Frontier Airlines

This thread from 2017

Does anyone have much experience with them? We are traveling from CLE to CUN next week for our family vacation, booked through Apple. Anyhow, I thought nothing of Frontier being the airline until I had to call them tonight to add our "lap child" and change some info on the travelers. I also found that they will allow us to bring a diaper bag and stroller on board for free (like most airlines). My question was more on buying assigned seats and paying for baggage. Its a week and a direct flight so we'll all have a big checked bag and I'm used to that charge, even if its a little more than usual. Its the assigned seat that gets me. Is that really something people pay for and/or need for the family so sit together? By the time I get assigned seats and baggage, its almost another $400 for the cheap seats at the back of the plane. Any tips?

cheap airline - everything seems to cost extra - even most carry-ons. Seats are extra thin. If you want to go somewhere on the cheap with minimal luggage it's a good option. Sort of a greyhound of the skies.

My wife and kids just flew with them and paid for assigned seats out of fear of them trying to stick one of the kids elsewhere. I highly doubt they would break up 6 and 2 year olds from their mother but she couldn't put it past them so she paid the $ extra.

If you like Spirit, you'll love Frontier.

EvanR wrote: If you like Spirit, you'll love Frontier.

Can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not... but I agree with this. I hate Spirit and will never fly them again. Frontier is still an option though.

Worst US-based airlines:

3: Frontier
2: Spirit
1: Allegiant

(Hint: Allegiant has the only non-stop flight to my destination this summer. The ticket is half what it will cost on Southwest. And I still won't take it.)

EvanR wrote: Worst US-based airlines: 3: Frontier 2: Spirit 1: Allegiant (Hint: Allegiant has the only non-stop flight to my destination this summer. The ticket is half what it will cost on Southwest. And I still won't take it.)

Interesting. My non stop flight with Allegiant was awesome compared to previous flights with Delta on same route and was more than 50% cheaper too. Then again, it's been about 5 years since I have used Allegiant.

EvanR wrote: Worst US-based airlines: 3: Frontier 2: Spirit 1: Allegiant (Hint: Allegiant has the only non-stop flight to my destination this summer. The ticket is half what it will cost on Southwest. And I still won't take it.)

It's all personal taste, I guess. Those are actually my 3 favorite airlines. I check them first when I fly (between 3-5x per year). They're typically on time, easy to deal with and cheap. I fly solo, so I don't worry about paying for assigned seats...I just pick it up when I check in. Bag cost isn't that big of a deal.

The one airline I hate, and dread having to fly, is Southwest. Ugh. Sometimes I have to use them, but I avoid them where I can. I despise the seating protocol. I've had more delays with them than all other airlines combined.

I've flown Frontier, it was uneventful, besides the annoying extra charges.

I've also flown Allegiant without issue. I was concerned that the plane was as dirty as a NYC city bus, and seemed pretty old.

Meh.

The only difference I ever notice is how they board the planes. Just big taxis in the sky.

I take whatever airline will get me to my destination at the desired time.

I also hear they don't beat you to a pulp over their mistakes

Sticking together with a Family is 100% dependent on the Flight Attendants and the other passengers. Some attendants just stick to the rules and that's that, they don't even try to help you. Some passengers pay extra for an assigned seat and are unwilling to move. I am one of them; I paid for a specific seat for a specific reason an I really don't want to have to move at the last minute to a crappy middle seat. If I can get about the same seat, I certainly will move because I fly solo and travel light so it is easy for me, but others are not so willing.

Remember that there are 3 seats and 4 oxygen masks in each row, that means that parents can't sit together, each with a kid on their lap.

Any and all discussions of air travel remind me of the South Park episode "It Bike". I'll allow you to search youtube for it yourselves.

Frontier sucks! Uncomfortable seats, charge you extra for a normal tray table, seats don't recline, charge you for everything!

We hadn't flown them in years, took the family to Mexico last year and flew Frontier. There was vomit on the seat across the row from us, once you added in all the additional charges it was basically the same cost as Southwest/United.

Never again...

I'll give Frontier this much, they've got some routes that no other airline has. For example, they are the only airline flying little Trenton airport to Orlando. That's cool. They also have a relatively new fleet of planes, which add some comfort of the mind.

But if you were flying out of a major hub, I'd look else-where.

+1 to routes. I can fly from NC to Denver from my local (tiny) airport for $50. Not bad.

The nice thing about some of the really cheap airlines is they charge for a carry on. So boarding is actually easier because you don't have 180 people with carry-ons that are way to huge trying to figure out a place to put them. If you travel light and don't need to be next to the people you are traveling with, its a much cheaper way to get places. I have no problem with them.

I like Southwest when traveling with the family because free checked bags & family boarding. Nice when you have a 1 year old and you bring a lot of stuff everywhere.

Honestly though, my priority when flying is: What has good routes/times and what is cheap? The airline is just about the last thing I use to make my decision.

