Frontier Airlines is an ultra low-cost carrier that is listed in the top ten commercial airlines in the United States, where it holds eight place. Being a budget airline carrier, it allows travellers to book short or long distance flights for cheap, which may be a benefit for individuals who are tight on their travel budget.
In this travel guide, we shall provide you with useful tips to help you book cheap flights on Frontier Airlines, and at the same time, have fun with your travel.
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Know a Few Things Before Booking a Frontier Flight
Frontier Airlines differs in a lot of ways from other commercial airline carriers. So, if you prepare yourself with all the need-to-know information and a little planning, you can easily book a flight with Frontier Airlines and take advantage of its cheap flights. It is seen that Frontier’s low airfare usually does not include everything that a traveller might expect. For instance, purchasing the base ticket will not give you all the benefits. You only get a seat on the plane and the space under the seat in front of you to store a small personal item. Everything else will cost you additional bucks. However, if you are travelling with a carry-on bag only, then you may not necessarily require to purchase the in-flight extras.
However, you cannot avoid a baggage fee on Frontier Airlines. If you need to bring any baggage that is larger than a small carry-on personal item, then it will cost you. Checked bag fees start at $34 each way, while a standard-sized carry-on bag starts at $37 each way. If you are a traveller that always checks a bag and only brings a personal item onboard, keep in mind that most other airlines also charge a similar fee for checked bags. Other fees are easier to avoid, and if you really want to save when flying with Frontier, it is best to limit the extras. The extras can include a lot of things. For example, if you want to select a specific seat, then there is no other option but to pay for it. This may seem to be quite difficult to avoid such fee, especially if you are travelling with family or friends and do not want to risk being separated on the plane. Generally speaking, airlines are required to seat children under the age of 13 next to a family member over the age of 13 without charging any extra in seat fees. If you do not choose a specific seat, you will be auto-assigned a seat at check-in for free. Frontier will also charge for any beverage and snacks onboard, but you can bring your own snacks and a refillable water bottle without having to pay extra fees.
After having calculated all the extra fees that you can or cannot avoid, the next important thing to do is to compare the total cost with other airlines. This will help you in finding the best possible option. Also, make sure to check what items you need to carry and your personal preferences. Many airlines may charge fees that may be more or less the same as Frontier, so keep that in mind when you are making comparisons.
Uncertainties with Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines has a very irregular flight schedule on the majority of its route network. By adding routes that are flown only a few times each week, Frontier is able to fill planes on non-stop flights in underserved markets. The lack of routine frequency in Frontier’s flight schedule can cause passengers to experience unforeseen challenges, such as being stranded for hours or days, in situations where flights are delayed or frontier airlines cancellation. In the event of a cancelled flight, Frontier does not have any interline agreements with other airline carriers and can only be able to re-book passengers on a Frontier flight that has seats available. If the route you are flying to only operates two or three times a week, it will be extremely difficult to get re-booked on another flight. Frontier suggests getting a refund and finding alternative transportation, which can be very costly, especially when booking in the last minute.
Having a travel insurance plan for such unforeseen situations can be quite helpful. Therefore, it would be a good idea to plan your trip ahead and also have a backup plan, so you can get where you need to be. If you have a stash of frequent flyer miles available, you may be able to get a relatively reasonable last-minute flight on another airline carrier. If the distance is not too far, you can book a one-way car rental, which can also be cancelled with no additional cost, or you may check on other ground transportation options as a backup plan.
Delays in flight schedule can be fairly common, but only in rare circumstances does a flight have to be cancelled completely. Since a flight cancellation is a much bigger issue when flying with Frontier than another airline, this should be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not you want to fly on a Frontier Airlines flight. If you have a flexible travel plan and do not mind spending a few extra bucks, you can take advantage of some incredibly low airfares that Frontier offers on a regular basis.
How You Can Book Cheap Flights on Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines’ flight tickets can be bought at a much cheaper price when you book at an airport counter than booking online. The so-called “Carrier Interface Charge” that you see on the breakdown of taxes and carrier-imposed fees is actually an online booking fee in disguise. This fee can usually cost from $4 to $21 each way and $8 to $42 round-trip per ticket. If you are booking for more than one person, your savings may add up. If you purchase a ticket at the airport, keep in mind to check the flight schedule to ensure the ticket counter will be open.
