NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
To say that Frontier Airlines has cheap prices is like saying Times Square has a high electric bill. Out of all the Airlines in business, no other company offers fares like Frontier. But behind all the promos of $19 One-Way flights, there is a catch and a dark side to how they run their business.
How many Frontier flights have you been on over the years? Me, I’ve flown them quite often especially traveling between NYC and Atlanta. Just recently, I received an email from Frontier Airlines offering a special on flights out of NYC. Of course, I opened it. I love to travel.
As you can see the prices are awesome. But let’s break this down just a bit to see how awesome this deal is.
Let’s say I choose the NYC to ATL package. That came up to a total of $64.96. The reason why that is, the $19 was for a One-Way ticket but I do have to come home. So why not just spring for a Roundtrip ticket? But still, $19 for a trip to ATL from NYC is not bad at all, right? Now, here comes the catch.
That $64.96 still needs to have tax added. And it doesn’t matter what airline you choose, taxes are still a b****. After taxes are included, that Roundtrip ticket that was a little under $65 now balloons to a little over $100 due to these charges below. I can’t lie, I don’t even know what most of these mean. But we pay them anyway because we believe that we caught a steal of a deal from Frontier, right? Wrong.
Now comes the time for the luggage and this is where Frontier Airlines really hits the pockets. A One-Way cost for luggage on Frontier is $65. There are times when you can get them for $55 but that all depends on where you’re going. So, think about the cost of that luggage added to the price of the ticket. For a Roundtrip flight, that’s $130 just for the luggage. Hold up, the ticket for the flight was under $110 but I have to pay more just for my luggage? Yes. Now that once $65 trip has now ballooned to $238. And remember, this started out as a promo deal for a $19 One-Way trip.
Yes, you can join their Discount Den Program and get discounts but in the end, Frontier is very slick with their fees. And the sad part is, they’re not even hidden fees, it’s right there in your face. But somehow, we still believe we’re catching a deal. And to make matters worse, Frontier does not even offer complimentary drinks and snacks on their flights. Maybe someone got lucky and had them but my experience has been no drinks or snacks.
Is Frontier Airlines Worth Flying?
Now, to do a quick comparison. Let’s use American Airlines for the same flight from NYC to ATL. The cost of the ticket totals $177.80 and that’s with taxes and fees included. Now, the kicker here is that American Airlines only charges $30 for luggage, times that by 2 and the total for that flight is $60 and that’s if you need it to be checked as AA lets you bring a carry-on and personal item for free. Plus you get complimentary refreshments. The total for the same trip with American is $177.80 and if you need to place your luggage under that plane, the new total is $237.80.
So, Frontier Airlines is $238 and American Airlines is $237 and that’s without any AA promo deals. Please explain to me where the deal is from Frontier.
A way around the Frontier charges are simple. Don’t take any luggage with you. Carry a bookbag and just make sure it can fit in their carry-on checker before you board. Because if you try to wiggle out of paying before check-in or when you get to the airport, they will pull you out of line before you board and charge you $100 for the luggage at the gate.
Please be careful when buying a ticket from Frontier Airlines. Make sure you checked every Airline out there and compare the ticket prices as well as the taxes, hidden fees, and luggage. While it may be time-consuming, the little extra time you spend on that can save you a few hundred bucks.
