Frontier Airlines: Difference between revisions

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*Charging customers succeeding fees in addition to the already-paid fee after the initial sale

*Temporarily removed its phone support in 2022, but reintroduced it in 2024 because of high customer demand

*Collect personal data on passengers before setting the price ~~as part~~ of ~~their "dynamic pricing" approach~~

*Collect personal data on passengers before setting the price of seats

*Forcing customers to waive their right to sue or join class actions if they enroll in their fly pass program

*Sells passengers' personal information to third parties without providing passengers a way to opt-out

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A class-action lawsuit alleges that Frontier gate agents utilized the gate-side bag-sizers smaller than the posted size to mislead passengers into paying fees for bags that were actually within size limits.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pradelli |first=Chad |date=November 21, 2023 |title=Lawsuit accuses Frontier Airlines of bogus baggage fees {{!}} Investigation |url=https://6abc.com/frontier-airlines-bag-policy-class-action-lawsuit-flight-fees/14085587/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250326031459/https://6abc.com/frontier-airlines-bag-policy-class-action-lawsuit-flight-fees/14085587/ |archive-date=March 26, 2025 |access-date=Junie 10, 2025 |work=6abc Action News}}</ref> To further push Frontier's budget-focused business model, the bag fee incentives, coupled with their bait-and-switch practice of cheap tickets, and multiple fees, appears to be an overarching strategy to exploit their customers as much as possible so that the airline can make as much money as possible.

=== Controversial and exploitive pricing strategy ===

Frontier Airlines has been criticized multiple times for collecting personal details from their passengers, like ZIP codes, age, and gender, before showing seat fees at check out.<ref name=":0" /> Suspiciously, other airlines like Delta, American, and United do not ask for personal details before showing the prices of their seats. Frontier and Spirit have faced Senate scrutiny for this practice because it's believed that they use this information to adjust prices for different passengers who purchase tickets for the same flight based on demographic data.

Not only does this confuse customers about the true prices that Frontier posts, it is an indirect discriminator practice. It is reasonable to assume that Frontier adjusts prices based on:

* ZIP code, which possibly correlates with passengers' income bracket or race

* Age, which possible correlates with passengers' ability to pay for a certain price

* Gender, which possible correlates with passengers' willingness to pay for a certain price

=== Forced arbitration via Frontier Airlines "Fly Pass" ===

Frontier's "GoWild! All You Can Fly" pass requires that members agree to terms that force them to resolve legal disputes outside of court and force them to abstain from joining class actions.<blockquote>"You and Frontier agree to arbitrate all disputes and claims between us... tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation or any other legal theory...

"In addition, by agreeing to resolve disputes through arbitration, You and Frontier agree to each unconditionally waive the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action, representative proceeding, or private attorney general action."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terms and Conditions |url=https://idmonitoring.frontier.com/terms |url-status=live |access-date=June 18 2025}}</ref></blockquote>In 2024, federal Colorado judge, Judge Kathryn A. Starnella dismissed a class action lawsuit filed against Frontier Airlines by fly pass member, Jeriyma Hartsfield for a breach of contract. Despite Hartsfield's attempt to representa class of passengers who also faced a similar situation, the lawsuit was ultimately shot down by Judger Starnella because she deduced that Hartsfield, "had ample opportunity to review the terms, including the arbitration clause, before agreeing to them."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milano |first=Ashley |date=July 9 2024 |title=Frontier Airlines 'All You Can Fly' Lawsuit Grounded, Heads to Arbitration |url=https://injuryclaims.com/news/other/frontier-airlines-gowild-lawsuit-dismissed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250326041651/https://injuryclaims.com/news/other/frontier-airlines-gowild-lawsuit-dismissed |archive-date=March 26 2025 |access-date=June 18 2025 |website=Injury Claims}}</ref> Hartsfield was then left to attempt to resolve the matter via arbitration instead of in court.

