danny_sw

Hope this is an ok forum to post this on. Recently I've been looking around for a small flight to Cincinnati to Atlanta (round trip) and I happened to see Frontier's cheap prices. I've read quite a few bad reviews but also a few OK ones, I'm trying to see if it'd be worth the risk. I'll need the flight in October so I'm kind of limited on time to be saving miles or waiting for cheaper deals. Thanks for any replies!

nomii

Yes its fine - save the money and use it to treat yourself in Atlanta.

philemer

My son & his family had a bad experience with F9. Their return flt from DEN-SLC was cancelled and they said you'll "have to wait until tomorrow". They needed to be back to work so had to rent a car. No love from F9. They won't use them again. I'd stick with a larger airline that has more flts.

Adam1222

Thousands of people fly them without a problem. You don't say what your other option is, but if it is the only option that makes sense, there's no reason it should be a problem. just make sure you understand what the relevant fees might be in making comparisons.

JerryFF

Most of the time they are OK. Their airport and on board service are certainly adequate and their on time record is reasonable. The big problem with Frontier occurs when something goes wrong - bad weather, mechanical issues, for example. If they have to cancel a flight, they do not have any backup aircraft and they will not transfer you to another airline. Usually, they have only one flight per day (or less). So if they have to cancel a flight, you can get stuck for a day or two. But honestly that does not happen very often.

If cost is your major criterion, and if it will not create a crisis if you don't get to your destination at your scheduled time, there is no reason to avoid them.

sdsearch

Welcome to FlyerTalk, danny_sw.

Be aware that Frontier has been turning into one of those "budget" airlines (like Spirit) where the fares are cheap but you have to pay extra for things that are free on "mainstream" airlines. What exactly that is constantly changing, as Frontier is evolving from one of those "mainstream" airlines into one of those "budget" airlines.

And as JerryFF pointed out, they only tend to have one flight a day per city pair (if you're not based in Denver, at least). But besides that being an issue if you cancel, it can also be an issue if there's a problem (weather or equipment) that delays your first leg of the journey, since if you miss the connection you may have to wait a full day for the next connecting flight. (The longer your connection time in the connecting city is, the lesser this risk is. And of course it's the least risk if you happen to have a nonstop flight, but I doubt Cincinatti to Atlanta is one of those.)

There's a whole forum on FlyerTalk dedicated to Frontier:
and this thread might end up there eventually, btw.

BearX220

Frontier is as safe as any other carrier. Statistically, they're slightly less reliable. They have low customer satisfaction ratings but I put that down mostly to customers not understanding what they're getting into w/r/t extra fees and unbundled service / comfort options.

It's just a different product from the full-service network carriers. Some people don't get that, and flip out when they find their $49 Frontier ticket doesn't buy them the same network resiliency, service recovery, etc. they would have on a $200 fare on Delta or Southwest. You don't go to Jack in the Box, though, and expect Ruth's Chris service levels. Live and learn.

Fine to fly Frontier with two caveats:

1. Watch the ancillary fees for carry-on bags, seat assignments, etc. -- that "bargain fare" may turn out to be less of a deal than you think.

2. Be prepared to roll with the punches when weather hits or planes break -- sometimes for a day or more. I've flown my kid to and from college on Frontier with no problem, plenty of slack in our schedule. But I wouldn't fly F9 myself on business, or in any case where I had to be somewhere at a specific time.

iajayi

Piggybacking on what sdsearch and BearX220 said.

Frontier often has great deals ($15 one-way) especially out of cities like Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, etc. You DO have to pay for your luggage (~$20 to check a bag and ~$25 for a carry-on---on way), so unless you're traveling extremely light, you're going to automatically tack on $40-50 on whatever the quoted fare is. You also have to pay for your seat, but I recently learned that you can purchase your ticket without selecting your seat and save a few bucks.

It's still a great deal depending on the scenario. Say you're a couple and you only take one checked bag. Or this past May, I flew RT from Austin to Atlanta for about $60RT, including the cost of my seat and carry-on (which is pricier than checking).

Just don't expect free snacks and all kinds of perks. It's on-par with Spirit-type airlines.

beckoa

Welcome to Flyertalk danny_sw and iajayi.

As this is specific about the airline [F9] we'll move this post.

