Flying Frontier Airlines
I was looking to fly from Atlanta to New Orleans and originally had looked at Delta and Southwest, as those were the carriers I knew that flew that route. The average price on both carriers for a one-way flight ranged from $160-$200. I then went to online travel sites and did a search and that is when I discovered that Frontier Airlines also flies the route – at a much lower cost. Even booking two days before, a one-way flight on a Sunday costs $99 (including taxes) which is extremely inexpensive, so I investigated why it was so inexpensive – Frontier is an ultra LCC. This is flying on the new Frontier
I had previously flown Frontier about 10 years ago through their Denver hub and that is when they were more of a standard carrier; flying on them now, things are a little different as an ultra LCC. In this model, everything is considered extra and has a charge associated with it. A carry-on that will fit in the overhead compartment – a charge; a checked-bag – a charge; choosing your own seat – a charge; drinks and food on board – a charge. The only items that are not charged are a carryon bag that can fit underneath the seat, and a glass of water on board. While all the ‘extra charges’ may be obnoxious to some, to others it may be the best deal because you only pay for what you need. For me, it was a good deal given my travel time and needs.
The older plane also had the personal IFE which can provide live DirectTV for a fee. From my understanding Frontier is discontinuing this service in the ‘reinvention’. The fee to access the TV is $5 and you can swipe your card to access the TV – the flight path map can be viewed for free. The screens are fine for a longer-haul journey, but they are small (tiny in fact) and the controls for the system are on the armrest so you can accidentally hit the controls when you are resting your arm (which I did many times).
What was part of the ‘new’ Frontier was the service on board – as it’s a paid service so if you would like food or drink, you have to pay. The prices vary from $1.99 for a soft drink to higher for other drinks and snacks. They will provide a glass of water for free. I had brought my own drink and food at the airport so I did not buy anything on board – this is the biggest instance where some are complaining about Frontier. I have been on longer flights – about 2.5 hours – on mainline carriers where for that long duration you only get one free drink and that is it, and for that they charge a lot. I do not mind brining my own drink if I am getting a lower fare – and that is what Frontier offers.
Overall, given the short duration and the low fare it was a really good flight that left on time and arrived early! Given Frontier is moving to the ultra LCC model, I was expecting a lot worse so maybe that is why my expectations were exceeded. If you know what to expect, then you can get a decent flight on a very inexpensive fare.
Happy Travels :)




























