7 Things I’ve Learned as a Frontier Airlines Frequent Flyer

I flew with Frontier Airlines more than any other airline in 2025 for its low-cost fares, and the experience became entirely predictable (though not unpleasant).

My Frontier experience spanned early-morning departures to late-night returns, with packed flights, smooth trips, and 1 painful delay. Patterns emerged, with boarding that’s almost always chaotic, quick gate turnarounds, and planes that are usually full, regardless of when I fly. The airline’s reputation centers on bare-bones, budget-friendly flights, but the onboard experience is often better than expected.

Here’s what you should know if you’re considering flying Frontier for budget travel, from boarding strategies and seat selection to family seating realities and cardholder perks.

1. Planes May Arrive Late, but They Turn Around Fast

One of the most unusual observations I made while flying Frontier Airlines is how often planes arrive late, but flights still depart on time.

On multiple flights, I arrived at the gate area at boarding time, only to find our plane wasn’t there yet. Then the plane would come a few minutes later, and passengers started spilling out. Almost immediately after the last passenger disembarked, boarding began, and we departed, arriving at our destination on time or ahead of schedule.

It’s both baffling and impressive to watch planes undergo such quick turnarounds. It’s efficient, which keeps costs low, but it raises questions about cabin readiness. I usually saw staff cleaning the planes from front to back as we depart, so they must work quickly to clean the rows as soon as passengers leave.

In all of 2025, I only experienced 1 significantly delayed flight, but it was a big one. Instead of departing around 8:45 p.m., we were delayed until 2 a.m. and ended up sleeping in the airport. I’ve found that early morning, nonstop flights are the most reliable.

2. Boarding Is Always Chaos

The gate experience with Frontier Airlines is typically crowded and disorganized, especially on full flights (which is all I experienced with Frontier last year).

It was a free-for-all in Zone 1 priority boarding last summer, when, on multiple flights, nearly every passenger was in Zone 1. That led to exceptionally long boarding lines and a lot of confusion, as many passengers didn’t understand why so many other people were boarding the plane when they thought they had priority boarding.

When Frontier updated its boarding groups last year, I thought it would improve. With 7 boarding groups plus preboarding, it should be more organized than it was with only 4 large boarding groups. I didn’t see the Zone 1 chaos scenario play out again since the summer, but boarding still wasn’t great.

Frontier’s boarding groups are clearly defined, but not well communicated, and enforcement is often loose. On multiple flights, I’ve experienced poor gate announcements that leave passengers clueless about which group is currently boarding and where they should line up. Those confused passengers then line up anyway, just in case, and the boarding groups blend into a minimally organized chaos. There are 2 lines at every Frontier gate (for passengers with and without paid carry-on bags), but that often devolves into a single line of uncertain passengers.

To their credit, gate agents typically get passengers through efficiently. I’ve yet to see anyone turned away for boarding ahead of their group, which probably helps to keep the line moving quickly. Still, the boarding line experience is draining, as the line often snakes well into other gate areas and lacks any order.

I’ve had priority boarding in Zone 1 under the old boarding procedures and Group 1 under the new procedures with Frontier Miles Elite Gold status from my Frontier Airlines World Mastercard^®. I rarely join my assigned group unless I need overhead bin space. If I’m traveling with just a personal item, I typically board later, when the line is shorter and calmer.

3. Overhead Bins Fill up Quickly

Frontier’s carry-on bag fees are typically $29 to $115, depending on when you purchase your baggage allowance. You’d think that would deter passengers from bringing bags on board, but it hasn’t. Even when I board with my priority boarding group, it’s questionable whether I’ll have space for my bag above my seat.

This is more of a problem in the front half of the cabin. I’ve noticed that if I’m sitting in the first 10 rows or so, the bins may be full when I board, even in Group 1. Bins at the back of the aircraft often still fill up, but that typically happens only toward the end of boarding. If you’re seated in the front, you may need to put your bag in the back, swim back upstream to your seat, then return to the back to retrieve it before deplaning.

Paying for a carry-on doesn’t automatically translate into convenience. If you need overhead bin space, boarding early matters, but it doesn’t guarantee a spot near your seat. Traveling with only a personal item simplifies boarding so you’re not competing for bin space.

4. Flights Are Almost Always Full

Even when I fly at odd hours, like 6 a.m. or 9 p.m., Frontier flights are almost always full. I’ve checked in for flights showing open seats on the map only to board a fully occupied aircraft.

I suspect last-minute pricing plays a role in full flights. Frontier frequently offers competitive fares, even close to departure, so flexible travelers, price-sensitive passengers, and those rebooking after cancellations on other airlines may fill in the last available seats.

