Originally Posted by Premier Al

Frontier the airline gets an "A". Early Returns gets a "B+".

Sometimes, it is hard to separate the two, and since I am very satisfied with the airline, the program becomes an extra bonus above and beyond on-time performance and excellent staff, and gets a better than average rating, too.

However, I cannot disagree with most comments above. The point someone made concerning weak partners with ER is valid, and is a big reason why I would not rate the program above a "B+". On the positive side, Ascent and Summit members have access to the "More Store", and I have taken advantage of that feature for a room at the Brown Palace Hotel. More Store is a nice part of the ER program.

Award availability is also very good.

Over the past ten years, I have been a Premier Exec on UA, and Silver Elite on CO and on HP prior to the US merger/takeover. I have flown often on other carriers as well, and my experience has been that F9 is uniformly better than any other for domestic travel, day-in and day-out. Being on-time and working with genuinely friendly and helpful people are things I almost take for granted now on F9.

I believe that F9 is gaining a loyal business traveler following out of Denver, too. When I first gained Ascent status, it seemed that maybe one or two would board each flight. On two flights this week to DFW, there were at least fifteen Ascents and Summits, and both flights were stuffed.

Every once in a while, someone posts on this board that WN or UA will soon win back travelers from F9. Nothing seems to have worked so far, at least here in Denver, to dislodge me or my colleagues, or many other business and leisure travelers that I see, to either go back to UA or switch to WN. Things would have to change drastically to threaten this airline. F9 is doing it right, and the ER Program is part of that happy situation even with its minor shortcomings.