Still on the road, but here’s a continuation of the LCC roundup, back due to popular demand!
What you need to know:
Website: www.frontierairlines.com
Phone Number: 800-432-1359
Main Airports Served:Hub: DEN(Denver). Focus Cities: CUN(Cancun), LAX(Los Angeles), SFO(San Fransisco), MCI(Kansas City)
Mileage program details:
Name:EarlyReturns
Website: www.frontierairlines.com/frontier/frequent-flyers.do
Earning Details: Similar to the “legacy carriers,” Earn 1 mile per mile flown.
Miles Expiration: None as long as there is activity every 2 years.
Redeeming:
-15,000 miles to the US(including Alaska) or Canada, 25,000 miles to Mexico.
Award Ticket Change: Changes to the date/time are free. Changes to destination are $35. Cancellation is $35.
Capacity Controlled: Yes
Blackout Dates: No
Elite Status: Ascent Level: 15,000 flown miles in a calender year. Summit Level: 25,000 flown miles in a calender year.
Elite Status Benefits:
Ascent:
-Free DIRECTV® service
-25% mileage bonus on Frontier flights
-Priority check-in and boarding
-Preferred seating assignments
-Priority lines at most airport security checkpoints
-Exclusive Ascent Customer Service toll free number
-EarlyReturns® Plus. Redeem 30,000 miles for any available seat within the U.S or Canada. 45,000 miles for any available seat to Mexico.
Summit:
All of the above, and
-50% mileage bonus on Frontier flights
-$25/$100 standby fee waived the day before, the day of and the day after on return flights
-One extra free checked bag (three bags total)
-Complimentary onboard alcoholic beverages
-Exclusive Summit Customer Service toll free number
Upgrades: N/A
EarlyReturns Ctowngrade: 3.5 stars/5 stars.
Pros: Has a decent elite program. Top-Notch expiration policy for an LCC. 15,000 mile award travel is a true bargain!
Cons: No upgrades. Somewhat limited reward options.
Co-Branded Credit Card:
Frontier’s Mastercard gets you 15,000 miles at signup, enough for a free flight! The signup bonus can only be earned one time. Earn 1 mile for each $1 spent. Earn 1,000 miles for each $1,000 in balance transferred, up to $10,000, the fee is 3%, up to a maximum of $50. Annual fee: $49.
Credit Card Grade: 4.0 stars/5 stars.
Application Linky
What you may not know:
-Frontier offers DirecTV on all flights for just $5(free for elites)
-Frontier flies an all-Airbus fleet offering a generous amount of legroom(33″ pitch) and seat width(18″).
-Changes to regular tickets will set you back $100, the highest penalty of the LCC’s.
-Standby on the same day is free, confirmed standby for the same day is $25. Confirmed standby on the day before or after your flight is $100(free for summit members)
/history lesson mode on/ The original Frontier airlines, which was also based in Denver operated from 1950-1986. It was acquired by People Express in 1985, and the failed merger sent both airlines into bankruptcy in 1986. Continental acquired both of the airlines in 1987, and operated a hub in DEN which it scaled back and closed after its own 1991 bankruptcy. Sensing opportunity, the former execs of Frontier reopened the airline under the same name with of course a hub at DEN…/end history lesson/
-Frontier flies to many Mexican destinations, and is the only US based LCC to fly to Canada or Alaska.
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7 Comments On "LCC Roundup #5-Frontier Airlines"
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how can i change my cell plan without restarting my contract?
i need to upgrade my verizon plan because i am over in my minutes but verizon now says that if i change it i need to restart my 2 year contract -even though in the past i was told otherwise!- is there anything i can do about it?
You did not mention one thing,
that for double the miles (only 30,000) you can get a seat on almost any flight, which for Amex cardholders that’s great, since other Amex partners, such as Continental, Delta, & US Airways, have very little availability on the 25,000 mile award ticket
(Jetblue does have more availability than other airlines, but not as much as frontier using the 30,000 award option)
Basically for 30,000 miles they could put you on any flight that has a empty seat period (even if that seat cost $1,000)
which airlines allow stop overs?
(going from NYC to Las Vegas, and stopping in Miami)
other guy, you’re best bet might be writing to the BBB or your state’s attorney general and file a complaint.
anon #1-i did mention that, its under the elite section because that option is only available to elites as of 04/01/06.
anon #2-i assume you refer to a free stopover on a mileage ticket. Afaik no airlines would allow such a free stopover on a domestic ticket. Continental does have a domestic stopover reward option that would allow that for more miles though.
Most airlines do however offer free international stopovers at the first gateway city, so you could book a ticket on AA from GRU(sao paulo, brazil) to LAS(las veags) and get a free stopover in their gateway of MIA(miami) for the same price of 40,000 miles(off-peak).
I just spoke to AA, and they said I could do a stop over in Miami… for the 25,000 mile award, (from NYC to LAS they don’t fly direct anyway…)
does anybody know anything about USAirways or Delta…
also I once heard that there is some kind of trick to get Amex MR Points through another airline, to AA… does anybody know how?!?!?
well then i stand corrected. (i know they dont fly direct, but a stopover is a whole different story than a stop)
there are ways of transferring amex MR’s to AA, but you’d lose a serious amount (60%) of miles in the conversion…
the only good amex MR workaround that i know of is amex to hawaiian to hilton hhonors in which the exchange will actually give you double your amex MR’s..
AA said I could stop in miami for 2 weeks on the way to las vegas on the 25,000 mile award
what is the best way to use your Amex MR points? (I have 125,000) [to get the most of your money]