My husband and I are flying Frontier to go on a ski trip next month. At the time I booked our tickets, I was aware of the recent changes to move to a "low cost carrier" which include forcing passengers to size their bags and charging them check at the gate if they don't fit. We have two rollaboard suitcases which I am confident should fit their requirements, inclusive of wheels/straps. I booked our tickets on Frontier's web site, so we will be allowed one free carry on each. So if we can fit all of our clothes, etc. into these bags, we can get away with not having to check a suitcase.

We recently decided to rent skis out there (but bring our boots) since our equipment is older, and we'd prefer to use newer skis better suited for mountain skiing; the cost is also largely offset by having to pay to check skis and give our skis much needed tune-ups. Now that we have that plan, I'm wondering if we could get away with no checked luggage at all if we each brought our boot bag as our personal item. I checked the dimensions of both our boot bags compared to Frontier's allowable PI dimensions, and notice that both our bags are an inch or two wider and deeper than the allowable dimensions, if fully expanded.

So the question I have is: if we don't overstuff our boot bags (ie, only put boots in them) and they could easily collapse into the allowable dimensions/fit under the seat, how likely is it that the gate attendant will try to force us to each check a bag for $35 each at the gate saying that our boot bags are over the allowable PI dimensions? I'm guessing that showing up at the gate with each of us carrying a suitcase close to (but within) the max dimensions, plus a personal item that amounts to a large backpack, will make us sizer targets.

If this seems too risky, my backup idea is to put our boot bags in our suitcases (they collapse down to practically nothing) and carry our boots without a bag, or put them in "safer" size bags - but I would prefer not to do that.

Thanks!