The Ultimate Guide To Flying Frontier Airlines With Kids [2024]

Frontier Airlines is a growing ultra-low-cost carrier in the U.S. As such, it can be a cost-effective airline for families that don’t require additional amenities such as advanced seat selection or checked baggage allowances. Low-cost carriers aren’t for everyone, so knowing what you can expect when flying this type of airline is important, especially with kids in tow.

Here’s what you can expect when you fly Frontier Airlines with kids.

Where Frontier Airlines Flies

Frontier Airlines flies to and from 73 domestic destinations and over a dozen international destinations in 10 countries. The airlines’ international destinations include Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ); San José, Costa Rica (SJO); Cancún, Mexico (CUN); and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ).

According to its website, some of the airline’s most popular routes include Atlanta (ATL), Cincinnati (CVG), and Denver (DEN) to Las Vegas (LAS), and Denver, Philadelphia (PHL), and Trenton (TTN) to Orlando (MCO). Frontier Airlines’ main airport hub is Denver.

Frontier also partners with ultra-low-cost Mexican airline Volaris, which operates flights through Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and the U.S.

Frontier Miles Program

Joining the Frontier Miles program is free.

As a member, you can earn 10x miles per dollar spent on Frontier purchases. You can also earn miles through Frontier’s travel partners, such as Telefora and Dollar Car Rental, and by spending on the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard^®. Miles can be redeemed for award flights (starting at 10,000 miles one-way).

Elite Status Points are accrued at the same 10 points per dollar rate through qualifying purchases on the Frontier Airlines World card and other eligible purchases and count towards elite status.

Elite Status

Elite Status Points accrue annually and give members status for the remainder of the year in which status is earned and the following year. Frontier Airlines has 4 elite status levels: Elite Silver, Elite Gold, Elite Platinum, and Elite Diamond.

• Silver: Earned after 10,000 miles; 12x earnings multiplier
• Gold: Earned after 20,000 miles; 14x earnings multiplier
• Platinum: Earned after 50,000 miles; 16x earnings multiplier
• Diamond: Earned after 100,000 miles; 20x earnings multiplier

Hot Tip:

Some Frontier Miles status perks apply to everyone in your booking. For example, Elite Silver status members get Zone 2 priority boarding for everyone in the booking. Those on the same booking with an Elite Diamond status member also get a second checked bag free.

Family Pooling

Frontier allows “families” to pool their miles together to redeem free flights even faster. Your family can be composed of family members, friends, etc.; you do not have to share an address. However, 1 person in the family has to serve as the head of the family, and only those with Elite Silver status or a Frontier Airlines World card are eligible. The head controls how and when the miles are spent.

You can have up to 8 people in the family; no minimum or maximum number of miles is required to participate.

Discount Den

While not an elite status program, Frontier Airlines’ Discount Den is a membership program that offers reduced airline rates and other perks. A perk that can be incredibly valuable to families is that kids fly free on select dates and flights. If your plans are flexible, you can use this option often.

Discount Den is $99.99 for the first year and $59.99 annually after that. Members can look forward to the following benefits:

• Lowest fares guaranteed
• Kids Fly Free
• Exclusive deals, including promotions, only available to Discount Den members
• You can book Discount Den fares for up to 9 people on the same reservation

If you travel frequently to and from destinations serviced by Frontier Airlines, Discount Den could come in handy.

GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly Pass

Frontier’s GoWild! All-You-Can Fly passes let you book unlimited domestic and international flights as long as your pass is valid. The pass can be a monthly subscription or an annual pass.

Bookings are not confirmed until the day before departure for domestic travel, starting 10 days before international departures. Keep in mind that the flights aren’t entirely free. You’ll still be responsible for at least $0.01 for the airfare, plus applicable taxes and fees. The pass does not include any add-ons like seat selection or baggage, but you can collect miles when flying with a GoWild! pass.

A monthly GoWild! pass is valid for 30 days after purchase and currently costs a $99 enrollment fee. After that, it will renew monthly for $149 per month. Annual GoWild! passes for 2024 to 2025 are $599 per year.

Bottom Line:

Frontier Airlines Discount Den and GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly passes allow travelers to pay less for airfare even though they are still responsible for applicable taxes and fees. The perks of each vary slightly, but neither saves money on the add-ons that can add hundreds of dollars to the price of a ticket.

Frontier Airlines Lounges

Frontier Airlines does not have its own airport lounges. However, you can still utilize a Priority Pass membership, a perk of several credit cards, to get airport lounge access no matter which airline you’re flying with.

How To Book Frontier Airlines

Flights on Frontier Airlines can be booked directly on FlyFrontier.com. When searching for flights, you can add a lap infant to a booking and search for flights you can redeem with miles.

The results page will show standard, Discount Den, and GoWild! pass rates for all flights, even if you aren’t logged into your account.

Flying With Kids on Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines is an ultra-low-cost carrier, and, as such, the final cost of an airline ticket could be significantly greater than what you thought it would be. For example, you’ll be required to pay for a carry-on and your checked bag when selecting your seat. This can be very inconvenient for a family traveling with multiple people. However, there are a couple of ways to bring the cost down.

