Frontier Airlines Cuts Itinerary Change Fee, Discounts First Bag Fee For Online Check-in On Some Fares

We all know that what one airline does is often copied by others, so we can only hope this is the beginning of a trend. Frontier Airlines Wednesday announced fee reductions and policy changes effective for tickets purchased on or after April 13, 2011. Key changes include the addition of no change fees for itinerary changes made prior to the day of travel on the airline’s "Classic" fares.

“Many of the changes we’re making are really geared towards those who value choice and clarity in their travel experience,” said Ian Arthur, vice president of marketing and branding. “With the Classic fare, a guest can now enjoy the flexibility of no change fees, in addition to two complimentary checked bags, same-day standby, bonus EarlyReturns miles and more – making the Classic fare by far the best bang for your buck. The beauty of our Classic and Classic Plus fares is the freedom they provide our guests to select the option that best meets their unique travel needs and bundles those features into an affordable package, rather than paying for them à la carte.”

For tickets purchased on or after Wednesday, Frontier will reduce the change fee from $100 to $50 on Economy fares and will also add a discount on the first checked bag fee for any guest who checks in online. This discount is currently set at $5, which reduces the checked bag fee from $20 to $15 on the Economy fare. Guests traveling on Classic and Classic Plus fares will continue to receive two complimentary checked bags on every flight.

Frontier also added another level of transparency for its guests by posting its revised guest commitment online. The guest commitment outlines what a Frontier Airlines guest can expect in any kind of irregular operation including, flight delays and cancellations.

Other key changes going into effect Wednesday include:

• Removal of the flat fee for checked bicycles, which will now be included in the standard baggage allowance, meaning customers traveling on Classic or Classic Plus fares can include their bike as one of their two complimentary checked bags and Economy passengers would pay $20 if the bike is one of their first two checked bags. Bikes will be exempt from any oversize fees, but subject to overweight fees and excess bag fees, if applicable. This is similar to the carrier’s current policy for golf clubs and skis.
• Name changes will now be permitted for $50 on Classic and Economy tickets. Classic Plus ticket holders and Summit-level EarlyReturns members can change a name at no charge. In addition to the name-change fee, guests will also be responsible for paying any difference in fare at the time the change is made.
• Fees for same-day confirmed flight changes on Classic tickets will be reduced to $25 from $50 with no fare difference.
• The excess bag fee – for a third bag and beyond – will be standardized at $50 per bag for all markets, domestic and international.

The airline is also rebranding flights operated on ERJ 135, ERJ 145, and Q400 aircraft as "Frontier Express." The Frontier Express branding will indicate that the in-flight service and amenities will differ from Frontier’s standard mainline service found on Airbus, Embraer 190 and Embraer 170 aircraft.

FMI: www.FrontierAirlines.com