Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns (Pre-Alignment) - Elimination of Standby - Confirmed Only, and $150 Change Fee

Exec. Summary - no more standby or confirmed standby for a set price, now any changes are treated as "flight change" incurring fare differences (but no change-fee day of, it sounds like). Change fees also now up to $150.00. Summit members still get free same-day changes. Eliminates a major perk for others while enhancing Summit benefits further.

News Release Issued: July 25, 2008 3:17 PM EDT

Frontier Airlines Announces New Fee and Policy Changes

Airline eliminates current standby policy; adopts simpler fee structure

DENVER, July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Frontier Airlines today announced
it is eliminating its current standby policy and updating fees related to
some reservation changes. Customers changing to a different flight the same
day of their scheduled flight will receive a confirmed seat on the new
flight, if available, and will now be charged a fee for the difference, if
any, between their original fare and the then current price of the new
flight.

"This new policy adds convenience for our customers who need to change their
travel last minute," said Frontier President and CEO Sean Menke. "Anyone who
has tried to fly standby without a confirmed seat knows the frustration of
not knowing if you will make the flight. With this new policy, customers
will immediately know if they have a seat or not."

Allowing all customers confirmed seating for specific flights eliminates the
delays in boarding standby customers who have to wait until the last minute
to board. This change also helps Frontier better track capacity needs and
provide more appealing flight schedules based on customer demand. Frontier's
EarlyReturns® Summit members may change their flight for a confirmed seat on
an alternate flight anytime on the day of travel, free of charge.

Also, customers that change their original reservation in advance of their
travel date will now be charged a $150 change fee, plus the difference in
fare. These fee and policy changes are effective for tickets purchased on or
after July 25, 2008 for travel on or after August 15, 2008.

Information on these changes can be found at
http://www.frontierairlines.com/. Information on fuel savings initiatives
may be obtained by calling Frontier Airlines Corporate Communications at
720-374-4560.

About Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc.

Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of Denver-based
Frontier Airlines. Currently in its 15th year of operations, Frontier
Airlines is the second-largest jet service carrier at Denver International
Airport, employing more than 5,000 aviation professionals. Frontier Airlines'
mainline operation has 60 aircraft with one of the youngest Airbus fleets in
North America. Frontier Airlines' mainline operations offer 24 channels of
DIRECTV® service in every seatback along with a comfortable all-coach
configuration. In conjunction with a fleet of ten Bombardier Q400 aircraft
operated by Lynx Aviation (a subsidiary of Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc.),
Frontier offers routes to 60 destinations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and
Costa Rica. In November 2006, Frontier and AirTran announced a
first-of-its-kind integrated marketing partnership that offers travelers the
ability to reach more than 80 destinations across four countries with low
fares, aboard two of the youngest fleets in the industry. For more in-depth
information on Frontier Airlines, please visit its Web site at
http://www.frontierairlines.com/.

Web site: http://www.frontierairlines.com/

SOURCE: Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc.

CONTACT: Corporate Communications of Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc.,
+1-720-374-4560, media@flyfrontier.com

Web site: http://www.frontierairlines.com/





To unsubscribe or change your settings click here:
http://flyfrontier.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=subscribe

Wow, thats expensive. Their policy was closer to legacies (UA with free standby or confirmed for a fee) then WN. Now they go the WN route but charge a 150$ fee. Thats steep especially for business people with changing plans. I tend to book later flights and try to catch the earlier one if my meetings end earlier.
At least it gives me some incentive to keep Summit. But if I now use UA I can still do free confirmed standby with my status and on F9 I will end up with the fare difference.

Here is the new policy for Summit members :

Standby Policy Changes

Today, we announced the elimination of our standby policy effective for tickets purchased on or after July 25, 2008 for travel on or after August 15, 2008. For complete information, please reference the July 25, 2008 press release on our website.
What Does This Mean to You as a Valued Summit Member?
Same–Day Standby:Although we’ve eliminated our standby program, we have good news for you. If you would like to travel on a different flight on the same day as your original schedule, you may be confirmed for FREE. On the day of your flight, just contact a reservations or airport agent at least one hour prior to your scheduled flight. If a seat is available, you will receive a confirmed seat.

