Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns - Alternate way to reach Frontier?

My friend was schedule to fly out of DEN on F9 yesterday. He's now been trying to call the airline for two days but has not yet gotten through. The UA forum is full of ideas about how to reach UA via international numbers and the like. Are there any tricks for actually getting through to F9 during the big DEN cleanup?

Thanks!

My friend was schedule to fly out of DEN on F9 yesterday. He's now been trying to call the airline for two days but has not yet gotten through. The UA forum is full of ideas about how to reach UA via international numbers and the like. Are there any tricks for actually getting through to F9 during the big DEN cleanup?

Thanks!

Besides the reservation line, has he tried calling the airport ticket counter directly?

Besides the reservation line, has he tried calling the airport ticket counter directly?

You can try counters at other airports too, I believe LAX and SFO still have flights running so you might start there.

Besides the reservation line, has he tried calling the airport ticket counter directly?

I don't know. How does one find the number for that? I have to guess, though, that it'd be better to call someone who is not actually at DEN. There are still something like 2000 people who've been at the airport for two days. People are actually camping overnight at the ticket counters in order to be first in line when they open. It can't be good there.

You can try counters at other airports too, I believe LAX and SFO still have flights running so you might start there.

That sounds good. How does he get the number for the ticket counter at SFO or LAX? I am poking around on the web but not finding those.

I was going through the same thing yesterday. I managed to get the phone number for the San Jose airport ticket counter by calling the airport administration/information phone number. It is:

(408) 998-1783

Of course I only got an answering machine, but the message did say that you had reached Frontier Airlines. I tried to do the same thing at SFO, LAX, and SMF without any luck. I would suggest going to the airport, seems to be the only way to be guarenteed to talk to someone.

I would suggest going to the airport, seems to be the only way to be guarenteed to talk to someone.

I'm sorry you are stuck in the same way. What an annoyance. But I'm pretty sure that going to DEN would not be a good idea. I don't even want to think about the zoo it must be there.

Who would answer the phone at a Frontier Airlines ticket counter who is trying to rebook 2000 people who have been waiting in line for days?

Just rebook on another Airline, drive, or cancel the trip.

Who would answer the phone at a Frontier Airlines ticket counter who is trying to rebook 2000 people who have been waiting in line for days?

Just rebook on another Airline, drive, or cancel the trip.

Any employee at a station besides Denver? I agree going to the ticket counter at Denver is a terrible idea, I didn't realize you were stuck there.

As for rebooking, have you tried it? Its not really an option as there really aren't any seats into Denver before Christmas for less than $1,000. I spent a good portion of my day yesterday trying to find any options.

Just left DIA. I had a 5:40pm out to PDX, checked F9 website for flight status constantly, checked the DIA website for any delays or informative news, too. I had been trying to call F9, all day Thurs and today; but only got a busy signal.

Checked in online for my flight this morning, left client's site in Colorado Springs early, and got to DIA almost 3 hours before flight. They wouldn't curb check bags, said I had to stand in line at the ticket counters to do that. After getting in line and waiting for 30 minutes, they announce that if you have a flight that leaves before 7pm, you wouldn't make it, and they were not booking standby for any flight leaving before Sunday night. (most likely Monday)

As the line turns the corner, I see that it snakes in and around "most" of the airport. It turns out the line was 3+ hours long!!! That didn't include the security line. That was just to get checked in or check bags. Nothing on either site, mentioned anything about needing to arrive 6+ hours early.

I figured that I would be better off bailing, trying to find a hotel, and rebook online. I got lucky on the hotel part and we'll have to see about getting home before Tuesday.

Oh well, that's life on the road. In a situation like this, I can't "really" fault anyone but myself; for not having the forsite to arrive at 10am for a 5pm flight.

Just rebook on another Airline, drive, or cancel the trip.

