Frontier Experience
 

This is just a FYI/IMHO kind of thing.

I took Frontier (whom I had taken in the past, and was quite satisfied, but before the ultra-LCC pivot) on two recent leisure trips. Normally, I would have taken United (as I did in the past).

I have a Chase/United CC, so the 1st bag question out the window.

I have to say ...

Frontier does nickel and dime you to death (carry on, checked, seat selection, etc.)

Frontier's seats (even up front seats) aren't great. The legroom up up front seat) was fine, but the actual seat ... I was really squirming at the one hour mark.

Charges for water. Charges for even the most basic of snacks.

All that said, I bought the "all in" package with Frontier (checked bag, carry on bag, up front seat, refundable ticket), and it was still 1/2 of what United wanted.

I know UA isn't really interested in chasing low fare customers but ... 1/2?! My lesson learned is F9 is worth a look. Business meeting? Maybe not, but leisure? You really want to pay an extra $200 to earn 50 miles (or whatever). I was really hesitant to give F9 a shot after their ... conversion, but I have to say totally worth it.

BTW for the record, Frontier charges for a bottled water but not a glass of water poured from a 1.5L bottle.

The money quote

you pay for what you get.

Hi -

I just recently bought a RT PDX-DEN for $38.20 on F9.

For that price, I can handle their seat for 2 hours and get a glass of water and bring an underseat carryon and get my seat assignment at the airport.

They have become my preferred airline for 2-hour 1-2 night trips.

But they are going to be chasing low fare customers. All the majors will...
https://skift.com/2016/10/24/why-uni...ion-explained/

I'm still not really sold on Frontier despite the low all in prices I will say.

This will be my 3rd trip since the "conversion". The 2 previous trips were fine, but ... as soon as there is a cancellation or a significant delay, I'm completely expecting to be screwed - "We can rebook you on the next available flight - which is 3 days from now".

This is where AA, UA, and Delta excel (IMHO). If they can't get me to where I need to go on their metal (which is unlikely except in smaller 1 hub service towns), they will (after some b****ing and moaning) get me on another carrier. Frontier won't do this (nor will Spirit & Allegiant).

For what you pay, the service seems great to me, but any trip with time constraints (business/funeral/wedding/cruise) ... I'd be really hesitant. Refunding my airfare doesn't do a whole hell of a lot of good when I have to book a same day ticket on Delta or United for $700. Still though, as I said, my RT cost on F9 was $180 to where I am going (with everything). UA was $425+ (and this is for Thanksgiving). I just wish F9 would do better in irregular ops.

The majors aren't always so great in irregular ops either, especially for non-elite customers. AA has stranded me in ORD one time too many. Saving the kind of money you can on F9, I can afford to buy a walk up ticket once in a while, if needed, and still come out ahead. Granted, controllable delays should be better on carriers with interline agreements.

A lot of people here put a lot of stock in interlining and travel insurance. I don't. Last year I flew Frontier 28 times. I saved at least $1,400 over the competition, probably more. I never had a cancelled flight but did experience some delays.

Looking at cancellations all airlines have similar rates of around 2%, these are often clustered around major weather events when all carriers suffer more of less the same but some airports are more prone to cancellations than others. Weather cancellations often affect traffic in both directions making recovery somewhat easier. Based on 2% cancellation rate (which I think overestimates the actual risk) I can expect a cancellation once every 50 flights. Last year my partner and I flew something like 70 flights on Frontier and never had a cancellation. For 50 flights I would have saved around $3,000 flying Frontier so even buying a last minute walk up fare on a legacy I would still be way ahead. Add to that all of the travel insurance premiums I haven't paid and I'm well ahead for a lifetime.