Frontier Airlines obfuscates web check-in form: Difference between revisions
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{{IncidentCargo | {{IncidentCargo | ||
|Company=Frontier Airlines | |Company=Frontier Airlines | ||
|StartDate= | |StartDate=2024-06-01 | ||
|EndDate= | |EndDate= | ||
|Status= | |Status=Active | ||
|ProductLine= | |ProductLine= | ||
|Product= | |Product= | ||
|ArticleType= | |ArticleType=Service | ||
|Type= | |Type=Dark Patterns,Hidden Fees | ||
|Description= | |Description=Frontier charges $5 for website check-in while hiding the form behind multiple navigation layers; app check-in is free | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Frontier Airlines''' charges up to $5 per passenger, per direction for checking in to a flight through its website, while making the mobile app check-in free.<ref name="optional-services">{{Cite web |title=Optional Services |url=https://www.flyfrontier.com/optional-services |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260320003437/https://www.flyfrontier.com/optional-services |archive-date=20 Mar 2026 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Frontier Airlines}}</ref> In mid-2024, the airline redesigned its homepage to remove the web check-in form from the front page, requiring passengers to click through secondary menus to find it.<ref name="archive-before">{{Cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127123111/https://www.flyfrontier.com/ |title=Frontier Airlines homepage (archived November 27, 2023) |publisher=Wayback Machine |date=2023-11-27 |access-date=2026-03-27}}</ref><ref name="archive-after">{{Cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801024737/https://www.flyfrontier.com/ |title=Frontier Airlines homepage (archived August 1, 2024) |publisher=Wayback Machine |date=2024-08-01 |access-date=2026-03-27}}</ref> The combination of a fee penalty for using the website and the deliberate obfuscation of the check-in form pushes passengers toward Frontier's mobile app, a practice that passengers have described as a [[dark patterns|dark pattern]].<ref name="simpleflying-complaints">{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Frontier Airlines Received The Most Complaints For 3rd Consecutive Year |url=https://simpleflying.com/frontier-airlines-most-complaints-3rd-consecutive-year/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250725150836/https://simpleflying.com/frontier-airlines-most-complaints-3rd-consecutive-year/ |archive-date=2025-07-25 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Simple Flying}}</ref> | |||
==Background== | |||
[[Frontier Airlines]] is a Denver-based ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) that transitioned to an unbundled fare model in 2014.<ref name="wikipedia-frontier">{{Cite web |title=Frontier Airlines |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontier_Airlines |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405200502/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontier_Airlines |archive-date=2026-04-05 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Wikipedia}}</ref> Under this model, the base fare covers transportation only, while nearly every other service is monetized as an ancillary fee. As of 2025, Frontier reported ancillary revenue of $67.57 per passenger.<ref name="sec-10k">{{Cite web |title=Frontier Group details 2025 ULCC operations, risks |url=https://www.stocktitan.net/sec-filings/ULCC/10-k-frontier-group-holdings-inc-files-annual-report-0b37c851cc7e.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260407144639/https://www.stocktitan.net/sec-filings/ULCC/10-k-frontier-group-holdings-inc-files-annual-report-0b37c851cc7e.html |archive-date=2026-04-07 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Stock Titan}}</ref> | |||
Beyond the $5 web check-in fee, Frontier charges a Carrier Interface Charge (CIC) of up to $23 per passenger, per flight segment for booking tickets through its website or call center.<ref name="optional-services" /> Passengers can avoid the CIC by purchasing tickets at an airport counter, a workaround that travel publications have documented as saving $23 per segment on identical fares.<ref name="omaat-airport">{{Cite web |date=2022-09-11 |title=Save Money Buying Frontier Tickets At The Airport |url=https://onemileatatime.com/insights/buy-frontier-tickets-airport/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260219005409/https://onemileatatime.com/insights/buy-frontier-tickets-airport/ |archive-date=2026-02-19 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=One Mile at a Time}}</ref> Aviation commentator Gary Leff has argued that structuring the CIC as a separate fee rather than including it in the base fare allows Frontier to avoid paying the mandatory 7.5% federal excise tax on that portion of the ticket price.<ref name="vftw-tax">{{Cite web |author=Gary Leff |date=2025-03-07 |title=$23 Extra Charge For Booking Frontier Airlines Tickets Online Looks a Lot Like Tax Fraud |url=https://viewfromthewing.com/23-extra-charge-for-booking-frontier-airlines-tickets-online-looks-a-lot-like-tax-fraud/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251118135704/https://viewfromthewing.com/23-extra-charge-for-booking-frontier-airlines-tickets-online-looks-a-lot-like-tax-fraud/ |archive-date=2025-11-18 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=View from the Wing}}</ref> Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air, Sun Country, and Breeze Airways charge similar per-segment online booking fees ranging from $3.99 to $54.<ref name="thrifty-booking-fees">{{Cite web |date=2024-06-10 |title=The Sneaky Way to Save $40+ on Spirit, Sun Country & Others |url=https://thriftytraveler.com/guides/airlines/how-to-save-budget-airlines-online-booking-fees/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260213161438/https://thriftytraveler.com/guides/airlines/how-to-save-budget-airlines-online-booking-fees/ |archive-date=2026-02-13 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Thrifty Traveler}}</ref> | |||