In addition to Discount Den members being able to take advantage of Kids Fly Free fares, you can also bundle amenities to save on costs. The Works Bundle includes a carry-on bag, a checked bag, seat selection, allows you to board first, and more. The Perks Bundle includes a carry-on bag, checked bag, and seat selection. For reference, seats start at $11 per person per one-way flight, and checked bag prices depend on the flight. Seats could cost much more than that per person per one-way flight. A checked bag could cost $49 if you pay during booking, but it will be $58 to add before check-in and up to $99 at the boarding gate.

If your family intends to fly Frontier Airlines often, having a Discount Den membership or a GoWild! pass makes sense.

Flying With a Lap Child

You can add a lap child to your reservation when booking online. You can have 1 lap child per 1 adult. The first and last name, gender, and birth date of the infant can be added at the same time you add your own information. Like other airlines, a lap child must be younger than 2 years old and can fly for free on the lap of an accompanying adult.

While adding a lap infant to your reservation is free when booking online, you may have to pay to add your child if you do so later. Frontier charges at least $35 to chat with an agent during booking.

Priority Boarding for Families

Frontier has 6 boarding zones, starting with those passengers with special needs. The next zone, Board First, is reserved for those who purchase a carry-on + Board First combo and Elite Platinum and Elite Diamond status members.

Zone 1 is for all Elite members, followed by what the airline calls Courtesy Boarding. This is where families with small children under 3 years old and any passengers requiring additional time can board.

The remaining zones are Zone 2, 3, and 4. Zone 2 Priority Boarding can be purchased ahead of time.

Hot Tip:

Frontier Airlines charges for everything, even $5 to check in for your flight on their website vs. their mobile app. If you elect not to bundle your add-ons, at least add everything at the time of booking before the prices increase even further.

Unaccompanied Minors

Frontier Airlines does not have an unaccompanied minors program. The airline discontinued the program in 2018. Travelers 15 years old and older can travel by themselves, but travelers younger than 15 must travel with an accompanying adult.

Seating

Frontier Airlines, thankfully, has a seating policy for families similar to that of other U.S. airlines. When 1 or more passengers on the same reservation is 13 years old or younger, they will be seated at least in an adjacent seat from the accompanying adult. This comes at no additional cost as long as the following conditions are met:

• The child and accompanying adult must be on the same reservation.
• Adjacent seats must be available when the booking is made.
• The adult may choose seats for everyone in the reservation or skip seats for the entire reservation. Once seats are assigned, no changes can be made.
• It’s physically possible to honor the adjacent seat guarantee based on the airplane’s seat layout.

Snacks and Beverage Service

Frontier sells snacks and drinks both as bundles or individually. Each bundle conveniently comes with 2 drinks, so you could theoretically share with someone else in your party. Both nonalcoholic and alcoholic drinks can be found in the bundles.

Nonalcoholic drink options include sodas, water, coffee, and tea. Spirits, wine, cocktails, and beers are also available.

Snack options for purchase include Peanut M&M’s, Takis, Chex Mix, and Cup of Noodles.

Onboard Amenities

As you can imagine, Frontier’s onboard amenities are few and far between. Even though snacks and drinks aren’t complimentary, it’s great that you can purchase those items once you’re on board.

For kids, flight attendants have collectible trading cards. Card images include Griz the Bear, Otto the Owl, or Flo the Flamingo.

Inflight Entertainment

Frontier Airlines does not have inflight Wi-Fi, seatback entertainment, or power outlets on its airplanes. However, you can download and print Frontier activity pages for kids before you board. The activities include a route map and Frontier tail to color. You can even recognize your child for their excellent travel skills with a free Frontier flight certificate!

A lack of inflight entertainment doesn’t mean that a flight will be without anything to do. It just lets parents know they will need to plan ahead with activities and pre-downloaded shows and movies on their personal devices.

Frontier Airlines Credit Cards

The Frontier Airlines World card is the only credit card offered by Frontier Airlines. The card has a mild annual fee and a welcome bonus offer typically available after meeting a minimum spending requirement.

Cardholders earn 5x miles on eligible purchases made at FlyFrontier.com, including flights, 3x miles at restaurants, and 1x miles on all other purchases. Every dollar spent on the Frontier Airlines World card gets you 1 point closer to elite status.

Additional benefits include priority Zone 2 boarding and waiving the award redemption fee when you use your Frontier Airlines World card to pay the taxes and fees on an award ticket. The card also gives you access to your FICO credit score and has no foreign transaction fees.

Final Thoughts

On the surface, Frontier Airlines seems like a great option for families to save money on air travel. But you’ll soon find that the airline charges for everything imaginable, from seat assignments to checking in on its website.

If you’re a savvy traveler who knows how to pack right and can take advantage of features like Kids Fly Free with a Discount Den membership, Frontier Airlines might be the perfect airline for your family’s needs.