Interesting proposal. Of course, none of the airlines serving Denver were answering their phones. There was no driving out of here because all roads to anywhere were closed. And here is my friend's story of cancelling his ticket--

I actually DID get through to Frontier - with an epic story. Suz and I played tag team last night with the phone (redial, redial, etc.) while watching a movie. Then she actually get through in to the hold queue - at about 11:00 PM. I was on hold through the movie, some additional time in bed, then on the computer wandering through E-bay and other computer games - until 3:04 AM, when I finally talked to a real person. Who could only offer me Dec. 26th or a refund. I took the refund.

He did all this last night before I had the opportunity to pass on the advice collected here. Do not underestimate how ugly things were on the DEN travel scene this week!

After the big Denver storm, which I was able to get out of by booking tickets at the last minute on Southwest, knowing that Frontier would have to give refunds and the net result would be wash, in terms of cost, I too was greeted with the busy signal for three days from good old 800-4321-FLY. (which needs to be changed to 800-4321-BUSY or 800-4321-We-Are-Really-Screwed-Up)

It is Frontier's failure to develop a reasonable web site that causes everyone to have to call them.

Sooner or later, a big storm like this is going to happen. When it does, and, when the decision has been made to give refunds to anyone who had a ticket for the days when the airport is shut down, why not have the ability to transact the refund right on the Internet?

They were able to post information on their web site, including cancelled flights, and ultimately, that they would be giving refunds. But, what they didn't have in place was a way that I could go to their web site, enter my six character PNR, and have the refund process automatically. And, why don't they have that? Greed. They were hoping that I would leave the money on deposit. Hey, if Frontier was Southwest, and I was used to doing business with them through Ticketless Travel Funds, I probably would have. But, instead, I'm used to doing business with Frontier. Its too likely just to get screwed up. Just give me all my money back and if I want to fly with you again, I'll rebook, thank you.

When I finally did get through to Frontier on the telephone, they told me it would be 7-10 business days to process the refund. Now, the web site says 8-10 weeks. I'm sure they are having to process all of the refunds manually. (Again, because they didn't leave the data entry to the CUSTOMER by making that possible through the web site!)

They failed to invest in a computer infrastructure that they may only use 1-2 times a year, however, now they are so far behind, it will take them 10 weeks catch up. The paperwork blizzard is more difficult to dig out from than the snow blizzard.

To me, it is so amazing how Southwest's simplified business model (no change fees, Ticketless Travel Funds, etc.) has let them build a simple, yet significantly more powerful web site. So much more business can be transacted on Southwest's web site than on any legacy carrier's web site. And, that, in turn drives down Southwest's transaction costs. It builds their customer loyalty. It frees up their telephone call center, thus making it more responsive to their customers. It is just a spiral of making it better for the customer, making it better for Southwest and their profitibility, over and over and over. The other airlines think it is all about the fuel hedges. The fact is, Southwest isn't distracted by minor problems in day-to-day operations, which gives them the time and the financial strength to think about things like fuel hedges.

Why the legacy carriers can't see that Southwest's business model is where their real strength is continues to baffle me.

Any employee at a station besides Denver? I agree going to the ticket counter at Denver is a terrible idea, I didn't realize you were stuck there.

As for rebooking, have you tried it? Its not really an option as there really aren't any seats into Denver before Christmas for less than $1,000. I spent a good portion of my day yesterday trying to find any options.

On the day before the storm (19-DEC) I was able to book one of the last flights out of Denver (at 6:50 AM on 20-DEC) on Southwest for $134 per person. It appeared that Southwest had purposefully lowered the price from their full fare of $215 (DEN-MCI-STL) to do what they could to help the traveling public.

Whether it was on purpose, by accident, a computer error or something else, Southwest improved their credibility with me by several points. And, for Southwest, that isn't easy, because I already consider them far-and-away the #1 domestic carrier. But, by their actions, they saved my Christmas.

I would have booked with them originally had they had a non-stop from DEN to STL. I only booked with Frontier because F9 had the non-stop and WN didn't. I picked F9 over United because there was a $143 fare difference. However, United was quicker to give no change fee, no fare difference to those that would leave early before the storm.

Thumbs way up to Southwest.
Thumbs up to United.
Thumbs down to Frontier.