which airport did they hassle you about the neck pillows? It seems insane...



:)



Good grief!



I TRIED, I just could not get anything reasonable--and almost nothing on a non-stop--out of LAX, SAN, Palm Springs, SNA, or ONT...they were almost $300 more expensive than anybody...United, Delta, AA, etc.



My second-oldest daughter just flew on them from Longbeach to San Francisco...it was a super short flight, but she hasn't stopped talking about how great it was and how much leg room she had...which, of course, she doesn't even need at 5'2"! LOL.
Honestly, I have never flown on them as I remember all too vividly the pics their plane crashing in the everglades when I was a teen-ager...



lol!




You ALMOST gave me hope....



That is freaking amazing!! Congrats...it is almost as good as winning the lottery.



Good luck!



OMG...I might not be sleeping for the next 25 nights thinking about this...I hope we have enough time to buy drinks after we check our bags!! Thanks for the tip!



I wonder if that happens often? I have never seen any SW fares that low anywhere...I guess I am looking in the wrong places! Congrats for your aunt.



UGH!!! Good to know. No need to arrive super early. But that is so scary..
What about the poor folks taking DME that have to get picked up FOUR HOURS before their flight now? I think I would lie about my departure time.



I don't even know what to say...you have just written my worst nightmare. I won't have to worry about getting through the line to buy drinks before boarding. No one is drinking. I HATE CLEAN airplane bathrooms.
After four kids, there is NO WAY I can hold it 5.5 hours...I know, TMI!



Wow...glad to hear a positive report!



YIKES! I wonder if they fired all their old staff when became El Cheapo Air?




I wonder which are the "good" airports? Or if it is just certain people...



I know, you get what you pay for...



Here's to hoping that we have the same experience. Thanks for posting!



THIS is why I decided to try them...I rarely try anything new. Honestly. Now, I am terrified...

My experience was San Diego to MCO. A non-stop red eye. To make the experience even better, in the last hour of the flight, a man walked up the aisle to the restrooms and collapsed against the wall in full view of us passangers sitting at the front of the plane. What did the flight attendants do? All three of them just stood there. And talked. Like a man did not just collapse in front of them. They didn't draw any curtains, make any comments to us sitting in the front unsure of what was going on (not a single "please stay seated. There is a known medical issue" or "please stay in your seats to allow us to address this" nothing), or make any effort to conceal this man from view. Eventually the man got up and staggered back to his seat. As I said to my wife, I felt like the flight attendants on that particular flight had taken a brief weekend online course on how to be a flight attendant and then let loose on the masses. It was extremely stressful.
 
Last edited:
Orlando, Houston, Denver, phoenix and new york were chill. LAX was insane. they kept announcing how they will charge extra fees and to not try to sneak anything onto the plane.

My experience was San Diego to MCO. A non-stop red eye. To make the experience even better, in the last hour of the flight, a man walked up the aisle to the restrooms and collapsed against the wall in full view of us passangers sitting at the front of the plane. What did the flight attendants do? All three of them just stood there. And talked. Like a man did not just collapse in front of them. They didn't draw any curtains, make any comments to us sitting in the front unsure of what was going on (not a single "please stay seated. There is a known medical issue" or "please stay in your seats to allow us to address this" nothing), or make any effort to conceal this man from view. Eventually the man got up and staggered back to his seat. As I said to my wife, I felt like the flight attendants on that particular flight had taken a brief weekend online course on how to be a flight attendant and then let loose on the masses. It was extremely stressful.

oh god help us...that is crazy! Great way to have my younger kids have strokes on the flight...It is about 20 further to drive to SAN vs LAX and I suspected San Diego would be the better bet....but UGH!!!!!
I just have keep thinking "we're going to Disney..."
 
oh god help us...that is crazy! Great way to have my younger kids have strokes on the flight...It is about 20 further to drive to SAN vs LAX and I suspected San Diego would be the better bet....but UGH!!!!!
I just have keep thinking "we're going to Disney..."


Relax, it's only a couple of hours and everything will be fine. hope you have an uneventful flight!
 
My second-oldest daughter just flew on them from Longbeach to San Francisco...it was a super short flight, but she hasn't stopped talking about how great it was and how much leg room she had...which, of course, she doesn't even need at 5'2"! LOL.
Honestly, I have never flown on them as I remember all too vividly the pics their plane crashing in the everglades when I was a teen-ager...

That was ValuJet, which was bought out by AirTran, which was bought out by Southwest.
 
That was ValuJet, which was bought out by AirTran, which was bought out by Southwest.
Remember it being Valuejet too !! And we lived in Boca Raton at the Time . So glad it wasn’t Frontier . We have flown them three times this year and all have been
Great prices and great flights
 
That was ValuJet, which was bought out by AirTran, which was bought out by Southwest.

Remember it being Valuejet too !! And we lived in Boca Raton at the Time . So glad it wasn’t Frontier . We have flown them three times this year and all have been
Great prices and great flights

Gosh, you're right!!! Sorry, Jet Blue...funny how things get changed in the mind....wow, I have been wrong for years...
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts

Top