Frontier Airlines Now Lets You Cancel for Any Reason. Here’s What It Costs.

Updated: September 16, 2026, 8:00am CDT

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Table of Contents

How Frontier’s New Refund Option Works
How Much Does It Cost?
Final Thoughts

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Frontier Airlines has added a new choice that changes one of the most frustrating parts of booking with an ultra-low-cost carrier: the inability to get your money back when plans change. Starting today, you can pay extra at checkout for the Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) option and receive up to a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure.

The product is powered by HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions) and is live now on FlyFrontier.com and in the Frontier mobile app. HTS already provides similar coverage to WestJet, Volaris, and Flair, but Frontier is the first U.S. ultra-low-cost carrier to bake it directly into the booking flow.

How Frontier’s New Refund Option Works

Frontier‘s standard fares are usually nonrefundable. Cancel a normal booking made after June 5, 2026, and you’re generally looking at a $129 cancellation fee and a travel credit instead of a refund to your original method of payment.

CFAR flips that. You select it during booking, and if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure, you get money back to your original form of payment. Frontier is offering 2 coverage tiers: 80% or 100% of the fare. Pick based on how much protection you want and how much you’re willing to pay upfront.

Frontier Airlines JetBlue — Image Credit: Stella Shon

A few things to know before you check the box and add this optional service:

The CFAR fee itself is nonrefundable, even if you use the benefit.
Coverage is tied to your specific booking and can’t be transferred to another traveler.
You don’t earn Frontier Miles on the CFAR purchase, per Frontier’s loyalty terms.
CFAR is not travel insurance and doesn’t replace it. It covers you when you change your mind, not medical emergencies, lost bags, or trip interruptions.
If Frontier cancels or significantly changes your flight, standard airline rules apply, and you don’t need CFAR to get a refund.

How Much Does It Cost?

Pricing is dynamic and shown at checkout, so it varies by route, date, fare, and how far in advance you book. Based on sample itineraries, expect the add-on to cost between 10% and 18% of your total trip cost, with the 100% refund tier priced higher than the 80% tier.

Here are some sample flights and pricing to add CFAR to a round-trip ticket:

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Trip	Fare Type	Round-Trip Cost	100% CFAR	80% CFAR
Denver-Las Vegas booked 3 months in advance	Basic fare for 1 passenger	$102	$17	$10
Philadelphia-Orlando booked nearly 2 months in advance	Economy bundle (seat + carry-on) for 1 passenger	$221	$49	$42
Chicago-Dallas booked less than 1 month in advance	Economy bundle (seat + carry-on) for 1 passenger	$320	$64	$48

Is it worth it? If there’s a real chance you’ll cancel, CFAR usually beats losing the entire fare or getting stuck with a travel credit and a $129 fee.

Hot Tip:

Before you buy, check what your credit card already gives you. Several credit cards include trip cancellation and interruption coverage when you pay for the flight with the card. That protection only kicks in for covered reasons like illness, jury duty, or severe weather, which is exactly where CFAR doesn’t help. The 2 coverage types complement each other rather than overlap.

Final Thoughts

For an airline whose default answer to “can I get a refund?” has long been “no,” this is a genuine shift toward greater flexibility. It’s optional, priced clearly at the time of booking, and gives budget travelers a real lever they didn’t have before.

We’d skip it on cheap one-way fares where the fee isn’t justified compared to what you might lose from a nonrefundable fare, but on higher-priced or group bookings where plans can shift, it’s worth pricing out. Check your credit card’s built-in coverage first, then decide whether 10% to 18% for the freedom to change your mind is worth it to you.