Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns - Buy/accelerate my way to ascent?

Hello all,

I have a unique situation - I fly my daughter on 600 mile segments often to see me - about every 3-5 weeks, with 2-3 month break in the summer while she's here.

Trouble is that those 10+ flights a year for a unaccompanied minor all cost me $50 each way (Total of $1K) outside of the regular ticketing fees (~$140-250/each). I noticed that frontier waives this fee if you are an ascent member, so I've been doing my research to see if it's possible to get her to ascent. I've had her own earlyreturns for about 24 months now and have a decent amount of miles, but I'm still well under the qualifications for ascent. Even with the double december bonus, by Jan 12 I'll only have approx 13 segments and ~7k miles.

She turns 12 in May and I would be stupid not to switch to Southwest, whom allows 12 year olds to fly as adults (i.e. non-UM).

In short - is it possible for me to buy these miles to get to 15k? Is frontier flexible on this? We've been flying Frontier for near 6 years now. If I get a frontier CC, will those bonus miles count towards elite status? Futher, can I have a frontier CC in my name and the miles go to her account?

Your numbers don't add up unless you've been splitting your travels between Frontier and other airlines previously (e.g., 600 miles x 10 trips x 2 flights per trip = 12,000 miles w/o any double EQMs and 20 segments).

But if you're looking for what you can do between now and the end of the year, you can always purchase Classic Plus fares and get a 50% bonus on EQMs.

There isn't a direct way to by (or partially buy) elite status on Frontier. Miles earned in alternate ways (such as the Frontier Airlines mastercard) don't count toward elite status, either, as with most airlines.

I've long thought it would be good if they did allow you to purchase a limited number of segments or miles toward elite status. But they don't, nor am I aware of anyone who does.

As I'm sure you know (and for the benefit of others), Frontier considers someone old enough to travel without UM supervision at 14, while Southwest does at 12. Your daughter turning 12 in May means you can stop paying that fee from that point in May forward on Southwest.

Fifteen segments gets you Ascent on Frontier, so you should be able to reach it without trouble flying mostly Frontier in a calendar year. But if you stick with just Frontier in 2012 you'll still be paying that extra fee from her birthday in May until she earns Ascent at some pointin 2012.

The only ways to earn elite faster...at least at this point...are to buy Classic Plus (which gets you 150% elite-qualifying miles, though I don't think it gets you 1.5 segments per leg), and also the December 2011 promo for double miles / double segments just for December.

Once you reach Ascent on Frontier there are some other side benefits, including accruing miles faster for free travel. I'm not sharp on Southwest's FF program details to know how much better or worse it would be for your daughter given the specifics of her travel, but it's something to consider, too.

Fifteen segments gets you Ascent on Frontier, so you should be able to reach it without trouble flying mostly Frontier in a calendar year. But if you stick with just Frontier in 2012 you'll still be paying that extra fee from her birthday in May until she earns Ascent at some pointin 2012.



Ascent status is attained via 15k Miles or 20 Segments.

Ascent status is attained via 15k Miles or 20 Segments.

Thanks for the correction...DUH on my part. On day 3 of a new puppy (a great dane puppy..5 months and 65 pounds) and am short on sleep to put it nicely.