Frontier flights are a little cheaper when you book online on their official website https://www.flyfrontier.com than on third-party sites. Nevertheless, it is also worth comparing flight fares with other airlines on different websites. Frontier also offers frequent promo code sales and flash sales with prices, which can be as low as $15 each way. When you see the big sticker displaying 50% to 90% off promo code sales, keep in mind that they only discount the base fare and not the online booking fee or taxes. This means some routes do not actually offer a discount, but you can still have considerable savings on certain routes. To find out about flash sales and promo code offers, make sure to sign up for fare alerts. Frontier has a club membership program called the Discount Den, which offers its members access to exclusive fares and early access to book flights when Frontier extends the booking schedule. The membership fee is $59.99 annually and it is auto-renewed unless you want to cancel the membership. In case you forget to cancel an auto-renewing membership or do not plan on flying with Frontier Airlines on a regular basis, then it may be possible to pass on joining the club.
Booking Process and Extra Fees on Frontier Airlines
You will be given the option to add extras at each step of the booking process when doing online via their website. If you want to book your flight reservation with the lowest price possible, then all you need to do is simply decline all extras and remember to travel light. If you need to bring a bag larger than a small personal item, make sure to pay for your baggage during booking to avoid higher costs later. You will be offered to purchase a bundle. The Works bundle is only available during the booking process and includes a standard carry-on bag, plus a personal item, one free checked bag, seat selection (including stretch seating), priority boarding, flight flexibility and is refundable. You can save by bundling over purchasing all the extras separately that are offered to you, but chances are, you may not necessarily need all of these extras, if you are flying on Frontier Airlines. The Works bundle is refundable. Refundable airfares usually costs more than non-refundable fares on other airlines. This is a much more affordable option for those that need the flexibility of booking a refundable ticket. There is also The Perks bundle, which is slightly less and includes all the benefits of The Works bundle, except the flight flexibility and the ability to refund the airfare. The Perks bundle can also be purchased after initial booking, but it may cost more.
In case you do not want the bundle, you will be given an option to choose a specific seat for a fee. Just click the continue button on the bottom of the screen to be assigned a seat for free at check-in. On the following page, choose the amount of baggage you plan to bring. If you only plan to bring a personal item, you will be required to mention that you will not be bringing along a full-size carry-on bag. Next, Frontier will offer more add-ons, like insurance or a car rental. It is not advised to add a car rental to your frontier airline reservation. Instead, it is best to book a car rental separately, with flexible cancellation policies. Just click continue to get to the payment page. Now, double-check all the charges on this page to make sure you are only paying for what you need. After completing your purchase, you will still have a day to cancel for free as long as the date of departure is at least seven days away. Frontier now has a new no change fee policy for changes made at least 60 days before departure.
Frontier Airlines Check-In
Frontier Airlines provides online check-in, which is available starting 24 hours prior to flight departure and is available up to one hour before departure. For domestic flights, you are required to check in 45 minutes before departure. For international flights, you are required to check in one hour prior to departure. Bag fees start to increase at each phase, starting 24 hours before your flight. So, if you have more baggage than is needed, you will need to add them to your reservation before online check-in is made available.
After you have checked-in through online, bag fees tend to become slightly higher, but still cheaper than adding bags at the airport. If you have opted not to choose a seat, you will likely be offered to make a selection once again and pay for a seat assignment. You can simply look for the option to continue without choosing a seat and you will be auto-assigned seat for free. You might not get a seat with armrests on both sides because for every middle seat there is a window and an aisle seat, so the odds may be in your favour. Also, as long as there are adjoining seats available during check-in, it is likely that you may still get free auto-assigned seat next to others on the same reservation. Of course, there is no guarantee on this, but taking a little gamble could cheer you up.
Conclusion
When flying any ultra-low-cost carriers, such as Frontier Airlines, have no higher expectations. For instance, the seat pitch can differ in a standard seat among several airline carriers. The stretch seating in the front of the plane goes up to 36 inches of seat pitch, so opt to pay for those seats if you are on the tall side or want more room to stretch your legs. Frontier has a modern fleet of Airbuses with slim, pre-reclined seats. There is not much padding on the seats, so you may want to bring a travel pillow for comfort. Beverages and snacks may cost extra onboard, however, prices are comparable to what you will find in the airport terminal. It is also a good idea to bring your own water bottle if you do not want to pay for extras. There may also be no Wi-Fi or in-flight entertainment services, so you might as well, bring a book or a portable music player to keep yourself occupied during your trip.
Frontier Airlines offers low-cost flights to get you to your destination and also lets you to save some money, which you can spend once you arrive at your destination.
