what happens if I don't buy a seat assignment at time of ticket purchase?
Jun 18, 2015, 6:55 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1
Frontier LAS - CLE
I am from Ohio and recently booked 5 seats on Frontier for $79 each way each person. After seats assigned on the way and stretch for the return flight, plus luggage for all 5 the total was $1260.00
That's cheap! I fly a ton and am a list elite with southwest and they were about 1700 for the same flight. Yes bags are free but still more. I'll admit I'm disappointed about losing DTV. I used to fly frontier out of CAK back in the day and loved them.
I'll take the cheap seats over amenities any day.
That's cheap! I fly a ton and am a list elite with southwest and they were about 1700 for the same flight. Yes bags are free but still more. I'll admit I'm disappointed about losing DTV. I used to fly frontier out of CAK back in the day and loved them.
I'll take the cheap seats over amenities any day.
Jun 19, 2015, 10:31 pm
#17
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA USA
Programs: AA, UA, WN, HH, Marriott
Posts: 7,290
If you don't buy the seat assignment at the time of booking the flight, you can always go back and buy the seat later (e.g., the next day or the next week) but before checkin.
Jun 20, 2015, 9:57 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 355
Almost booked it, but the seat assignment map was full and no seat to buy.
How was that even possible? I call them up and was told that there were no
seats to select.
Jun 21, 2015, 12:09 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Airlines overbook all the time. They'll routinely sell 175 tickets on a plane with 160 seats if their models predict 15 no-shows.
Jun 21, 2015, 11:55 am
#20
Join Date: May 2004
Location: HYI/AUS/SAT originally TTN/EWR/PHL
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards, Jetblue TrueBlue, American Advantage
Posts: 1,190
I'm going to assume that you are witihin 2 to 2 1/2 hours by air from FL because I don't think they would have $29 fares from a greater distance. What's the worst than can happen, you get stuck in a middle seat for 2 hours. I was on a flight from PHL to LAS and sat in a middle for 5 hours, I knew someone in the seat next to me but still it wasn't horrible.
Dec 22, 2015, 7:14 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,411
Any updates on how this works at F9? I am flying tomorrow. I haven't check in yet even though I'm below T-24 based on what I saw in the thread above. I was expecting to see the back rows of the plane get filled, but that hasn't happened.
I wanted to see if there's anything new on this. There are lots of seats in rows 5-9 that are going for 2x the price of the seats in the back.
I did search "Frontier Seating Algorithm," but all that came up was this thread.
I wanted to see if there's anything new on this. There are lots of seats in rows 5-9 that are going for 2x the price of the seats in the back.
I did search "Frontier Seating Algorithm," but all that came up was this thread.
Dec 23, 2015, 5:41 am
#22
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,411
After studying this, I believe that the current algorithm is that they fill the seats from the front of the plane to the back, excluding the more expensive seating that is forward of the exit row. My family of four got an aisle and three seats right across from that seat.
Dec 23, 2015, 10:23 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 339
I flew them DEN-MKE-DEN a week or so back...
I checked in at T-22 on the way out and got row 25....checked in at T-19 on the way back and got row 24. Both times, however, there were lots of empty seats around me
A month back I checked in at DCA with only 50 minutes until departure and got row 5.....
So at first I thought they filled it back to front but after having lots of empty seats around me, I still am puzzled every time I fly them. My EarlyReturns preference is set to 1. Window 2. Front, and the window always seems to happen but I'm never at the front if I check in earlier.
I checked in at T-22 on the way out and got row 25....checked in at T-19 on the way back and got row 24. Both times, however, there were lots of empty seats around me
A month back I checked in at DCA with only 50 minutes until departure and got row 5.....
So at first I thought they filled it back to front but after having lots of empty seats around me, I still am puzzled every time I fly them. My EarlyReturns preference is set to 1. Window 2. Front, and the window always seems to happen but I'm never at the front if I check in earlier.
Dec 23, 2015, 10:55 am
#24
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
So at first I thought they filled it back to front but after having lots of empty seats around me, I still am puzzled every time I fly them. My EarlyReturns preference is set to 1. Window 2. Front, and the window always seems to happen but I'm never at the front if I check in earlier.
What you can get obviously depends on how how many people pay for seat assignments (I always did untill I got Elite) and how full the flight is.
Dec 24, 2015, 9:01 am
#25
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,411
I watched the seat map fill. On my flight, it was assigning seats from front to back in the lowest priced rows from A to F. It seemed methodical and I received 24C, D, E, and F.
Overall, my experience was OK. I would fly F9 again if the price was right. The biggest downside of F9 for me is the lack of Pre-Check. The regular security line was terrible. I recognize that this is TSA's fault, not F9's, but it's only because the airline isn't in pre-check that it's something that I have to worry about.
Still, I got a family of 4 from RSW to STL for less than $150, including all fees. Unbelievable.
Overall, my experience was OK. I would fly F9 again if the price was right. The biggest downside of F9 for me is the lack of Pre-Check. The regular security line was terrible. I recognize that this is TSA's fault, not F9's, but it's only because the airline isn't in pre-check that it's something that I have to worry about.
Still, I got a family of 4 from RSW to STL for less than $150, including all fees. Unbelievable.