rsteinmetz70112

That would be helpful. Most other airline site allow you to do that.

I just noticed today that one of my trips was not credited. I have sent in a requires so I'll give them a few days to fix it, then followup.

The flight they missed did not appear in my list of Past Trips.

FCfree

I travel more than 2 times a year. Problem is ... I can't travel with Frontier because every time I compute an "all in" price, including airfare, checked bags and carry on bags, Southwest always comes out significantly less expensive. And, at Southwest, points don't expire if you fly at least once every 24 months. And, you can sign up for Rapid Reward Dining and keep your miles alive with a minor dining.

I'll do the transfer from F9 to Points.com to AA to keep my AA miles alive. Thanks for the heads up!

rsteinmetz70112

I have recently come up with exactly the opposite conclusion. YMMV. Although I seldom check bags and carry on bags are free for Elites.

FCfree

That would make a difference. But you have to fly enough flights, paying the bag fees and/or carry on fees while you are at "DIRT" status, before you get to "ELITE" status. That is a barrier to entry to the elite status club for me, and I don't do enough flights to make that worth it.

And, even when you get to the ELITE status and your carry-ons are free, you've still got bag fees (if you check a bag, which I almost always do), and then change fees too.

I'm not sure how you travel for business without checking a bag. Toothpaste? Deodorant? It would seem you'd have to get the travel size of each of these and squeeze it all in that one quart bag. If you also need a laptop computer and suit, not sure how you get all that in a carry-on.

Even when I go for a pleasure trip, a few shirts and other items gets to the point where I would rather check the bag. I'll pay the $20 or $25 for a checked bag, but I add that to the airfare to come up with my "all-in" price.

rsteinmetz70112

I do the same thing although I seldom change flights once I make the reservations and generally plan ahead at least a couple of months.

One of my frequent trips (ATL_MSY) is generally $102 at Southwest on sale, I almost always buy on sale prices. It's currently $272 for a flight tomorrow.

I can get the same route on Frontier for $39 on sale fairly often and $59 very often. That same last minute fare is $179. By the time I add Seat Fee $4 plus a carry on bag $30 and a checked bag $20 I'm at $88 vs $102 (and I have a reserved seat).

If I change a flight at the last minute Southwest will hit me up for a large fare increase generally more that the Frontier fare increase + $75 change fee. In my above example of $102 the increase is $170 (sometimes more) while the increase for Frontier is $140 + $75 or $215 but the total of $179+30+20+4=233, still less than Southwest at $272, it only costs more when you add in the change fee.

The only place I come out behind is in cancellations where Southwest lets me keep a full credit.

Oh and Frontier doesn't send me free drink coupons and drinks on Frontier cost more.

But since I save on average $60 (remember I don't have a carry-on nor a checked bag) or in my example only $14, I would still need to cancel or change a lot of flights (or drink a lot) to come out behind.

Of course your travel may be different and it may not work out for you the same.

Also if the difference was only $14 on a regular basis I might use Southwest because they have far more flights.

mandrivnyk

How do you do that? I checked out points.com and there appears to be a pretty serious fee for miles transfer.

Moreover, points.com says miles of AA and Frontier are not interchangeable at all.

FCfree

You lost me somewhere in the math there.

Frontier: $39 fare + $30 carry on + $20 checked + $4 seat fee = $93 vs. $102 at Southwest. Advantage: Frontier, and you get an assigned seat (could be good or bad depending on the assigned seat vs. rolling the dice on Southwest, but lets assume its better to have an assigned seat).

Frontier: $59 fare + $30 carry on + $20 checked + $4 seat fee = $113. Slight advantage Southwest at $102. As you say, Southwest has a stronger schedule.

One could argue you need to add $12.50 early bird fee to the Southwest price. If you do, even more advantage to Frontier at the $39 sale price, call it a wash at the $59 price.

A change that happens perhaps a month after you book (if that ever happens to you) is likely to have a small fare difference on both SWA and F9, but F9 adds the $75 change fee. Advantage: Southwest.

A last minute change (using your numbers): Frontier $179 fare + $75 change fee + $30 + $20 + $4 = $308. Southwest $272. Advantage: Southwest.

However, I will grant you, that if you never have a checked bag nor a carry-on bag (perhaps you have a "personal item" that generates no fee?), then advantage: Frontier. I have never been able to travel that way since 9/11. Pre-9/11 I used to travel with an over the shoulder garment bag that contained everything, plus a computer case, thus no checked bags. But starting after 9/11, I like to check a bag.

However, I do agree that for each flight, it makes sense to check all the airlines, add the fees and then do a comparison. For me, it has become harder to have Frontier come out a winner because of the carry-on fee. Pre-carry-on-fee, there were definitely times when I used Frontier for at least one leg of the trip, the SWA on the other leg.