==Web check-in changes== | |||
[[File:FrontierBefore.png|alt=November 27, 2023: The check-in form is easily accessible from the front page.|thumb|November 27, 2023: The check-in form is accessible from the front page.]] | |||
[[File:FrontierNew.png|alt=August | [[File:FrontierNew.png|alt=August 8, 2024: The check-in form now directs the user to use the app.|thumb|August 1, 2024: The homepage pushes users to download the app instead of providing a check-in form.]] | ||
Before mid-2024, the Frontier Airlines homepage included a check-in form directly on the front page, allowing passengers to enter their confirmation code and check in without leaving the page.<ref name="archive-before" /> By August 2024, the homepage no longer displayed this form. Instead, it presented a prominent "DOWNLOAD OUR APP TO CHECK-IN!" message with links to the iOS and Android app stores.<ref name="archive-after" /><ref name="frontier-checkin-page">{{Cite web |title=Check-In |url=https://www.flyfrontier.com/travel/my-trips/check-in/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260403164846/https://www.flyfrontier.com/travel/my-trips/check-in/ |archive-date=2026-04-03 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Frontier Airlines}}</ref> | |||
Passengers who wanted to check in through the website had to locate the form through indirect routes. One path required clicking "Customer Service" at the bottom of the page, then finding "Help checking in" in the FAQs, then expanding "Other ways to check in" to reveal the hidden form.<ref name="archive-after" /> Another workaround involved clicking "My Trips and Travel Info" and then "Manage Trip."<ref name="frontier-checkin-page" /> | |||
Frontier's official fee schedule lists website check-in at "up to $5 per passenger, per direction (non-refundable)," while app check-in carries no fee.<ref name="optional-services" /> The stated policy on the Optional Services page reads: "A fee will apply to customers who check in on the website. Passengers may check in using our mobile app to avoid this fee and save time and money."<ref name="optional-services" /> The fee language has appeared on Frontier's website since at least December 2022, according to Wayback Machine snapshots, but at least one passenger reported in February 2025 that the charge was not applied at checkout despite being listed in the fee schedule.<ref name="optional-services" /> | |||
Passengers who skip both the website and app and check in at the airport counter face a $25 per passenger, per direction "Airport Agent Assistance" fee.<ref name="optional-services" /> In May 2025, a passenger at Raleigh-Durham who arrived 50 minutes before departure was told he needed to pay $25 for counter check-in. When he complained, a Frontier agent threatened to ban him from the airline and called police. The passenger ended up purchasing a $500 JetBlue ticket instead.<ref name="vftw-police">{{Cite web |date=2025-05-03 |title="Never Flying This Airline Again" - Watch As Frontier Threatens Ban, Calls Police When Passenger Complains About $25 Fee Just To Check In |url=https://viewfromthewing.com/never-flying-this-airline-again-watch-as-frontier-threatens-ban-calls-police-when-passenger-complains-about-25-fee-just-to-check-in/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260318211018/https://viewfromthewing.com/never-flying-this-airline-again-watch-as-frontier-threatens-ban-calls-police-when-passenger-complains-about-25-fee-just-to-check-in/ |archive-date=2026-03-18 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=View from the Wing}}</ref> | |||
===Frontier's response=== | |||
Frontier has not issued a public statement explaining why the web check-in form was moved off the homepage. The airline's consumer-facing messaging frames the app as a convenience: "Save time and money with the Frontier mobile app. Use the Frontier mobile app to book and manage travel, check-in, and get your boarding pass quickly and easily."<ref name="frontier-checkin-page" /> | |||
On May 17, 2024, Frontier announced "The New Frontier," a pricing overhaul that eliminated change fees for Economy and higher fare classes, extended flight credit validity from 90 days to 12 months, and reintroduced live phone support.<ref name="new-frontier-pr">{{Cite web |date=2024-05-17 |title=Announcing 'The New Frontier': Transparent Pricing, No Change Fees, and Enhanced Customer Experience |url=https://news.flyfrontier.com/announcing-the-new-frontier-transparent-pricing-no-change-fees-and-enhanced-customer-experience/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251123105527/https://news.flyfrontier.com/announcing-the-new-frontier-transparent-pricing-no-change-fees-and-enhanced-customer-experience/ |archive-date=2025-11-23 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Frontier Airlines}}</ref> The initiative did not address the web check-in fee or the homepage redesign. | |||
==Other airline check-in practices== | |||
Among budget carriers, Frontier's practice of charging for website check-in while keeping app check-in free is unusual. European ULCCs penalize passengers who fail to check in digitally, but they do not charge for website check-in specifically. Ryanair charges up to 55 EUR (55 GBP in the United Kingdom) for airport check-in but allows free check-in through both its website and app.<ref name="ryanair-fees">{{Cite web |title=Fees |url=https://www.ryanair.com/us/en/useful-info/help-centre/fees |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260302060230/https://www.ryanair.com/us/en/useful-info/help-centre/fees |archive-date=2026-03-02 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Ryanair}}</ref> Wizz Air charges 13 to 40 EUR for airport check-in but offers free online check-in on its website and app.<ref name="wizzair-fees">{{Cite web |title=All Services and Fees |url=https://www.wizzair.com/en-gb/information-and-services/prices-discounts/all-services-fees |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260328163741/https://www.wizzair.com/en-gb/information-and-services/prices-discounts/all-services-fees |archive-date=2026-03-28 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Wizz Air}}</ref> | |||
