I have an upcoming flight on Frontier Airlines and I have recently discovered their absurd rules and fees concerning carry on baggage. I have not flown Frontier Airlines in the last 10 years.

They charge $25 per carry on piece of luggage that I bring on board. However, I am allowed one personal item, that will fit underneath my seat, and does not exceed the dimensions of 18" x 14" x 8", inclusive of all handles, wheels, and straps. Personal items include, lap top computer with or without a case, a back pack, purse, or handbag without charge.

Has anyone recently had any problems with the "personal item" vs. "carry on bag" distinction with Frontier Airlines? The reason that I ask, is because if Frontier determines your "personal item" to be a "carry on item" at the gate, they charge you $100 instead of the also ridiculous fee of $25 to check it online or at the baggage drop.

Hopefully you other flyertalker's will have some recent feedback on this Frontier policy so I do not fall victim to these deceptive trade practices.

As the OP's Q. is specific to Frontier Airlines' policy, I'll move this to the dedicated Frontier forum for further discussion.


Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, Travel Buzz.

I observed the GAs measuring things and watching closely a few days after the policy was instituted.

Sad descent into low class by an airline I used to like.

I think it is more than a sad descent into low class... it is beyond laughable.

What is next? Are they going to start serving 24 oz cans of Busch Lite on board and charge $17.99 a can?

If they are looking for a way to cut costs and increase profits, how about instead of gouging customers on baggage fees they quit having images of a different animal on each plane tail. Doing away with that mediocre novelty would have to save some money, wouldn't it?

In case you aren't aware, F9 now charges for all drinks of any kind on board.

Sad.

They have a bin near the gates and check in desk that is the exact size requirement and final determiner - if it fits into the bin, you can bring it on. It also does not apply to any tickets purchased on Frontier's web site - those include a standard carry-on free of charge.

I'm not sure what is deceptive about it - they spell it out on not just one, but two separate tabs at the top of their website ("Optional Fees" and "Bag Fee Changes"). Can you please clarify that point?

lowfair,

It is very convenient that they spell it out on not just one, but two separate tabs at the top of their website. I am sure people who book their tickets online, directly from the website, are very appreciative of the notification of the baggage fees.

However, if you do not book on their website then you are made completely unaware of this fact. No wonder the Frontier ticket was so cheap! I'm going to be paying more in baggage fees than my entire fare!

Maybe "deceptive" wasn't the correct choice of words. Maybe I should have said, "this unconscionable business practice" instead. My bad.

Then blame the travel agency (online or brick & mortar) you purchased it from. They are able to lay out the terms and conditions. For example, here's what you see after selecting the itinerary you would like on Orbitz:



Spending 5 seconds to read it shows you would have a carry-on baggage fee with a basic ticket. Under trip cost you have a link for all baggage fees. If the site/agent you are booking through isn't competent enough to tell you this up front, they are probably where you should direct your ire.

For the record, I am not a fan of charging for a standard carry-on bag, and am disappointed at how F9 handles it ($100 at the gate is too much, it should be $50). With that said, 1) They have mentioned they want to become more like the European ULCCs, which generally charge for a similar item and 2) I fail to see how this is deceptive by any stretch of the imagination. If they ran an ad that said Free carry-ons!!!!* *For personal items only, larger items incur up to $100 charge then that would be considered deceptive. Having an incompetent travel agent on your part does not make deception on their part.

lowfare,
Which is why I have stated that my wording of "deception" was a poor choice in words. I have since taken that statement back and changed it to "unconscionable" business practice.
I did not book the ticket from a brick and mortar travel agency, nor did I use one of the popular internet travel web sites. Instead, I purchased the ticket through American Express Business Travel program "Concur." Nothing ever mentioned these fees. Oh well, I was just really taken by surprise that someone would 1) charge for a carry on bag, and 2) charge $100 at the gate. UN-CON-SCION-ABLE!

Then you should contact American Express to let them know they are in violation of the law. From DOT regulation 14 CFR 399.85 (emphasis mine):

You can easily do one or both of the following:

1) Contact American Express/Concur and ask for a credit for any carry-on fees you encounter during this trip as they did not properly inform you of them. Take screenshots and mention the law above that they are in violation of. CC Frontier so they can apply pressure to AmEx as well (so more customers are not affected like you were.

2) Write the Department of Transportation about this. Take screenshots showing the violations, including your e-ticket confirmation and the fare quotation screen (you should be able to re-create it by searching again) and send it to the DOT using their consumer complaint form, available here. I would do it, but I'm not a Concur member so you would be the one with proof. It should take less than ten minutes, and will do much more to bring changes vs. a rant on an internet forum.

I would be interested to see the screenshots, as this law has been in effect for close to 2 years now, and I'm shocked AmEx would violate them like this, especially given that the DOT has fined airlines for similar violations. You can easily upload screenshots to imgur.com if you need somewhere to host them.

Even when you pay the carry-on charge your still saving money. Flights from DEN to MSP start at $49 each way $98RT. On other carriers where the carry-on bag is "FREE" it cost $105 each way $210RT.

So Frontier's unbundled price is $98RT
Add 1 carry-on bag both ways $50RT
Add a soda each way $4RT

Total cost $152RT
Price on Airline with "FREE" carryon: $210RT

So what carry on + checkin rules apply if I book on the frontier website with points?

Its pretty much the same as an economy ticket. Here are the details from a recent award trip.

Standard Award Fare Benefits

Advance Seat Assignment*: STANDARD Seating
1st Checked Bag:
� $20 at online check-in / $25 at airport for bookings made on or after June 2, 2013
2nd Checked Bag:
� $30 for bookings made on or after June 2, 2013 for travel on or after November 14, 2013
Carry-On Bag: Included
Seating:
STRETCH - From $15/segment
SELECT - From $5/segment

They have moderated this slightly by providing complementary water.

I'm pretty sure the cups of spring water have been free since they started charging for drinks. They were free on my trip ILG-IAH and back mid August.

It's pretty sad though if you pay $100-$150 RT for a flight from NJ to Chicagp and then can't afford $2 for a soda