Flying Frontier for the first time - what to pay for?
November 15, 2019 7:34 AM Subscribe
I am flying Frontier Airlines for the first time in January on a weekend bachelorette trip. Base fare was only $29 roundtrip which is why I considered it in the first place. What upgrades are worth paying for?
Relevant details:
- The flight is 4 hours each way.
- I’m 5’3” with a slim build.
- I fly out Saturday morning and return Monday morning; hoping to pack light in a duffel bag, but will Frontier allow that as the free personal item?
I fly cross-country economy not infrequently on the major airlines and I’m a seasoned air traveler. But Frontier’s pricing model has me confused... e.g. is it worth paying for a seat if all I want is aisle OR window and the seating chart is currently wide open? Exactly how strict are their bag requirements - can I bring a duffel or a backpack as my personal item if it fits under the seat? I’m inclined not to pay for a carry-on because my usual luggage, the Away Bigger Carry-On, is over official size limits; is that estimation correct? Are there other gotchas I’m not thinking of?
Relevant details:
- The flight is 4 hours each way.
- I’m 5’3” with a slim build.
- I fly out Saturday morning and return Monday morning; hoping to pack light in a duffel bag, but will Frontier allow that as the free personal item?
I fly cross-country economy not infrequently on the major airlines and I’m a seasoned air traveler. But Frontier’s pricing model has me confused... e.g. is it worth paying for a seat if all I want is aisle OR window and the seating chart is currently wide open? Exactly how strict are their bag requirements - can I bring a duffel or a backpack as my personal item if it fits under the seat? I’m inclined not to pay for a carry-on because my usual luggage, the Away Bigger Carry-On, is over official size limits; is that estimation correct? Are there other gotchas I’m not thinking of?
Despite what the seating chart says right now, I'd go ahead and assume that if you don't pay for a seat you'll end up sitting in the middle. You won't get a seat assignment until they've gotten every chance they can to sell people window or aisle spots. As for your duffel, if it's oversize you might or might not get away with it, in my experience. If the trip is full they're more likely to call you on it. But if it legitimately fits under your seat you should be fine. Other than that, if you don't care about smaller seat size and being charged for drinks and snacks it's fine. I've flown Spirit which is often regarded as even worse, but paid for the front seat upgrade and found it to be more pleasant and still cheaper than traditional airline economy class.
posted by skewed at 7:57 AM on November 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by skewed at 7:57 AM on November 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
I haven't flown Frontier, but I've flown Spirit, and a backpack that fits under the seat worked great for me. I am a light packer by nature, so I was able to get everything I needed for a weekend trip in a backpack that measured 17" x 10" x 6".
Frontier's personal item guidelines state that your personal item should not exceed 18" x 14" x 8", so make sure your bag meets those measurements and you should be good to go.
I had my bag under the seat in front of me for one leg of the flight, and for the second leg, there was tons of room in the overhead, so I tossed it up there, figuring that I could always put it under the seat if I was asked -- my bag was still personal-item-sized, not carry-on-item-sized, after all.
I didn't pay for upgrades of any kind. I was flying by myself, scored a ridiculously cheap airfare, and decided to embrace the cheap. It was totally fine.
posted by vitout at 8:13 AM on November 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
Frontier's personal item guidelines state that your personal item should not exceed 18" x 14" x 8", so make sure your bag meets those measurements and you should be good to go.
I had my bag under the seat in front of me for one leg of the flight, and for the second leg, there was tons of room in the overhead, so I tossed it up there, figuring that I could always put it under the seat if I was asked -- my bag was still personal-item-sized, not carry-on-item-sized, after all.
I didn't pay for upgrades of any kind. I was flying by myself, scored a ridiculously cheap airfare, and decided to embrace the cheap. It was totally fine.
posted by vitout at 8:13 AM on November 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
I always pay for the seat choice but I am tall.
If you happen to have Precheck, they don't reliably put that on the boarding pass (in my experience) unless you manually specify that you have it while checking in, so make sure to do so.
posted by Candleman at 8:38 AM on November 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you happen to have Precheck, they don't reliably put that on the boarding pass (in my experience) unless you manually specify that you have it while checking in, so make sure to do so.
posted by Candleman at 8:38 AM on November 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
We have never paid for assigned seating and just as an fyi, I have used this ginormous carry-on backpack as a free personal item more than once. I make sure I don't carry a purse at the same time though. We do not ever get any of the upgrades. There is very little leg room, so if that matters to you maybe try to get a seat on the first row.
posted by crunchy potato at 9:03 AM on November 15, 2019
posted by crunchy potato at 9:03 AM on November 15, 2019
Most backpacks, even fairly large ones (I use a Osprey Packs Farpoint 40) can be your personal item. They don't always check the weight or size, so if you can act like it doesn't weigh much and don't overpack (rolling your cloths helps) you could get away with not having to pay for any upgrades. As long as you don't mind them picking your seats, that is.
As a budget traveler, I'll travel as light as necessary to not have to pay for add-ons. Carry-on only, and put me where ever you want on the plane.
posted by jefii87 at 9:24 AM on November 15, 2019
As a budget traveler, I'll travel as light as necessary to not have to pay for add-ons. Carry-on only, and put me where ever you want on the plane.
posted by jefii87 at 9:24 AM on November 15, 2019
Are there other gotchas I’m not thinking of?