===Obfuscating web-based check-in and charging passengers for it===

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 *Charging customers succeeding fees in addition to the already-paid fee after the initial sale
 *Temporarily removed its phone support in 2022, but reintroduced it in 2024 because of high customer demand
-*Collect personal data on passengers before setting the price as part of their "dynamic pricing" approach
+*Collect personal data on passengers before setting the price of seats
 *Forcing customers to waive their right to sue or join class actions if they enroll in their fly pass program
 *Sells passengers' personal information to third parties without providing passengers a way to opt-out
@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 A class-action lawsuit alleges that Frontier gate agents utilized the gate-side bag-sizers smaller than the posted size to mislead passengers into paying fees for bags that were actually within size limits.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pradelli |first=Chad |date=November 21, 2023 |title=Lawsuit accuses Frontier Airlines of bogus baggage fees {{!}} Investigation |url=https://6abc.com/frontier-airlines-bag-policy-class-action-lawsuit-flight-fees/14085587/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250326031459/https://6abc.com/frontier-airlines-bag-policy-class-action-lawsuit-flight-fees/14085587/ |archive-date=March 26, 2025 |access-date=Junie 10, 2025 |work=6abc Action News}}</ref> To further push Frontier's budget-focused business model, the bag fee incentives, coupled with their bait-and-switch practice of cheap tickets, and multiple fees, appears to be an overarching strategy to exploit their customers as much as possible so that the airline can make as much money as possible.
+=== Controversial and exploitive pricing strategy ===
+Frontier Airlines has been criticized multiple times for collecting personal details from their passengers, like ZIP codes, age, and gender, before showing seat fees at check out.<ref name=":0" /> Suspiciously, other airlines like Delta, American, and United do not ask for personal details before showing the prices of their seats. Frontier and Spirit have faced Senate scrutiny for this practice because it's believed that they use this information to adjust prices for different passengers who purchase tickets for the same flight based on demographic data.
+Not only does this confuse customers about the true prices that Frontier posts, it is an indirect discriminator practice. It is reasonable to assume that Frontier adjusts prices based on:
+* ZIP code, which possibly correlates with passengers' income bracket or race
+* Age, which possible correlates with passengers' ability to pay for a certain price
+* Gender, which possible correlates with passengers' willingness to pay for a certain price
+=== Forced arbitration via Frontier Airlines "Fly Pass" ===
+Frontier's "GoWild! All You Can Fly" pass requires that members agree to terms that force them to resolve legal disputes outside of court and force them to abstain from joining class actions.<blockquote>"You and Frontier agree to arbitrate all disputes and claims between us... tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation or any other legal theory...
+"In addition, by agreeing to resolve disputes through arbitration, You and Frontier agree to each unconditionally waive the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action, representative proceeding, or private attorney general action."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terms and Conditions |url=https://idmonitoring.frontier.com/terms |url-status=live |access-date=June 18 2025}}</ref></blockquote>In 2024, federal Colorado judge, Judge Kathryn A. Starnella dismissed a class action lawsuit filed against Frontier Airlines by fly pass member, Jeriyma Hartsfield for a breach of contract. Despite Hartsfield's attempt to representa class of passengers who also faced a similar situation, the lawsuit was ultimately shot down by Judger Starnella because she deduced that Hartsfield, "had ample opportunity to review the terms, including the arbitration clause, before agreeing to them."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milano |first=Ashley |date=July 9 2024 |title=Frontier Airlines 'All You Can Fly' Lawsuit Grounded, Heads to Arbitration |url=https://injuryclaims.com/news/other/frontier-airlines-gowild-lawsuit-dismissed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250326041651/https://injuryclaims.com/news/other/frontier-airlines-gowild-lawsuit-dismissed |archive-date=March 26 2025 |access-date=June 18 2025 |website=Injury Claims}}</ref> Hartsfield was then left to attempt to resolve the matter via arbitration instead of in court.
 ===Obfuscating web-based check-in and charging passengers for it===