~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk

CMK10

I fly a couple of F9 flights a year for one reason: they are often significantly cheaper than any other airline on that route. If that means I get to take a trip I wouldn't otherwise then yes, they are worth it.

However, I had a miserable experience on a redeye in their new slimline seats which means I won't fly them overnight again. But for day flights...without hesitation.

wallyboag

Hi CMK10,

Since I am taking a red eye next month, just wondering what your experience was and if you might have any tips on mitigating the discomfort of the slimline seats... Bring your own cushion?

Out of curiosity, did they dim the cabin lights so people could sleep? Did you find that most people gave up trying to sleep and just stayed up the whole flight? What route were you on?

rsteinmetz70112

I have been flying Frontier almost exclusively since May (10 flights so far), and I have had my share of delayed flights, mostly due to weather when every other airline was also experiencing problems. Frequency is pretty low on a lot of routes so if a flight is cancelled you may need to lay over for another day (or more) or make alternate arrangements.

They seem to frequently have very low last minute fares.

If you can travel with a backpack that will fit under the seat it can be incredibly cheap. If you must have a lot of baggage, then other airlines are often cheaper.

Their in-flight product is fine, the cabin crews have been great. Their website is a little wonky but slowly getting better.

The phone customer service is hit and miss. Sometimes you get someone who is great and know their products and their systems, sometimes you get someone who can't really communicate and doesn't understand what your are saying (not the words, the concepts).

The one caveat is to understand what your are buying. There are potentially a lot of fees.

• Soft Drinks and Snacks cost money (and they don't take cash).
• Checked bags cost money.
• Carry-on bags cost more than checked bags.
• Seat selection costs money.
• They don't have a tool free number.

You do get a Free Personal Item (14x8x18) which must fit under the seat, although the overhead bins are often nearly empty and they don't object to you using them.

All fees are cheaper if you pay early and more expensive at the airport and even more expensive at the gate. Plan ahead.

Perchie

Do yourself a favor and do not fly Frontier. I flew it for the first time last August, because they had the best fare from SFO-IND (1 stop in DEN). Disaster all the way. Delayed for 1.5 hrs in SF, got to DEN, another delay for at least 2 hours and they let us sit in the Aircraft for those hours. And then they CANCELLED it! All passengers were told to unboard, and we were just left waiting at the Airport for another hour. And then they gave us a piece of paper, giving 2 options: Option 1: Cancel reservation online and get a refund. 2. Book another flight, pay for yourself, and apply for reimbursement up to $400/passenger.
No compensation whatsoever, not even a meal voucher. Not even an apology!

The next flight on United was the next day at 9.20, at $398 from DEN-IND. I had to purchase the tix for the 3 of us. And we were left stranded all night long at the airport.

So that was on August 11. It is now September 15 and I still haven't received the ~$1,200 that I spend out of pocket.

Oh they got us a $200 voucher each, but you can't even pay me to fly with them again, ever.

Perchie

BTW, this is an email I received from after twitting them since I didn't get any response for the reimbursement. The canceled flight was on August 11, I finally received below email on August 28, and it will take 3-6 WEEKS for them to reimburse the $1,200 that I had to use to buy United tickets. Frontier only flies the next day at 8pm and would get to IND 2 days later, so it was out of question to wait for that flight.

And I saw a few families with very young kids and babies with desperate looks on their faces, some of them said they had no money to buy another tickets. How this is even legal, is beyond me.

Email received on August 28:

We have requested a check from accounting in the amount of $927.90 for your airfare expense. This amount reflects the cost of your United tickets in the amount of $1,182.30 less your Frontier refund of $254.40.

We have also provided a refund of $25 for the bag fee paid in association with the canceled flight segment. Your reimbursement check will be sent under separate cover; please allow 3-6 weeks for processing. The refund of $254.40 will credit to your Visa ending in XXXX and the refund of $25 will credit to the Visa ending in 9858 in 7-10 business days.



At Frontier, we realize how important you are to our future and that's why resolving our service issues is critical to our success.



We value your continued support and look forward to serving your future travel needs, under more pleasant circumstances.



Sincerely,



Colette

Customer Care Team

Frontier Airlines

BearX220

This is a little like warning, do not eat at any of the 35,000 McDonald's worldwide, ever, because I visited the one in Caribou, Maine and my coffee was cold. One experience?