Day–Before / Day–After: This option is no longer available to any passenger flying on or after August 15, 2008.

Change Fees: For changes made other than the same day of departure, we will continue to waive the change fee for Summit Members. However, an applicable fare difference applies.

We don’t tell you often enough, but it is truly you — our most loyal customers — who are the reason why we fly. Please understand that the changes we are currently implementing are necessary to ensure that you have a pleasant and enjoyable trip every time you fly.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in the skies again very soon.

Called Early Returns Summit Telephone Line and Frontier Airlines Customer Affairs Desk today. ALL SUMMIT MEMBERS WILL pay the change fee of 150 dollars AND the price difference of the ticket if you change the DAY of travel that has been waived for a year or more. You can contact the Summit Service Desk by calling 1-866-786-6482 and voice your complaint. I talked to Courtney at the Service Desk. You can also call the Frontier Airlines Consumer Affairs number 1-303-371-7400 and voice your complaint. I talked to Kathy at the Affairs Office today.
I had to direct both employees to the Frontier Airlines Main Webpage and have them open the "New Policy and fee changes" to alert them of this situation. As a Summit Member changing 30 flight days, this would of cost me an extra 4500 dollars not including the ticket price difference, if any.

Called Early Returns Summit Telephone Line and Frontier Airlines Customer Affairs Desk today. ALL SUMMIT MEMBERS WILL pay the change fee of 150 dollars AND the price difference of the ticket if you change the DAY of travel that has been waived for a year or more. You can contact the Summit Service Desk by calling 1-866-786-6482 and voice your complaint. I talked to Courtney at the Service Desk. You can also call the Frontier Airlines Consumer Affairs number 1-303-371-7400 and voice your complaint. I talked to Kathy at the Affairs Office today.
I had to direct both employees to the Frontier Airlines Main Webpage and have them open the "New Policy and fee changes" to alert them of this situation. As a Summit Member changing 30 flight days, this would of cost me an extra 4500 dollars not including the ticket price difference, if any.

The email I got and quoted above states the change fee is still waived. It is signed by :

Jim Young
Vice President
Marketing, Sales and Distribution
FRONTIER Airlines

If you would like to travel on a different flight on the same day as your original schedule, you may be confirmed for FREE. On the day of your flight, just contact a reservations or airport agent at least one hour prior to your scheduled flight. If a seat is available, you will receive a confirmed seat.

Am I reading this correctly or are they being unclear - has the "no earlier than 4 hours" rule been eliminated? That would be a major benefits enhancement, if we can call any time on the day of travel (12:01 AM?)

Pushback - it sounds like there is some confusion on this on the part of the Res. agents. I was worried when I read "Change Fees: For changes made other than the same day of departure, we will continue to waive the change fee for Summit Members. However, an applicable fare difference applies." However looking at the other release, it looks like they have dropped ALL change fees day-of-departure, and now just require a fare difference. It's key to note that this could result in free changes, depending on the cost of the original ticket. I think we need to wait a couple days and see what shakes out, but it sounds more like confusion, not a reduction in benefits.

I stand corrected. I talked to Frontier Airlines this morning and after a lengthy conversation, the MAIN Policy and fee changes that specifically states the change fee to Summit Members are included, is a typo error. Summit Supervisors have been given a memo that this will be corrected and YES, the 150 dollar change fee is still WAIVED for Summit Members, you just pay the ticket difference as currently in place.

Has anyone figured out if this means the elimination or shortening of the "flat-tire rule"? I would hate to miss my flight due to security and have to pony up to adjust my ticket to the price of the new flight.

Has anyone figured out if this means the elimination or shortening of the "flat-tire rule"? I would hate to miss my flight due to security and have to pony up to adjust my ticket to the price of the new flight.