Never heard of them before, I was expecting a joke video about a 1800s "Western" themed airline

I used to have the "taxis in the sky, meh just pick one" attitude, until the first time I flew on a plane with "sub-economy" legroom. What used to be considered normal economy legroom is barely enough for me to physically fit in the seat, less than that is stress position torture for me, and I hear they're going "sub-economy" by as much as 3 inches these days, so I'm careful to avoid those.

GameboyRMH wrote: Never heard of them before, I was expecting a joke video about a 1800s "Western" themed airline I used to have the "taxis in the sky, meh just pick one" attitude, until the first time I flew on a plane with "sub-economy" legroom. What used to be considered normal economy legroom is barely enough for me to physically fit in the seat, less than that is stress position torture for me, and I hear they're going "sub-economy" by as much as 3 inches these days, so I'm careful to avoid those.

I've never seen a seat pitched at less than 28", and a LOT of airlines will pitch down to 28".

I think you'll find that the lower limit for legroom is the same across a lot of carriers.

ProDarwin wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote: Never heard of them before, I was expecting a joke video about a 1800s "Western" themed airline I used to have the "taxis in the sky, meh just pick one" attitude, until the first time I flew on a plane with "sub-economy" legroom. What used to be considered normal economy legroom is barely enough for me to physically fit in the seat, less than that is stress position torture for me, and I hear they're going "sub-economy" by as much as 3 inches these days, so I'm careful to avoid those.

I've never seen a seat pitched at less than 28", and a LOT of airlines will pitch down to 28". I think you'll find that the lower limit for legroom is the same across a lot of carriers.

Less than 30" is rare though. I think the one I encountered was 29" or 28".

Frontier is a true cattle call flight. Not much room, seats don't recline. Everything costs extra, so you won't save much unless you travel light and are frugal about extras.

Hint on the car seat. Get a good car seat bag, looks like a duffel bag shaped like a car seat. Works like a duffle bag too, a free one that you don't have to pay to get on the plane. For years we've filled up the empty spaces around the car seat, usually with other baby related stuff.

z31maniac wrote: Meh. The only difference I ever notice is how they board the planes. Just big taxis in the sky. I take whatever airline will get me to my destination at the desired time.

That's because you're used to the US-based airlines and haven't been exposed to airlines in the rest of the world. Even flying Air Canada is a breath of fresh air compared to the race to the bottom in the US.

I find American quite entertaining with their boarding procedure. I counted something like 11 or 17 levels of privilege before they moved on to Zone 1. Mostly various frequent flyer groups or holders of magic credit cards. Takes FOREVER.

Keith Tanner wrote:

z31maniac wrote: Meh. The only difference I ever notice is how they board the planes. Just big taxis in the sky. I take whatever airline will get me to my destination at the desired time.

That's because you're used to the US-based airlines and haven't been exposed to airlines in the rest of the world. Even flying Air Canada is a breath of fresh air compared to the race to the bottom in the US. I find American quite entertaining with their boarding procedure. I counted something like 11 or 17 levels of privilege before they moved on to Zone 1. Mostly various frequent flyer groups or holders of magic credit cards. Takes FOREVER.

Oh, OH, OHHHH!!!

I flew home on American Airlines last night with a seat assignment of 8F.

The Mensa geniuses’ at AA decided to number the rows 1…2…8…9…10…n

What the Berk happened to rows 3 thru 7??? I overshot my row and then had to claw my way back upstream through the tsunami of passengers that were boarding.

Why, why do people create counterintuitive, stupid E36 M3 like this; why?

And what became of rows 3 thru 7…did they eject those seats / passengers into space during the previous flight to save a little weight…did the passengers barf so hard all over everything from the inflight meal service that the stains couldn’t be mopped up?

I want to know WTF happened to rows 3 thru 7.

I've got to call American tonight. I booked a trip for my wife and I about 2 months ago. I went to look at it--they have my flight from Chicago to Charlotte, and then from Charlotte to Wilmington, Wilmington to LGA, and LGA to Chicago. Somehow, for my wife, they dropped the flight from Chicago to Charlotte. WTF? Good thing I noticed this before next week when I'm ready to pull someones head off.

In reply to mtn:

Where are you headed? Looks like the destination is Wilmington, and this time of year I'm guessing beach vacation.

Keith Tanner wrote: I find American quite entertaining with their boarding procedure. I counted something like 11 or 17 levels of privilege before they moved on to Zone 1. Mostly various frequent flyer groups or holders of magic credit cards. Takes FOREVER.

Boarding Group 1

RX Reven' wrote: I want to know WTF happened to rows 3 thru 7.

Were rows 1 & 2 Premium/Business/First Class/whatever American calls it on domestic narrow body flights? If so, I'd venture a guess that 1-7 used to be traditional economy, then were replaced with upscale seats. And they didn't feel like re-numbering the rest of the plane.

Weird though.