My comment was based on an earlier post which implied that this could be done. Is the fee actual dollars or is it just the huge devaluation? I had been planning to let my Frontier miles expire. I will if there is a cash transfer fee. If I can move them from Frontier to some other place that might remotely be useful to me, I will do that, even with a huge devaluation.

mandrivnyk

I was unable to find a way to transfer just with the devaluation. Looks like F9 miles can be transferred to non-airline programs only I have never heard of. Choices with actual dollar fee are unreasonably expensive.

But before you decide, please check on points.com, because you may find what I did not.

rsteinmetz70112

Sorry about that.

I'm A-list, no need for a fee, even if I wasn't T-24 works for me.

Very seldom but Southwest fares seem to climb faster than Frontier

Sometimes Southwest is higher, sometimes Frontier is lower. If you loose the carry on it's about even.

As a Frontier Elite I get a free carry-on, so that works for me. Also if you only check a bag and don't carry one on, Frontier looks better.

Definately you need to check your specifics. I figure going Frontier saves us a few thousand a year. We may be a rare case. Others may not work out the same.

FCfree

I can never travel without the carry-on, as I usually take some type of electronics such as an iPad or laptop. Also need to carry on things such as pills/meds.

I'm not elite/A-list, so I don't get the free stuff. However, I did get companion pass at SWA via credit cards, so that is a huge factor over at SWA for me.

I will grant you that if you can get one of those $39 sale fares, then Frontier looks pretty attractive. Always seems like when I am pricing things out, the $39 fare is never where I am going, in the date range I need, or in the time range I need.

I would agree, however, that for EVERY flight you take, you should price it at both SWA and F9, and even those legacy carriers (Delta, American, United). Just factor in all the extra fees. The bag fees are easy to factor in. The change fee is more of an uncertainty as you don't know if you are going to change or not (if you did ... you'd just book it on the right days/times!)

If you are elite/A-list at both airlines, or at neither airline, then pricing both airlines makes sense. Its only if you are elite at one but not the other that then you have to give some extra weight (but not unlimited weight) to the one where you get preferential treatment. To me, it would still be worth pricing it at both airlines, then making a decision from there.

FCfree

I also don't see a way to transfer to AA. Sorry about that. That was based on what I read above. I'd only do a transfer of F9 miles if I can find a way to do it for free, especially to programs that I have limited/no interest.

Big4Flyer

While its true that flying with no status on F9 is a pretty miserable experience it may not be a barrier to entry if you have status at any other airline. I was just able to status match to Frontier Elite using WN CP status through the rest of the year. Hopefully that helps if you really want to give it a shot.

Also, in regards to traveling for business without checking a bag, ever since getting PreCheck I've pretty much completely ignored the size restrictions for toiletries and always just leave them in my carry-on, even on those off-days when I don't get PreCheck on my BP. In the 20+ flights in the last few months since then I haven't been hassled about it at all. Maybe its just the airports I'm flying through but it hasn't been an issue. I'll also note that I'm not bringing economy-size toiletries, I just might bright a 4 or 5 oz instead of a 3oz.

FCfree

That is interesting. However, it has been rumored that to get a status match (SWA CP --> Frontier Elite), you have to show them that you earned your CP through flying, not through credit cards. But, even if you can get there using credit cards, when I have CP, the pricing with Frontier becomes even more challenging. If I am flying with wife and daughter and wife is my companion, then even if Frontier is $40 per ticket cheaper, Southwest is going to be cheaper for 3 people, where one person is free.

It might, however, pay to take my SWA CP, get Frontier Elite, and then when flying alone, fly Frontier. That's an interesting idea. I have my travel planned through the end of my CP in 2015, but if I get CP again in 2016, then getting Frontier match through 2017 would make a lot of sense.

Nice idea!

rsteinmetz70112

I just thought I'd post the outcome of my request to get an uncredited trip credited. I sent in the email form from the website and after about a week I got the miles credited and the segments updated, they sent an email confirming the update. But the trip is still not listed in My Profile under Past Trips.

Also the expiration date of my miles seems to be updating properly after I fly. My last flight was 6/17 and my expiration date in now 12/17

Big4Flyer

Sounds like you're in the same boat as me. With CP its almost always cheaper to fly WN with a family of 3 than even a low-cost carrier and I don't travel for leisure without my family. I did the status-match to F9 because I have some points I plan on burning for a trip this fall and this way I can give my wife the stretch-seating on the plane, get a free carry-on, and have the award booking fee waived.

Also, I can't speak for other's experiences, but I earned CP primarily through the RR credit cards and they matched my status without asking for proof of how I earned my miles. Sounds like you have a pretty good plan.