U.S. competitors Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air, and Sun Country charge online booking fees (called "Passenger Usage Charge," "Electronic Carrier Usage Charge," or "Passenger Interface Charge") of $3.99 to $22.99 per segment, but these apply to the ticket purchase transaction, not to the check-in process itself.<ref name="thrifty-booking-fees" /> | |||
==Consumer response== | |||
Frontier has held the worst complaint ratio among major U.S. airlines for three consecutive years. In 2024, passengers filed 23.3 complaints per 100,000 passengers with the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 10 points above the next-worst airline (Spirit, at 12.8) and over 15 times the rate of Southwest (1.5).<ref name="pirg-2025">{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Plane Truth 2025: Airline complaints rise |url=https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/plane-truth-2025/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260211150025/https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/plane-truth-2025/ |archive-date=2026-02-11 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=U.S. PIRG Education Fund}}</ref> In 2024, U.S. airlines received a record 66,675 total complaints.<ref name="pirg-2025" /> | |||
Frontier's check-in cutoff policy compounds the fee issue. The airline closes counter check-in 60 minutes before departure, and passengers who miss the window cannot board regardless of willingness to pay.<ref name="optional-services" /> | |||
==Regulatory context== | |||
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation finalized the "Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees" rule, which would have required airlines to disclose baggage, cancellation, and change fees upfront during the initial fare quote. The DOT estimated the rule would save consumers $500 million annually.<ref name="dot-junk-fee-rule">{{Cite web |date=2024-04-24 |title=Final Rule - Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees |url=https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/ancillaryfeefinalruleapril2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260207223237/https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/ancillaryfeefinalruleapril2024 |archive-date=2026-02-07 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation}}</ref> Airlines for America, the airline industry trade group, challenged the rule in court. On February 3, 2026, the en banc Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the rule after the DOT conceded it had failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act's notice-and-comment requirements for a cost-benefit study used in the rulemaking.<ref name="fifth-circuit-vacated">{{Cite web |date=2026-02-27 |title=Aviation Regulatory Update - February 2026 |url=https://www.eckertseamans.com/legal-updates/aviation-regulatory-update-february-2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260407145129/https://www.eckertseamans.com/legal-updates/aviation-regulatory-update-february-2026 |archive-date=2026-04-07 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Eckert Seamans}}</ref> | |||
The [[Federal Trade Commission]] has warned that dark patterns, which it defines as "design practices that trick or manipulate users into making choices they would not otherwise have made," may violate Section 5 of the FTC Act. The FTC's 2022 report on dark patterns specifically cited hidden costs and manipulative user interfaces as enforcement targets.<ref name="ftc-dark-patterns">{{Cite web |date=2022-09-14 |title=Bringing Dark Patterns to Light |url=https://www.ftc.gov/reports/bringing-dark-patterns-light |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260130103832if_/https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/P214800%20Dark%20Patterns%20Report%209.14.2022%20-%20FINAL.pdf |archive-date=2026-01-30 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref> No enforcement action targeting Frontier's web check-in design has been announced. | |||
Frontier has faced separate DOT enforcement for other consumer protection violations. In November 2022, the DOT ordered Frontier to pay $222 million in refunds and a $2.2 million civil penalty for failing to provide timely refunds during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="dot-refund-2022">{{Cite web |date=2022-11-14 |title=More Than $600 Million in Refunds Returned to Airline Passengers Under DOT Rules Backed by New Enforcement Actions Issued Today |url=https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/more-600-million-refunds-returned-airline-passengers-under-dot-rules-backed-new |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260318063827/https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/more-600-million-refunds-returned-airline-passengers-under-dot-rules-backed-new |archive-date=2026-03-18 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation}}</ref> In January 2025, the DOT fined Frontier $650,000 for operating three chronically delayed flights at least 63 times between August 2022 and April 2023.<ref name="dot-delay-2025">{{Cite web |date=2025-01-16 |title=Frontier Airlines - Order 2025-1-2 |url=https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/Frontier-Airlines-Order-2025-1-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250215150115if_/https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2025-01/Frontier%20Airlines%20Consent%20Order%202025-1-2.pdf |archive-date=2025-02-15 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation}}</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
[[Category:2024 incidents]] | |||
[[Category:Dark patterns]] | |||
[[Category:Airlines]] | |||
[[Category:Hidden fees]] | |||