Warning about Frontier
 

I flew on Frontier Airlines last week from Portland to Denver. I always bring two carry-ons with me, one that goes above my seat and one that goes below. Therefore no needing to pay $25 for a checked bag. I walked up to the counter at PDX and gave the attendant my ID to get my tickets and she saw my bags and asked "will the larger one fit in the overhead?" and I said "Yes, always does!" and she thanked me and I proceeded through security to the gate.

As we boarded the plane, the line was taking a lot longer than it should have and I heard some arguing between the attendant and a fellow passenger. I asked someone in line behind me what was going on and was told that "Frontier now charges for carry-ons." How much might you ask? $50 if you pay for your carry on at the counter but a whopping $100 if you wait until the gate to pay for your carry-on. (It's "only" $25 to check your bag.)

When it was my turn to board the plane, I asked the attendant why I hand't been notified of this at the counter and why there were no signs etc warning passengers of this. I was told that this information could be found in there "rules and regulations" online. Gee thanks for the warning!

I argued but paid the $100 at the gate due to a meeting I was unable to miss in Denver. When I went to DIA to catch my flight to PDX, I again went up the counter to get my tickets and made sure the attendant saw my carry on bag. This time she asked to weigh it. I asked if we were good and she said and pointed me in the direction of my gate. I then asked her if there was a charge for carry ons and she said "yes, that'll be either $50 here, $100 at the gate or you can check it for $25." I asked why she didn't tell me this and she said "it's mentioned in the fine print when you purchase your tickets." Well excuse me for not reading the 25 pages of point-four font before I purchased my tickets.

Apparently you can purchase a carry-on ticket separately. It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard before.

Rant over ...

Frontier announced this policy nearly a year ago. There was a TON of media coverage.

It isn't a secret - but is an unusual policy for a US-based carrier.

Sorry, I must have missed the "Airline Ripoff" part of that newscast. I work for a news station and don't think it received very much coverage. Nobody I spoke with (30-40 people) on either of my flights had ever heard about it.

Our news station will be running a story about Frontier due to this and I'll make sure nobody I know ever deals with Frontier again.

They can take their ripoff fees and shove them up their behinds.

I was curious about this, as I was thinking of checking out Frontier for a flight I have coming up this spring. So I went to do a dummy booking, and "BAG FEES are listed under the choices. If you click om that link, it takes you to several pages of the rules on checked bags. Only if you click on ANOTHER Link for carry ons does it describe that SOME fares may require paying for carry ons. When I continued the dummy booking, the fare class available for the flights SFO-NYC in March included one free carry on and NOTHING about a fee for a 2nd one.

Thanks for the warning. I have a feeling that Frontier will lose business with these outrageous charges. I know that I will never book with them. What a rip off!

Whether you agree with the fee or not, it was widely covered in the news last May when Frontier announced it. Do a Google search of [Frontier Airlines fee carry on] and you'll see all the news reported by major media last spring. Just at first glance, I see CNN, Fox, NBC, ABC, Washington Post, LA Times, Forbes, and more. I'm sorry, but I'd think a news outlet in a city served by Frontier would have reported it. Do your exposé, but this is hardly breaking news. ;)

It's an interesting concept. When I see all the stuff that people bring on board planes and how long it takes to board and deplane, I can't say I DISagree with it. :)

>>Do your exposé, but this is hardly breaking news. <<

I was thinking the same thing -- the news editor must be asleep at the wheel >)

Just because something was reported by the media a year ago does not mean that everyone knows about it, or should they. Does everyone pay attention to all the news out there every day, and remember it a year later? Of course not, unless it was relevant to them at the time. It is the company's responsibility to make the terms of a sale clear, including extra fees. If its buried in the fine print that's not fair. Never heard of Frontier before, never expect to fly with them, but I don't mind a factual reporting by the poster to alert others and remind us all to do that extra due diligence.

eliz: No one says every single person would/should know everything every airline announces. But . . . If one books on Frontier . . . they <i>know</i> about the charges - it is spelled out on the website.

Plus if the OP is in a Frontier market - it would have been very well publicized back then. Maybe not in your home town if Frontier doesn't serve it - no reason to.

Of course, these things are useful reminders to check all airline fees when flying. I appreciate that. It was the follow-up post about working for a news station and making sure that no one flies Frontier again. This is nine-month-old news from the perspective of a news outlet. Did the station, presumably in a market served by Frontier, not report on this story last spring? All national outlets managed to. :)

On Frontier's homepage is a link about "Baggage Information." You purchase a flight with them, the assumption is that you know its policies on something so important. Really, it's not just the assumption that you know. You've consented to the what are called the conditions of carriage. Baggage policies are part of that.

>>It was the follow-up post about working for a news station and making sure that no one flies Frontier again<<

That was my point as well - hardly an 'expose' - at least if the station did its homework back when the charges were announced/introduced.

Well, I was in Italy last May and did not see this reported. So I am glad that I read this post.

I flew Spirit from Las Vegas - Chicago knowing beforehand they have the same the junk fees as Frontier plus seat selection charges of $25 per. I booked anyway thinking packing light would save me. My report? What a joke of an airline! I will absolutely NEVER fly them again nor will I fly their evil twin Frontier. It ended up costing more than it would have to fly SWA or United either of which would have been so much easier.

Theirs is a business model that deserves to go the way of PSA, PanAm and Eastern.

That is a report? I must he missing something

Time for the FAA to again regulate the airlines.

regards - tom

Glad to get a reminder to be diligent when searching and booking flights.

I hadn't heard about this. Thanks for posting!

I vaguely recall this but as I don't fly Frontier much it would have come as a surprise to me too. Thanks for posting - now I won't be flying Frontier ever.

This is the first I've heard about Frontier's carry on fee. I flew Denver to SFO round trip recently with a carryon and was not charged a fee at either end. We did all have to march up and fit our bags into a slot to make sure they were not too large. The agent stamped my Boarding pass and I was good to go. I just booked them to San Diego in March. Don't know if I should chance not having to pay again.