Originally Posted by
SRQ Guy
Their model is to get you to pay fees for other things like seat assignments, baggage, and food and beverage aboard. I think the fare itself (aside from the aforementioned taxes and government fees) is almost meaningless.
Because of a flight time change and some courtesy vouchers, last weekend my daughter and I flew TPA-DEN-TPA for a grand total of $53 (total, not each). The two checked bags, however, cost $160. I even managed to snag us Stretch seats on the return by checking in very late.
I tend to think that the folks who are unsatisfied with Frontier don't understand what they're buying.
As I've mentioned in another Frontier thread, the "problem" with Frontier isn't the fees, it's the reliability. Everything is (more or less) OK until there are irregular ops and you get stranded. Like I had a more-than-satisfactory $19 flight to MSY and then got stranded there when they "forgot" to buy de-icing fluid for that station.
BTW, I think you're incorrect in thinking that the "fare doesn't matter." NOBODY will stay in business charging $19 for flights. You were very generous giving them $160 for your 2 checked bags. Most people -- especially after they fly Frontier once or twice -- won't do that (note that Spirit has suffered from declining ancillary revenue). The unanswered question is whether, over time, Frontier can keep their costs low enough to under-charge the majors. Given the very effective counter-tool of "basic economy," that's not a bet I would make, but we'll have to see. Investors are also skeptical: in the past year, Spirit's stock price is down 20%, while airlines like American are up 20%. That's signalling that something is not going well with the ultra low cost airline business model in the USA.