Seat assignments also shift at check-in, as passengers may move to better seats as availability opens and families may be rearranged.

Practically, this means you shouldn’t make empty seats part of your strategy. It’s not realistic to hope for extra personal space on Frontier, even if the seats next to you are empty when you check in. If seat comfort is essential to you, it may be worth selecting your preferred seat in advance.

UpFront Plus seats are a moderately pricey upgrade compared to Frontier’s base fares. Still, they offer extra legroom, guaranteed elbow space, and extra under-seat storage with no middle seat passenger. Overhead bin space isn’t guaranteed, but in practice, I’ve seen flight attendants reserve it for UpFront Plus passengers.

5. Onboard Service Is Better Than Expected

Onboard service is where I’ve been most consistently impressed by Frontier. You won’t find complimentary snacks or drinks, but the flight attendants often bring genuinely warm service with efficiency and noticeable patience, even on packed flights.

They move quickly through service while clearly explaining pricing and keeping interactions straightforward. I’ve seen flight attendants tactfully handle seat-swapping and efficiently find another spot to squeeze a bag into the overhead bin so passengers don’t have to gate-check.

A flight attendant wisely saved me a few bucks when I ordered snacks and drinks for my kids, suggesting we split a can of juice instead of ordering 2, promising she’d come back to see if we needed another later (we didn’t). Whenever we’ve requested airline trading cards from flight attendants, we’ve been met with smiles and a generous selection.

It helps that transactions on the plane are simple, lacking the complexity of a full meal service or cabin offerings, such as Wi-Fi or inflight entertainment. It’s just snacks, drinks, and basic requests, and the flight attendants deliver well on all of those.

6. Inflight Snack Pricing Isn’t Terrible

Some passengers consider Frontier’s absence of complimentary snacks or drinks a downside, but I’ve come to appreciate the à la carte approach. It’s part of why I’ve consistently found low-priced fares and makes the onboard service simple, fast, and minimally disruptive. I usually don’t want snacks on the plane, anyway.

When we want to buy drinks or snacks on board, I’ve found the pricing reasonable, especially compared to airport concession prices. Soft drinks, juices, and hot drinks such as coffee are $3.99, and most snacks (typically a substantial portion) are $4.99.

The inflight menu came in handy when we couldn’t make it into an airport lounge as expected before a flight, and we got our kids snack packs on board. A small pack was $6.99 and included crackers, cookies, and applesauce. The large snack pack ($9.99) had more than they could finish, with wafer cookies, flatbread, cheese spread, gummies, and roasted almonds. It wasn’t a full meal, but it was a better deal than airport prices for multiple items.

That said, bringing your own snacks and drinks is often the most cost-effective. We usually budget time to visit an airport lounge before our flight so we don’t need to eat on board, and we fill our water bottles there or in the terminal.

7. Automatic Family Seating Is Inconsistent

Frontier Airlines’ family seating policy automatically seats children 14 and under with their family group at no additional charge. This policy is helpful for families who want to save money and don’t have a seat preference other than sitting together. You can skip making a seat selection and not worry about your 5-year-old ending up sitting next to a stranger.

Unfortunately, Frontier’s family seating isn’t without hiccups. I have 2 kids under 14 and have put the policy into practice multiple times — and multiple times have had to ask for an adjustment.

On almost every flight I take with my family, our 2 youngest are not automatically assigned seats with a parent. We’ve had their seats assigned up to 10 rows away from a parent. On 1 occasion, our teen was assigned a seat next to a parent, while the younger 2 were put together, rows away.

Sometimes, we’re assigned 3 seats together and can shuffle family members around so the 2 youngest are with a parent, while the other parent and our teen sit elsewhere as assigned. However, numerous times, I’ve checked in for a flight and had to initiate a customer service chat to request family seats so multiple rows don’t separate our under-14s from a parent. These chats have so far proven successful, but it’s a time drain and stressful to deal with the day before our flight.

Final Thoughts

After flying Frontier more than any other airline last year, I can’t call the experience great or terrible, but it is relatively consistent and reliable. For the right traveler, there’s value in Frontier’s low-priced, predictable service.

More often than not, boarding will be awkward, the plane will be full, and you won’t be able to count on overhead bin space. However, you’ll likely arrive at your destination on time for a great price. If you don’t expect the bells and whistles of a legacy carrier, you can appreciate the tradeoff of low fares.

That said, Frontier isn’t for everyone. If you need flexibility during irregular operations, no-hassle family seating, or a calmer gate experience, the savings might not outweigh the stress. Frontier has fewer recovery options than legacy carriers when things go wrong, so delays can be disruptive. It can be a good, strategic choice when route, timing, and price align, but look elsewhere if you’re willing to pay more for a higher level of service.