No that rule is still in place.

Looks like they're trying to get the best of both worlds (which is the worst of both worlds for passengers), WN's same day stand by policy combined with the legacy carriers' ridiculous change fees. While I'm a fan of WN in general, the stand by policy is my least favorite part of flying WN, but I can live with it because of the other advantages they offer, no change fees being at the very top of the list.

Looks like they're trying to get the best of both worlds (which is the worst of both worlds for passengers), WN's same day stand by policy combined with the legacy carriers' ridiculous change fees. While I'm a fan of WN in general, the stand by policy is my least favorite part of flying WN, but I can live with it because of the other advantages they offer, no change fees being at the very top of the list.

I agree somewhat with beckles, with 54 segments on WN since A-list I prefer WN in general. But after reaching Summitt on F9 the advantage is F9 due to price. F9 is beating WN for RT fares, saved $150 to PDX next week vs WN. Even if I change flights it is much cheaper to it with F9, downside is there awards are impossible to use compared to WN. The Companion pass program on WN is second to none in the industry. Change fees are change fees, as a Summitt it less cost on F9.

They need to update their FAQ:

----clipped----
What are your rules about flying standby?
If you already have a ticket and decide you would like to check availability on a different flight, other than the one you're scheduled on, we'll be glad to help you with arranging that change.

If you want to travel on the same day of departure as your original itinerary (whether it's your outbound, return or one-way flight), you can fly standby for no additional fees or you can confirm a seat on an available flight for only $50 at the airport between four hours and 45 minutes prior to the desired scheduled departure time. The $50 fee is non-refundable.

For changes to a restricted ticket for travel other than the same day, an exchange is necessary. You would be charged any additional fare difference and a $100 processing fee.

Summit Level EarlyReturns® members may fly standby day of at no charge. For the return on a round-trip ticket or on a one-way ticket, Summit members may also fly standby day before or day after at no charge.

This policy doesn't apply to Weekend Web Fares or other promotional fares.
-----
or did I read this wrong?

I didn't get any of the emails that are being discussed here, but I did get the following email. Is it safe to assume that it is in reference to the changes being discussed here, or is there something else being changed as well?

Dear Valued Customer,
Let me start by thanking you for your continued support of Frontier Airlines through the years, particularly during our most recent challenges. We know that the type of loyalty you have shown our company is very rare in the airline industry, and I assure you that we never take it for granted. Our employees come to work each day with the goal of running a safe, efficient and customer-friendly airline for you.

We also know that you have come to expect a little more from us over the years than you do from some of the other airlines. The phrase “A whole different animal” isn’t just a catchy slogan; it’s the mantra by which we do business. And that is what makes some of our most recent decisions to change our fees and policies so difficult. We know it’s not what you expect from Frontier Airlines. And I assure you, these are not changes that we want to implement. However, given the current environment in which we operate, these changes are absolutely necessary to ensure the long-term health and longevity of our airline. I’m sure you have all heard how the historic increase in the price of oil is hurting the airline industry, but I cannot emphasize enough how it has reshaped everything we do as a company. The old way of doing things is simply not a sustainable option for any airline when oil prices are over $100 a barrel. It has come down to a matter of survival for every airline, including Frontier. We are forced to look over every aspect of our operation in an effort to cover our costs.

In addition, I want you to know that we are doing everything possible to make sure our own house is in order above and beyond these new fees. We are aggressively managing our cost structure, cutting all possible inefficiencies. We have restructured our route system to eliminate non-profitable flying, and each and every employee in the company has made a personal sacrifice with wage and benefit concessions in an effort to minimize the impact of our current economic conditions on our customers.

In conclusion, I am asking for your continued support during these unprecedented times. While some of the changes we are implementing are unpleasant, I assure you that the people of Frontier Airlines are as committed to you as ever. Our employees will make sure you have a safe, enjoyable trip every time you fly. We look forward to seeing you in the skies again soon.

Sincerely,
Sean Menke
President and CEO, Frontier Airlines