The seatback trays on Frontier flights are exceptionally tiny. All beverages, including water, cost money - so bring your own.
posted by hijinx at 10:28 AM on November 15, 2019
The seatback trays on Frontier flights are exceptionally tiny. All beverages, including water, cost money - so bring your own.
posted by hijinx at 10:28 AM on November 15, 2019
I flew Frontier earlier this year and my carryon was maaaaaybe right on the line of being too big, but I was still able to shove it under the seat without issue and no one said anything.
I am 5'2 and I found the middle seat to be just fine. (This was about a 3 hour flight, though, so not particularly long).
There is also no in-flight entertainment, if that's the sort of thing that matters to you.
The seats are tight, so if there are things you're going to want during the flight (computer/tablet, snacks, book, etc.), make them easy to get to in your bag. Or pack a smaller bag inside your bag with those things and make that easy to remove from your bag after takeoff.
Overall, I didn't find the experience to be any worse that most other flights (but I will say that yes, the trays are tiny).
posted by darksong at 11:42 AM on November 15, 2019
I am 5'2 and I found the middle seat to be just fine. (This was about a 3 hour flight, though, so not particularly long).
There is also no in-flight entertainment, if that's the sort of thing that matters to you.
The seats are tight, so if there are things you're going to want during the flight (computer/tablet, snacks, book, etc.), make them easy to get to in your bag. Or pack a smaller bag inside your bag with those things and make that easy to remove from your bag after takeoff.
Overall, I didn't find the experience to be any worse that most other flights (but I will say that yes, the trays are tiny).
posted by darksong at 11:42 AM on November 15, 2019
Best answer: I just flew Frontier for a work trip with layovers and I saw multiple people get called out for too-big personal items when boarding two of those flights. The flights were full so maybe they get stricter when that happens but they seemed VERY invested in getting people to pay for luggage. You probably saw that they do have cheaper prices if you buy a carry-on or a checked bag ahead of time so don't wait until the airport to do it.
I paid for a seat assignment at the very back of the plane which was $11 for each — it seems like there's plenty of options for cheaper assigned seats if you stick with the back of the plane. Supposedly their middle seats are actually wider than the aisle/window so getting stuck with one with your body type might not be too bad (I'm fat, so middle is my nemesis).
One thing I like about Frontier is that the window armrests seem to raise on (most? all?) of their planes, so the window gets a bit of extra room because there's about an inch between the seat edge and the side of the plane that's usually taken up by the armrest. Nice for naps!
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 1:44 PM on November 15, 2019
I paid for a seat assignment at the very back of the plane which was $11 for each — it seems like there's plenty of options for cheaper assigned seats if you stick with the back of the plane. Supposedly their middle seats are actually wider than the aisle/window so getting stuck with one with your body type might not be too bad (I'm fat, so middle is my nemesis).
One thing I like about Frontier is that the window armrests seem to raise on (most? all?) of their planes, so the window gets a bit of extra room because there's about an inch between the seat edge and the side of the plane that's usually taken up by the armrest. Nice for naps!
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 1:44 PM on November 15, 2019
I would like to correct what hijinx said. I flew Frontier recently and brought an individually wrapped tea bag and asked for hot water for my tea and was not charged for it. I suspect bottled chilled water is at cost though.
posted by crunchy potato at 4:28 PM on November 15, 2019
posted by crunchy potato at 4:28 PM on November 15, 2019
Best answer: We fly Frontier a lot. If you don't buy a seat you should assume that you'll be in the middle. I've done this lots though and haven't minded. I only buy seats when I'm flying with my kids.
If your item legitimately fits under the seat you should be OK although this is sort of at the flight attendant's discretion. I think you'll have an easier time getting a backpack through than a duffel, which reads more "luggagey".
Definitely bring your own food and entertainment. The seat back tray tables are also like the size of a paperback.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 6:25 PM on November 15, 2019
If your item legitimately fits under the seat you should be OK although this is sort of at the flight attendant's discretion. I think you'll have an easier time getting a backpack through than a duffel, which reads more "luggagey".
Definitely bring your own food and entertainment. The seat back tray tables are also like the size of a paperback.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 6:25 PM on November 15, 2019
Things to pay for when flying frontier:
An iPad - bring it with you, and make sure it’s charged.
A water bottle - fill it up before you get on the plane.
The luggage that you’re bringing.
Enjoy the cheap flight!
posted by oceanjesse at 5:30 AM on November 16, 2019
An iPad - bring it with you, and make sure it’s charged.
A water bottle - fill it up before you get on the plane.
The luggage that you’re bringing.
Enjoy the cheap flight!
posted by oceanjesse at 5:30 AM on November 16, 2019
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In my case, the bag is soft-sided and can squish down to fit if not packed full, which it wasn't. People with hard-sided bags that couldn't squish down to fit under the seat were charged at the gate. My flight was completely full, so that may have had something do with it.
I don't know how seating works because I don't care where I sit, so I don't remember if I paid extra. If there is an option to pay extra and not get bumped, I would pay for that.
posted by blnkfrnk at 7:54 AM on November 15, 2019