Why Frontier Airlines’ Zone 1 Boarding Is a Mess This Summer

On a recent Frontier Airlines trip, my priority Zone 1 boarding didn’t feel like a benefit, but rather a free-for-all, with most passengers boarding the plane in the same supposedly exclusive group.

As Frontier shifts more passengers into Zone 1 with promotions for carry-on bags, bundles, and credit card perks, the value of early boarding has become diluted.

Here’s what I experienced in Frontier’s Zone 1 and how I’m adjusting my strategy to avoid it.

What Is Frontier Zone 1?

Frontier Zone 1 is a priority boarding zone for passengers who have purchased a carry-on bag or a bundle with a carry-on, as well as Frontier Miles members with Elite Gold, Elite Platinum, Elite 20K, or Elite 50K status. It’s after preboarding and Board First but before courtesy boarding and zones 2 to 4.

The Problem With Frontier Zone 1

Priority boarding with Zone 1 is marketed as a way to be among the first on the plane. That sounds great until you realize it’s not nearly as exclusive as it sounds. While there are 3 more zones following Zone 1 (zones 2, 3, and 4), the reality is you’ll likely board with most of the plane if you’re in Zone 1.

That was my experience on a recent round-trip flight from Houston’s George Bush International Airport (IAH) to Orlando International Airport (MCO). On both flights, nearly every passenger on the plane was in Zone 1. Each time, I boarded in Zone 1, while my husband boarded in Zone 2. In both cases, he observed fewer than a dozen passengers boarding in Zone 2 or later.

Boarding a flight — especially on a low-cost carrier like Frontier — is organized chaos at best, but when you have 150 or more passengers crowding the gate, all expecting priority boarding, it’s a real problem. We observed many anxious passengers lined up before the plane was even at the gate.

After preboarding was completed, many passengers were understandably confused and tried to skip to the front of the line. They thought that with Zone 1, they had priority boarding ahead of the crowd, but the crowd was all Zone 1 passengers.

With many people in Zone 1 bringing carry-on luggage, the overhead bin space filled quickly. I didn’t see flight attendants asking passengers to move small items such as purses and backpacks out of the overhead bins. We saw multiple carry-ons gate-checked. The same scenario played out on our return flight from MCO.

As we arrived from our return flight, we saw 2 more flights almost fully lined up waiting to board, including the flight that would board the plane we had just departed. Again, we saw many frustrated and confused Zone 1 passengers who didn’t understand why so many people were trying to get on the plane simultaneously. This time, we heard announcements asking for volunteers willing to check their carry-on bags because there wouldn’t be enough room.

Why Everyone Is in Frontier Zone 1

How is everyone getting priority boarding on Frontier? My guess is it’s all about carry-on bags. Anyone who buys a carry-on or a bundle with a carry-on gets Zone 1 boarding automatically. Frontier pushes luggage and bundle purchases hard in the booking process, and many passengers are buying them.

Frontier recently ran a special promotion to attract disenchanted Southwest Airlines customers with a free economy bundle, which included a carry-on bag and Zone 1 boarding. Though that deal has expired, it applied to flights starting in mid-March and is still valid for flights booked through August 18. It’s no surprise we’re seeing more carry-on bags (with Zone 1 boarding) this summer.

Another factor contributing to a larger Zone 1 is the fact that Frontier Elite Gold status is easy to achieve with the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard^®. New cardholders get instant Elite Gold status for the first 90 days after opening an account. If you spend $3,000 on the card within the first 90 days, you get Elite Gold status for the first 12 months. Zone 1 priority boarding is one of the benefits of Elite Gold status.

How I’m Handling Frontier’s Zone 1 Chaos

Though I’m not a fan of the current Frontier boarding situation, it won’t keep me from hopping on a cheap domestic flight. However, I am changing my approach and plan to avoid Zone 1 on my next Frontier flight.

I have Frontier Elite Gold status and get Zone 1 priority boarding, but I plan to wait it out and board either toward the end of Zone 1 or in Zone 2. We hustled out of the IAH Centurion Lounge to stand in a mess of people on our outbound flight, but I won’t make that mistake again. Rushing to line up in a frustrated crowd isn’t worth it, and it doesn’t guarantee overhead bin space.

I’ll try to stick with just a personal item, as I often do on low-cost-carrier flights. That’s better than bringing a carry-on and worrying whether there will be overhead bin space when I get there. I can board late in the game, since the only luggage space I need is at my feet. If I need to bring more, it’s not a big deal because I can check 2 free bags on each flight as a Frontier Airlines World cardholder.

Final Thoughts

Frontier’s Zone 1 isn’t what it used to be. In my experience, it now encompasses most of the passengers on the airplane. That can make boarding chaotic and confusing.

I’m taking a different approach until Frontier updates its boarding policies, even though it wastes a benefit I’ve earned with my Frontier Airlines World card and Frontier Elite Gold status.